Best solo heavyweight...

The question to you hotshots is which is the best solo boat for a 6'5", 240 pound person. A-Cat is out. Hobie FX-1? N-17R? Are there other choices?
Thanks for any help.
Salud

TAIPAN.. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I weigh about the same as you and find the Nacra 16ft square a good challange. One man with a good size sail which means you get a good power to weight ratio.
I also can right it solo as with the standard sealed mast It doesn't turtle.

I've never heard of a Nacra 16 square. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Put a spinny on it and a modern square top. Then shave 30Kgs off it and you've almost got an F16. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Alternatively, get the real thing in the form of a Stealth or Blade F16!!!

Okay, but I have never heard of a Nacra 16, period. Maybe it is called something else in the U.S.? Or maybe we don't have it in the U.S. at all.

All the Nacras in North America are named in terms of meters, not feet. So why would there be a Nacra in Europe and in Australia that is described in terms of "feet" instead of meters? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Do you want to be in a racing fleet or just goof around by yourself? If you want to race, you are limited to a few single-handed boats. And if you want to race in your local area, solo, you are limited to what everyone else is racing single handed, unless you want to race on corrected time only.

If you want to play, you could get any good used two person boat and sail it alone, for quite a bit less money. Every two person boat can be sailed solo, you just have to pick your wind. The mast raising might be a problem on any boat (except an A cat) if you can't get someone to help.

What's wrong with the Prindle 19?

The N17R/F17 can handle your weight. There were a couple of guys in MI (CRAM) that sailed the F17 with an optional larger class spinnaker. The boat can handle up to 340 lbs.

Ideal for a heavy-weight single hander. There maybe a couple of used ones coming to the market. Check out www.nacraracing.com for details (class rules for optional larger spinnaker). If my attachment went through I believe that the green I17R has a larger spinnaker.

Image

Mary,

The Nacra 16 square was only sold by nacra Australia and can only be found in Australia itself and New Zealand and southern Asia like Singapore/Thailand.

The 16 refers to the sail area and not the length of the hulls. Just like the nacra 18 square.

Wouter

Bandit and Buccaneer,

It appears that the guy asking is in the USA, so why are we advicing boats to him that are only available in Australia or that are dead ?

Neither the Nacra 16 square or Taipan can be bought new in the USA. The 16 square is not even available as a second hander in the USA and the US Taipans have all been rebuild into F16's. Correct me if I'm wrong but is the Taipan still even build ? Not by AHPC. They have terminated production in anticipation of their new Viper F16 and that design will be available in the US contrary to the two others named.


Wouter

As reliable as the sun rising in the morning, a "what kind of boat should I get" thread has an F16 nominated in less than 5 posts :P

There is a better choice even.

Formula 16

(much) Lighter, faster and also better class structure then the others named.

In relation to the FX-one it is much cheaper as well.

Probably the only serious competition to the F16's in the US are the A's and nacra 17's

But it should beat both anyway.

To bad the 2 nacra 17's wouldn't take the F16 class up on the invitation to start with them at the tradewinds regatta last weekend. Here the F16's had their own start and racing fleet because of the number of F16's entered.

Would have been nice to see the two really square up head to head. One decided not to come at all and the other opted to start in the open portsmouth class.


Wouter

18 Square, of course! Want one?

Only 1 Nacra 17 raced, and I don't think he had a choice of fleets.

Rumor has it, Bob Curry sold his 17 and bought an A cat. I can't confirm one way or the other.

I would go with a marstrom or DK 17 or XJ A class and have fun. Get a stiff mast and a full sail to match. It will be a long time before you can outsail the boat unless you are already a world class sailor. Plus, you have alot of other sailors to play with at nationals.

Cheers
Eric Anderson

My choice would be the Hobie 17. Can't beat flying from the wing. We have several local H-17 racers your size. When the wind picks up, they leave the light weights way behind. Also, should be able to pick one up at a good price.

Caleb Tarleton
H-17 #6446

ARC17, plenty of buoyancy, can be sailed 1 or 2 up, main, main/jib, main/jib/spin, no boards (nice if you sail in shallow water, or launch thru the surf a lot) strong, quality boat.
There are used older versions available under the name of Supercat 17. I use to sail one at 165lb solo most of the time but it should be an even better fit for you at 240#.

16 square refers to area of sail not length of boat.

Interesting that NACRA Australia produced a different range of boats to its Americain counterpart. I would like to see some pics of the 18 sq as I cant see it on www.nacra.us
How long is the 18 sq?

Nacra should be releasing its new boat the NACRA SL 16 for the US market. Might be worth checking out. I hope they release it in Aus...

http://www.nacra.us/SL16/slindex.html

The Nacra 18-square is 18 feet long. It has the same hulls as the Nacra 5.5 -- just wider beam.

