Hey- Check out the new Shadow, one person cat by the builders (Swell) of the Spitfire-

Note the very small 10 sqm spinnaker w/ tack where a jib would normally attach-

Basic specs look like F 16HP compatible-

http://www.swell-catamarans.com/frshadow.html



Kirt

It does indeed look compatible. Although that 10 sq.mtr. spi will hurt in the light airs.





Wouter

The Shadow has been designed specifically as an easy to control singlehander. Also Yves and Reg did a lot of testing to ensure that it could be easily righted by a light crew. The SCHRS number is 1.06 . Because the cat is under control at all time, a good sailor can sail it very well to it's handicap rating.

I would like to elaborate on this point.

Having raced the F18 Hawk for the last 5 years, I sailed my first event in the Spitfire last weekend, in a mixed fleet of 22 cats, mainly Hurricane 5.9, 2 Hawks + Dart 18s.

The first two days racing was on a short trapezoid course, with a lot of hoisting and lowering of spinnakers. As soon as we slowed to raise or lower the spinnaker, the larger Hurricanes (no spinnakers) powered over the top of us , very frustrating, we finished 3rd overall.

I'll get to the point.

On the 3rd day there was a 20 mile passage race around Belfast Lough in a force four to five with quite large waves roling in from the open sea.

We had a bad start. The first leg was a close reach and we hung on close behind most of the Hurricanes. We passed everyone on the next leg, which was downwind and rounded the final mark in the lead. We had to tack a few times up to a headland where we freed off and close reached home. We tore along that reach and held off all but one Hawk which we had not noticed tacking out into stronger wind earlier. We beat him on handicap and won the race.

What am I getting at?

While I am still reasonably fit, at 54 I am slowing down a bit. If I had been sailing the Hawk in those strong conditions, I would not have been able to drive it as hard as I did the Spitfire and would have been lucky to finish halfway up the fleet.

Sail the cat that suits you. When you sail well and under control, it is amazing how high your finishing position will be against others who are on faster cats, but not sailing as well as you.

I hope that some of you understand what I am getting at.

It is very easy to be persuaded to buy an unsuitable cat just because others have them, and you do not want to be left behind.

People over here are finally realising that you do not have to sail a heavy 18 or 20 ft cat to sail fast.

Dermot-

Thanks for the story! I totally agree with your point and folks over here are starting to "get the message" also!

One question- (and I suspect the answer is yes)- Are you hand launching your spi out of a bag on the tramp?

Per your point I noted in the Spring Fever regatta one of the crews with a (functioning!) snuffer system had a big advantage over the non-snuffered crews in terms of launching/ retrieving very quickly and keeping the boat moving fast the whole time- This was often worth several boat lengths on each downwind leg. I found it interesting that the top F 18HT's (which have NO jib but are 2 person!) were all utilizing snuffers! I understand a number of our European colleagues think snuffers aren't "manly" or some such but they argue to the same point you were making-



Kirt

I'm one of the few sailors that perfer manual system over the snuffers. But I never said anything about the character of the snuffer users !



I noticed on skiffs that the snuffers were troublesome.



I also think that there is windage involved.



However the Skunk looks like a very good compromise.



And I know this is controversial but I think that a good crew must be able to set a manual spi as fast as a snuffed spi.



About retrieving : well, training, training and training or opt for the skunk.



Wouter

Dermot,



Congrats on your win !



Maybe you can point me to the results ? So that I can update your David/Goliath cup points ?



Your comments point directly to one of the goals we're aiming for. Namely, being competitive with other fast boats and having a change in handicap races. This next to the goals of lower loads and more control and the goal of having a flexible boat with a combined crew and solo option.



These results do really encourage us at the group to continue and I'm sure that I speak for the others too.



And I must say that what I like the most about these 16 footers is that they win in a more elegant way and not by brute force and simply piling up more sailarea than your competitor.



Again Dermot, Congrats.



Wouter

Kirt,

The answer is yes, the Spitfire is supplied with a bag on the tramp, and on short courses this has to be a disadvantage compared to a snuffer system. Although with the cleaner deck layout and the smaller sail area of the Spitfire (compared to the Hawk) it would have been OK if we had not had such a small course.

I believe that the Spitfire may soon be supplied with a chute of some kind, into or under the tramp.

I do feel that a large snuffer hanging out of the pole causes windage and blows the bows off when going upwind. But I do not have any proof. The new Hawk seen at Carnac had a glassfibre "bag" of some kind, positioned at the bridle. I think that I have seen a photo of a Tornado with something like that.



I believe that I was one of the Spitfires mentioned recently being walked on by Hurricanes. I would point out that the squalls that day were something else. In the dark lake water, it was difficult to see them coming and they seemed about twice the speed of the existing wind, which was force 5. They arrived with such force that you had to completely spill the wind or you were over, and they were gone almost immediately and you had to try and start driving again. The heavier Hurricanes did not seem to be affected as much. Although, a Hawk on a close reach was hit so hard that it went over and turtled all in one movement. The crew was pulled underneath and trapped for a short while. We were quite worried after "Palma".

Dermot.

Thanks Wouter. It is a few years since I felt that I sailed so well. Once we got working together the boat was so easy to sail.

