First F-32SR Launched!
Jerry, Randy Smyth and Ron White for the first launch
Just after launching, curved lifting foil just visible behind forward beam (sailing photos by Bert Rice)
Putting the Smyth mainsail up for the first time - note how high it is floating - this is a very light boat
Main now up and starting to move - unfortunately weather now closed in, but Jerry reported:
It was not a great day for a test sail, the boat is not ready, it was raining, etc, but it is going to cold tomorrow and I go home on Tuesday. So we went out today. The wind was between 8 to 10 knots, and we had six on board.
We had the cruising sails up (small main and jib only). We never powered up as there was an issue with a support for the jib track, still we were at 14 knots. The boat was very well balanced, very light, responsive, and controllable. On the other hand, it felt like if we just we sheeted the sails in, fall off a bit, the boat would take off. There was a lot of speed left, there is no question that we could have lifted the main hull.
The boat design is great, all of the Randy Smyth and DJ systems are great. We sailed main only and the weather helm was manageable, in fact we could even tack without any issue. We did not cant the rig, or put down the lifting foils, or put up the screacher, or asymmetric.
I am not sure what this boat will do, but a little more wind, the racing sails, upwind screacher, off the wind asymmetric, cant the rig, put down the lifting foils, put Randy and DJ on the boat, and I am not sure I will be able to hold on.
Jerry
Stern and the centrally mounted outboard
Interior with daggerboard to starboard (still wrapped). Pipe berths are along each side.
