DINGHIES ON TEST TRIPLE TEST: windward-leeward course, with a second class racing – at a mere 65kg, Tom Walker – more mellow – day at Hayling Island SC. sailed at maximum beam. Assisting me on the test team were One perceived disadvantage of cats is Weston sailors Chris Aston, an RS700 they take up more space in a boat park, owner, and Olly Harris, who has a Shadow but the Shadow is only slightly longer at the club, plus Musto Skiff sailor Dan and a couple of inches wider than a Skiff Vincent from nearby Stokes Bay SC. We or 700 with racks extended. It also fits were joined by Tom Walker, an RS600 the legal width for trailing, so once the owner and Formula 18 Shockwave crew, ‘platform’ (hulls, beams and trampoline) who had no previous experience of any of is assembled, there is no need to take it absolute simplicity, but spinnaker size is ABOVE LEFT With the three test boats. apart. Despite an elliptical aluminium reduced and centre of effort is well aft, an experienced section, the mast is light enough for one reducing lift on the bows. sailor at the helm, the RS700 was able Rigging and launching person to raise or lower – just walk it up Both the Skiff and 700 are light and to outpace the The Musto Skiff and RS700 both have or down with shrouds attached – and easy to wheel around the boat park, but Shadow downwind Musto Skiff • RS700 • Shadow super-light carbon masts, which makes it rigging is straightforward, with no wings care is needed to avoid scary moments in in gusty conditions. fairly easy for one person to rig the boat, to fit or adjust. gusty weather. With a fully battened ABOVE The three although both have a more complex Unlike other cats, the Shadow has no mainsail, the Skiff felt so twitchy you had boats actually take up a similar amount What’s the ultimate high performance challenge? Jeremy Evans goes head-to maze of ropes and wires than the spinnaker pole. Instead, the chute is to stay close in case it blew over. of room on land, Shadow. Racks on the Skiff are fixed, under the trampoline and the spinnaker Launching or landing a Skiff is never when the skiffs have their racks extended. head with two skiffs and a cat in a solo sailors’ shoot-out... while 700 racks are adjustable from tack is pulled out to the wire bridle going to be easy and could be a major 1.92-2.33m for weight equalisation when between the bows. The major benefit is challenge for novices. The boat will fall f we wanted a tough test, we certainly providing extremely challenging forgiving, with good protection from the got the weather for it. The nearby conditions. The sailors said it felt like low-lying shore. We rigged and launched sotonmet station consistently 20-25 knots most of the time, with 17-20 courtesy of Weston SC, which gave direct recorded 17-20 knots with 22-26 knot knots during calmer patches. access to the huge playground of Igusts, plus a few 30-knot slammers, Sea conditions were reasonably Southampton Water for trials on a SPECIFICATIONS RIGHT Both the skiffs have carbon Musto Skiff RS700 Shadow rigs, while the Design: Dr Joachim Harpprecht and Design: N. Peters and Design: Yves Loday and Reg White (2002) Musto Skiff and Shadow have fully Ovington Boats (2000) A. Southon (2001) Length: 4.80m battened mainsails. Length: 4.55m Length: 4.68m Beam: 2.40m Beam: 2.35m Beam: 1.92-2.33m Hull weight: 25kg Hull weight: 44kg Hull weight: 56kg Sailing weight: 99kg Sailing weight: 80kg Sailing weight: 79kg Construction: Kevlar reinforced Construction: Epoxy carbon foam sandwich Construction: Epoxy GRP foam sandwich foam sandwich Sail Area: Main: 11.8sq m Sail area: Main: 12.8sq m Sail Area:Main: 12.95sq m Asymmetric: 15.5sq m Asymmetric: 16sq m Asymmetric: 10sq m Price: £8,496 Price: £7,995 Price: £8,995 Contact: www.ovingtonboats.com Contact: www.rssailing.com Contact: www.swell-catamarans.co.uk Class Assoc: www.mustoskiff.com Class Assoc: www.rs-association.com Class Assoc: www.shadowsailing.org.uk 034 | YACHTS & YACHTING | JUL ’09 JUL ’09 | YACHTS & YACHTING | 035 DINGHIES ON TEST move around the boat without getting a bit of practice could be almost as rapid caught. Considering the size of the as the 700 or Skiff, with minimal chance mainsail, the mainsheet and traveller were of capsize! easy to trim with control ropes from the rear beam. Off the wind Following Dan’s demonstration of On the wind managing a Musto Skiff downwind in First-time Musto Skiff sailor Tom had a 1:1 Force 5-6, Tom gave an impressive display tuition session with Dan crouched behind with only two capsizes! Tom reported: ‘The the mast before