The results can be found on www.catamaran.ie/results/northern.htm Individual races are listed below the overall results.

The long distance race is on www.catamaran.ie/results/rtl.htm



The Club Spring Lamb series is on www.blessingtonsailingclub.com/Spring/springlos.html you can click on each race to get times.

My crew this year is Cathy Clark. Niamh headed off on the "Grand Tour" to Australia. Cathy is a Laser sailor and, up to April, had no previous experience of spinnakers. We are settling down well.

Dermot.

I may have been wrong about the SCHRS number of the Shadow.

Neil says that he saw 1.07 listed as the SCHRS number in Carnac. I think that it was originally on the site as 1.06.

I devided the elasped time by the corrected time and the result is 1.0699 = 1.07 ISAF rating



Wouter

It may be new, it maybe pretty but I just do not see enough volume in the hulls to support to carry two people. The first thing that impressed me about the Taipan 4.9 is that it had volume in the hulls to support two people. The only other performance cat that realized that that was the key to speed in a 16 foot boat for the last 30 years was the Isotope.



By the way had a great time at Spring Fever to bad the pictures of the sharkboat didn't show up. The sun was behind it showing it's profile. Hey guys I'm still out here.



J.P. the Terrible

Isotope 186

J.P.



Well the shadow is a pure solo craft from the looks of it so it would have enough volume for that then.



I totally agree with your comment on the shark boat, I was also very disappointed to find that the hulls didn't come out on the pictures. That's really a pitty of such nice hulls.



Wouter

Dermot,

First, thanks for the story

We are moving into our winter and for the first time in 6 years I won't be racing at all through the winter so I'll probably be going through withdrawal for the next couple of months.

I need more people describing the action until I can get another fix.



I was wondering if you knew if the Shadow is set up with a snuffer system.

I noticed the kite has reinforcing patches that could take a pull down line for a snuffer.

Just interested in what people are trying these days. Yet to see the perfect system.



Phill

Phill

After my great result last week, I was brought down to earth yesterday in a club race. Wind was force four, leading cat, at windward mark, Cathy was alredy in off the wire getting the spinnaker ready, I was swinging in and we were hit by a gust, over we went. Back to reality.



If you go to www.swell-catamarans.co.uk and go to the Shadow gallery, in the last photo you can just see the opening in the tramp just behind the main beam, stbd. side.

Dermot

Phill,

I have just found a report on the Shadow in Yachts and Yachting. There has not been a sail test yet.

It is not online so I will have to type it out, I will just put in the main points.

At 4.8m, looks petit by cat standards, packs a punch with 23sq.m sail area only 95kgs. 3mm foam in sandwich hulls with kevlar for max "ding" resistance. mast only 11.5kgs incl fittings. alloy mast cheaper to insure than carbon. Looks different from Spitfire - 40kgs lighter no chines - no need for reinforcement. It also has an exceptionally neat spinnaker chute system, with a moulded mouthpiece close to the front beam and a sock under the tramp which can be alligned to the direction of pull. Other great feature - self righting system. A shock loaded rope system that self-stows under the tramp. simple to operate. Just pull the end loop onto your harness hook while standing on the lower hull, lean back - the boat comes up. 90 secs from fully inverted to fully upright.

You can also fly the kite from the wire in a force 2.

They're the main details.

I believe that the chute may be standard on the Spitfire soon.

Dermot.

I want one of these self righting systems - just swim around and watch the cat come up all by itself? More info please! if you have it.

Dermot,



Will you or your son go to the Texel regatta ?



I will be there and so will John and Sue. To bad that I will be without a boat this year but I would like to meet you and shake hands.



I would also very much like to invite :



you, your son,

all other Spitfire sailors

John/Sue (Stealth F16)

Geert/Raymond (Taipan F16)

Sandra and friend (Bim F16).



To race at texel in both the open class aswell as the F16 class. If we succeed at listing 10 boats total we can have our own Texel class price. To bad I won't have my Typhoon ready by that time or we would already have 6 potential entries.



But this regatta would put the current number 1 against the number 2 and 3 of the F16HP cup. And at the same time over a hug amount of prey boats.



Is there a spitfire mailing list where I can invite the Carnac spitfires to come over ?



Other ; cheaper regatta's are also possible; Texel can be a bit expensive.



Regards,



Wouter

Wouter,

Thank you for your offer, we would like to meet you, but I don't think that we will make it to Texel this year. I will not be doing "away events" and Neil is already committed to the Spitfire Europeans in France and the UK Nationals.

It is very costly for us to travel to Holland, they say that the Ireland - UK ferry crossing is the dearest in Europe. Then we have UK to Holland on top of that. The other alternative is, ferry to France and then drive to Holland.

There is no Spitfire mailing list as far as I know, but Tim Dieu de Bellefontaine is listed as the UK class secretary. Although I have not had any recent contact with him, we have corresponded in the past. Try tim@dinghyinsurance.com

Usually there are a good number of UK sailors at Texel.

Thanks again.

Dermot

Rob,

I think that the light mast has a lot to do with the ease of righting the Shadow. Also the beam is less than the Spitfire.

Dermot.