canting rigs

[bad dog]

Has anyone had any experience with canting rigs? I read that the upcoming Americas Cup tris &/or cats (what is going there??) may be using them, as Banque Populaire and other ORMAs have done for some years.

I have an old Catapult (currently for sale if you're interested!) with a canting rig. Do I like it? Oh yes! Should they be more widely used? Probably. Let me explain...

I bought my first diesel ute in 1981, a Holden Slowdeo (sorry GM, but it was crap). Had it turbocharged 6 months later, and swore I would never drive a non-turbo diesel again (am still true to that, as are all the manufacturers, for obvious reason). Canting rigs are the same thing.

In a fixed rig - fly a hull, boat heels, loose aspect and area.

Or - cant the rig 3~5° to windward, then fly the hull and 100% of the rig is in the breeze. Pointing slightly improves too. If you cant it TOO far you find out that a cat can capsize quicker than you can even decide to think about starting to react, but what the hey.

Anyway, given how slow my A cat is, I'm willing to try anything! (If Mitch Booth reads this - can you remember which A Class nationals you sailed on Martin Bunch's boat built by Jay Booth? I now have it, and it is still lovely. Just slow off the wind compared to, well, pretty much every other A around!).

Dick Clarke