It time to get the Byte fleet
going! 
(By Ken Chaplin)Have you seen the two new Bytes at the Nassau Yacht Club yet? Have you
sailed one? If you haven't and you are looking for the thrill of sailing a light weight
performance dinghy that is very manageable, especially for lighter weight sailors (110 lbs
to 160 lbs) you have to try it. You will be amazed with the performance of the boat,
especially with the new CII rig. When you do try it, you will quickly realize why many
clubs in other countries are taking this class on as THE BOAT for their junior sailors.
Not only is it the perfect boat for them, but it is also the ideal single-handed dinghy
for adults under 160 lbs.
So what does it look like?
The best way to describe this boat is;
imagine a hull that is very much like the Laser hull but slightly smaller and lighter with
a mast and sail on it that looks like a very modern, oversized windsurfer rig.
How does it sail?
The feedback from those who have tried
these boats over the last few months with the standard rig is "It's VERY
responsive" and once mastery of the traveller (a feature the Laser does not have )
has been learned great control can be had in windy conditions. The Byte as Robert
mentioned in the last newsletter is a great race boat to learn in as it has ALL the lines
(rig adjustments) found in sophisticated race boats. Now that we have sailed the boat with
the new CII rig (Just received last weekend) the boat is everything we thought it would
be. All of us who have tried it (Robert, Kai and I ) are most impressed. As Kai says;
"With this rig the boat is much faster and surprisingly more stable". Yes, it is
easier to manage than the standard rig and a lot easier to sail than the Laser, especially
if you are not "Laser weight" (over 170 lbs) and extremely fit. And to top it
off, this boat is almost as fast as the Laser.
What's so great about the new CII rig?
It is truly amazing what the latest
developments have brought about in sailing. This fully battened sail on a very flexible
carbon-fiber mast transforms this boat into one of the most advanced single-handed
dinghies on the market today. When a gust hits, the rig automatically dispenses of the
pressure (by the mast allowing the sail at the top to easily twist off) which means much
less hiking is required to keep the boat level. The tune is so adjustable that a person
110 lbs can still keep the boat flat in 18 to 20 knots and not lose ground to the heavier
sailors, and a 160 lb. sailor can still be as competitive as the 110 lb. sailor in light
air (5 to 8 knots). This is what makes this boat so incredible to race.
How does the Byte fit into the local
sailing program?
As the Byte is such an exciting boat to
sail, perfect for developing advanced dinghy sailing skills and fills a void in the
sailing weight range of between 110 lbs and 160 lbs the Bahamas Sailing Association has
selected it a class to develop locally along with the Sunfish.
(For details of the various classes,
please refer to the article "Our Dinghy Classes" within this news letter.)
Present Objective and Goal
Our objective is to get a fleet of Bytes
going with the intention that this be the class for the development of our juniors and a
class in which many of the lighter adults would enjoy sailing. (Note: this is different to
the Optimist Class which is regarded as the Kids, 6 to 14 year old class. They started
their program just over a year ago and shortly will have over 30 boats racing regularly on
Montagu Bay)
Our immediate goal is to get 5 more boats
on the island as quickly as possible fitted with the new CII rig. Robert Dunkley and I are
working on sponsors for the boats and at this point in time need commitments from those
who are interested in chartering the sponsored boats on a seasonal basis and from those
who wish to buy boats outright.
Sign-up now
All we need RIGHT NOW is a commitment
from a handful of interested persons who would be willing to put up $100 to charter a Byte
for a season......$100 bucks - that's all. If you are interested in buying a boat, we will
assist you with it.
For those who are interested, please send
an e-mail to me at ken@eradupuch.com or to the BSA
at contact@bahamassailing.org
Meanwhile if you want to learn more about
the Byte click on their website (www.byteclass.org)
or give me a call to arrange a trial sail - Ken 394-6311.
All the best!
Ken Chaplin |
