Cheers 1967-2006
Sea trials
We are just back from our first trial with Cheers. I can now understand why Tom had sleep so much during the OSTAR! The boat is the sweetest that I ever sailed! The boat is fast without feeling it, probably a little bit faster than the wind to windward with the two mainsails only. We did'nt use the jib because we didn't sail very far.
Into the wind the boat suffers a little bit with the mast a little bit to big, but the course is not ridiculous, around 45° degree from the wind.
The placement of hardware is OK, but the hardware is from an other time, I was surprised by the strength needed to control de main sail in 10 to 12 knots real wind and around 20 knots apparent wind, with sails as large as Hobie sails....on a Hobie Cat we have more blocks to control the sail.
When we felt ready enough, we sailed the boat out of the bay in waves around one and an half meters high and the boat was comfortable.
I think the boat is not as fast has our Trieau, but much more regular: the boat receiving no shocks which cost a lot of speed. I have to progress with the shunt, the manoeuvre is now OK, I just have to progress in speed.
We must watch the weight on this vessel, we three weigh 170 kilos, so when we will test properly there will be only the skipper aboard . When we will do that we will use Cheers and Trieau together for longer trips.
Cheers of course!
Vincent Nélie and Rubie
December 2006
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