being let loose bear-away was astonishingly painless, singlehanded – no mean feat with gusts although weight was needed on the wire close to Force 7! Despite the conditions, until the boat was pointing firmly Tom loved sailing this boat upwind, downwind. Controls were easy to adjust saying: ‘It went like a dream, easy to get with an especially smooth kicker. My fears planing and high enough out of the water that hoisting a kite whilst steering with not to get dunked by every lull!’ your back leg would be impractical were Tom also tacked the Skiff without unfounded – hoists did not pose any major problems, but recommends you need to problems. Once on the wire with the kite get on the new wire quickly. Familiarity up, the Skiff really does scream downwind with the equally flakey RS600 was at incredible speed (Tom’s best was 17.5 over if you hold the bow, so needs to be lot trickier than on the Shadow, with lots clearly an advantage – most folk will find knots), but I never really felt out of control! same time, also allowing the helm to held firmly from the side, making it of sheet adjustment and even some it a challenge to learn to tack a Skiff Gybes were predictably tricky, but I’m sure stand up and hoist more quickly.’ difficult to insert the daggerboard and rudder movement required to avoid without capsizes. could be mastered with practice!’ It was a surprise to discover that the rudder. This was perfectly demonstrated falling to windward or being blown over Tom sailed the 700 in lighter winds, Meanwhile, Chris Aston was going monohulls could outpace the multi by Dan Vincent who gave a masterclass to leeward in gusts and lulls. when it performed beautifully, feeling a bit all-out on his 700 to stay ahead of the downwind, when the Skiff recorded a top on how to sail a Skiff on the water, but The 700 felt equally light and heavier and more ‘boat like’ than the Skiff, Shadow. All good things come to an end, speed on the GPS of over 19 knots, with capsized trying to get it on the trolley! responsive on the helm, with effective rig partly due to more mellow conditions. He so Chris took an almighty wipeout, landed Dan Vincent looking completely relaxed The RS700 was not as lively as the controls led out to the wings. You get the found it easy to tack, with no problems on the leeward rack and broke the end on the wire. Olly Harris, who has a lot of Skiff on its trolley, helped by a semi- same challenge of stepping out on the getting stuck in irons, which can easily fitting. We reconvened to sail the 700 on experience with the Shadow, took an battened mainsail and slightly larger hull. rack, but the 700 seemed to be slightly stall the RS600. As with the MPS, plenty a much more mellow Force 3-4 day. Tom early swim and decided to sit in and sail It will still provide a challenge launching higher out of the water than the Skiff, of practice will be needed to ensure a 700 reported: ‘The 700 felt very similar to the conservatively with the kite. Tom Walker, or landing in a breeze, which is all part of making it a touch more forgiving in lulls remains upright in breezy conditions, Skiff downwind, although closer to a who was totally new to the Shadow, went ABOVE The RS700 is slightly heavier and the learning process with this style of and gusts. With no great load on the particularly during tacks or lulls. conventional ‘boat’ if you prefer to sit on straight on the wire and blazed across felt more solid boat. And although these boats are mainsheet, the rig felt powerful enough The Shadow had a clear advantage the side. Perhaps it’s slightly more the water with the kite, followed by an upwind, whilst also being easy to tack, singlehanders, you will need a spare pair to drive the 700 rapidly upwind in chop. upwind, pointing high, sailing fast and forgiving, with more buoyancy in the almighty pitchpole. with no problems of hands to help with the trolley, plus a The twin rudders of the Shadow felt consistently reaching the top mark well bows when sailing through waves, but not As Tom explains: ‘To put it mildly, the getting stuck in irons. third pair of hands to help launch and light and responsive, giving the boat a ahead of the monos. In difficult that forgiving as I found to my expense Shadow was exciting! I found it difficult recover in wind and waves! nice controlled feel, more reminiscent of conditions with plenty of slammers, it during a gybe – plenty of practice will be downwind, starting with the bear-away hoist – with no problems with snagging, TOP The Musto Once you’ve got the hang of using a a dinghy than a cat.