After many years experience in dealing with sailing boats, particularly sports/racers of 8 to 10 metres overall length, I have felt for two years that there is a need in the market for a boat that above all is easy to handle. That means not only a boat that is easy to trailer but above all is simple to handle in its element - on the water; where simple handling means not only the ability to be sailed single-handed, but also the advantage of regatta sailing without the need to recruit a large crew, and nevertheless still be faster than most boats of similar size. All this whenever possible without the need for trapezes or outriggers. After refining my ideas over the past two years I consulted the respected and innovative designer Umberto Felci, who together with the Proteus boatyard in Cavaion was able in a short time to turn them into reality.
The result is a sailing boat that fully meets the above concepts.
Details:
Overall length 8.50m. Beam 2.20m. Draught 2.00m. Displacement 1080Kg.
(Hull and rig 480Kg, keel 700Kg). This represents a ballast ratio of 40:60.
Sail area jib & main 41.5sqm. Gennaker 80sqm.. Sheets and halyards are
led under deck. Aluminium mast; gennaker boom and its running tube
carbon fibre. Roller reefing jib mechanism and endless control lines run
under deck and can be controlled from the helmsman's position. Function
has priority in all design features but emphasis has also been placed on
achieving a quality image. The rudder moves in ball bearings, the tiller is
carbon fibre and the jib roller is made by 'Bartels'.
The boat entirely fulfilled all expectations during testing last week on the
Lake of Garda. She can be sailed in winds of 4-20Kts and shows enormous
potential, really showing her speed in winds of more than 10Kts. The
spinnaker can easily be handled by only two crew when running and
reaching, the boat showed no tendency to broach. Close hauled the
boat slices through the waves making astonishing VMG values with the
cockpit staying remarkably dry. The tiller lies easily to hand and reflects
the excellent boat balance.
Last but not least: the S850 leaves the yard without having to be modified
in any way; just sail away like taking your car out of the garage! When
one thinks that all this was achieved with a totally new design: the team
deserve a huge compliment!
Race result highlight:
First and second place at the European Championship for Sportboats 2004.