It is impossible to imagine that it has 324 square feet of sail in main alone -- almost 90 sq. ft. more than the original Tornado that had main and jib. So I'm not buying the idea that 18-square refers to the sail area.

Somebody had a great evening leading you on the believe that the 18 sq. had 324 sq.ft of sail area !

It truly is 18 sq. mtr. see http://www.watersportverbond.nl/data/5Z2_numdet1_3-7-2006.pdf

Look for nacra 18m2, the m2 stands for meters-squared.

The nacra 16 square is just above it under the name nacra 16vm, vm here stands for "vierkante meter" which in Dutch means "squared meters"

Interestingly enough the true sail area is a little less then 16 sq. mtr. but then again the hulls are longer then 16 feet either. Halve the time I don't understand what Nacra is doing with their models.

But anyway the 18sq truly refers to the mainsail area.

Wouter

1 square meter is 10.76 square feet, so 18 square meters is only about 194 square feet.

It was on this thread, and then it was said that the 16ft square refers to sail area, just as for the 18 square. Nothing was said about meters.

Sorry if I am being a dumb blonde again. However, this is the first time I have ever heard that 18-square refers to the sail area. I thought it referred to its length and the fact that it is so WIDE.

So, are you saying that if the sail area is 18 square meters, ANY boat can be an 18-square, regardless of the length and width of the boat? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Yes and besides the 16 square they also produced an 18 square (no longer in production) and a 14 square. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

As I understand it the correct title is 16 sq which refers to the sail size in meters.
Here are the boat specs.
Length 5.0m
Beam 2.5m
Sail Area 16 sq m
Weight 130kg
Designer Ross Guinea

However it has also been unofficially referred to as 16ft sq the ft most likely refers to the length in this case, but I can't be certain.

The 14 sq specs

Length 4.5m
Beam 2.44m
Sail Area 14 sq m
Weight 105kg
Designer Ross Guinea

The SL-16 is a youth Multihull. It will be used in the US SAILING Youth Multihull Champ. in CA this Spring, and the ISAF Youth Multihull World Champ next year.

Caleb Tarleton, US SAILING Youth Multihull Champ. Comm.

I have a 14 squared and it is over fourteen feet and does indeed have 14 suare metres of sail. It is a great little one sail boat but nothing like as race tuned as the Taipan 4.9 which I also have.
The 14sq is a boomless rig and very simple to sail. The inhaul and downhaul are used to resist rotation and there is a positive rotation device for running.
The mast essentially finds its own place. Not as easy to tack as the Taipan or a jib run boat. The 16 square is a very similar boat to look at but has 16 square metres of sail and is 16 feet long and the sailors say it has more boyancy up front. It would suit the weight of the chap who asked the question and deliver a great ride.
These Nacaras are true beach boats and excellent recreacion, tough and fast.
I believe they can be beefed up with the Nacra foil and hooter.

Length is controlled, not to exceed 18 ft. Width is not controlled. Back in the 80's, they had a Cat. II that was also limited by mast circumference (20" max.) and weight (not less than 330 lbs.). Very open rules for this class of cat!

viva 27. its alot of work to run the head sails tho

Hi John, give Pat hugs and hello from Jay and tami...

You know we have 18 Squares, and would sure love to see you get one. So would Andrew Tatton. It'll sure be a good boat for your weight. You can duke it out with Tatton, and when here, you can duke it with us...

But why is the Acat out? I thought there was a fella there Houston way who was something over 6 ft and 250lb racing an A, aw, what was his name... anyway, you can choose a rig that will complement your size.... talk to Ogletree...

Like I say, I'd sure love to see you get a Square.

Square data from a two-Square owner:
18 Square refers to sail area, which is something like 194 sq ft, eg 18 Square Meters.

Max hull length is 18 ft/5.5metres. No max beam. If your boat allup weight is less than 330lb, you're Category I. 330 or more, you're Cat II. And that's just about it for class rules, the 18 Square is a development class. Y'all might remember WILD TURKEY, the solid-wing 18 Square...

There is a webpage for the 18 Square
http://www.geocities.com/mec_coleman/18square.htm

Class rules, data, pix, all there.

Sometimes it's fun to play with yourself. Fly 18sq.

Tami:

Yea there is a guy racing out of HYC at 250 that they say is deadly. Bob Hodges may know his name. They have told me with A it it just time on the boat and you can have mast and sail cut to your weight. I hope to sell H17 some day and get an A. I would not let weight keep him from getting a n A.

Doug

Go to the Isotope website. You will see me sailing the shark profile boat. I weigh 230 at 6'5". You will also see me and crew at 220lbs flying hull. Even sailing as a big boy the boat doesn't create a wake, meaning it can take the weight without disturbing the draft profile. We always race single handed.

J.P.Ayers
186

Go ahead guys let me have it.

Link to the web site?