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Update: November 11th, 2003
Since our last update in August we have been very busy. Not only did we create and launch a new website to better communicate with sailors, we have delivered two new boats, attended the Long Beach Boat Show, finished the RS50 catamaran design, raced five ocean races and have completed our production shop allowing us to build one to two boats a month.
New website!
First , our new website. For those who have been following us for the last two years we hope you like the new look and information our new website provides. We have added new pages and have refined our navigation. Please feel free to comment on the new website and all suggestions are welcomed to improve the site.
Click Here for Comments
R33 Racing
Since August we have raced in the five races… Catalina Island race #7-8, The Summer Splash and return and #14 mile bank race.
The Catalina Island race #7-8 was a very special race. It was special because for the first time we had women onboard…our wives! My crew, Russ Turk, and I had talked Carmen and Jody into racing over to the Island with us. My wife Carmen usually only goes sailing on what we affectionately call “Carmen Days”…winds no more than 10 knots and temps at least 70 degrees.
This was also going to be a good test for the R33 accommodations. Carmen is not a “camper” so to prepare the boat I added a second head, a second ice box and bought her new color-coordinated foul weather gear. Now each couple had there own cabins with heads and iceboxes and Carmen would be “looking gooood“! We were going to race in “luxury”!
We started the race and jumped out to a good lead. But the wind was very fickle and light. We managed to get a big lead on the next multihull but approaching the finish line we fell into a big hole. We watched the entire fleet come right up to us. Luckily the wind turned on again and we beat the next boat by 16 minutes in the long 6 hour race.
After finishing the race we picked up a mooring and relaxed on the boat for about two hours. We tidied up the boat, prepped the cabins for sleeping, closed the boat up and headed ashore in the water taxi. Once ashore we had a great time, eating, drinking, dancing and relaxing. After enjoying the Island we went back to the mooring and retired for the night, each couple to their own cabins. In the morning we all got up, got dressed and headed ashore again for breakfast.
 At breakfast, I asked the girls how they liked racing and sleeping onboard the boat…I was surprised by Carmen’s answer…she said she was having a good time and was not uncomfortable…the boat was dry, the bunks were comfortable, there was plenty of food and drink and she had her own head!!! This was the ultimate test for the boat…if Carmen liked the accommodations we knew we had done something right. I was very glad she was having a good time!
The race going back was much more to our liking…we won the start, had a nice 12 knot beam reach and again jumped to a big lead. This race was going to be more interesting for the girls as I knew we would be going real fast and putting the pedal to the metal…after all we were racing. When you are in racing mode in good wind we will usually fly a hull at about 10 degrees and hit speeds of over 20 knots. At the finish we sailed the 26 mile course in only 2 hours beating the next boat by 20 minutes!
Carmen again enjoyed the whole ride. She even like the 10 degree hull flying we were doing across the channel. The boat was dry and fast. The only thing she didn’t like was when I did my trademarked 25 degree hull flying at the finish (just a little showing off if the wind permits). Next time, I’ll keep it to only 10 degrees.
In conclusion it was a great weekend. We beat all other multihulls on elapsed time and had a wonderful time on the Island. We had sailed in light and heavy winds, were warm, dry, well fed and comfortable. I asked Carmen to make a wish list for the boat for the next time. She came up with some great suggestions that are easy to add to the boat. But for now I am happy to say the R33 has been “Carmen Approved”! And if you knew Carmen, we should get “Boat of the Year Award” for the boat that offers the most speed with real accommodations…because Carmen does not camp!
The Summer Splash The Summer Splash was another fun race. With only a crew of 3 onboard (Russ, David and I) we raced from Long beach against only two other boats. But we were meeting another 30 boats leaving from Marina Del Rey, about 15 miles up the coast, and racing to Cat Harbor as well. We finished first in our small fleet and second against the fleet from Del Rey.
The second day Russ had to go back home on the Catalina Flyer leaving just David and I to race back. With a huge 35 boat start we had a fun race for the first 15 minutes. We shot ahead of the entire fleet but then had to turn downwind heading for Long Beach harbor. Only 3 boats were sailing back to Long beach and the rest of the fleet was racing back to Del Rey. But the great sailing to come was to make up for the lack of boats going back.
We put up the kite and David and I sailed the boat in the 15 knots of wind hitting speeds of 21 knots. On this point of sail the boat feels like a sports car…very maneuverable and dry! It is hard to describe how fun it is to sail this boat on this point of sail…like sailing a 5o5 or other highly slippery monohull dinghy downwind but at twice the speed. We beat the second place F31 by 45 minutes in a 2 hour race. Next year we will go to Del Rey to join the big fleet!
The 14 mile bank. This race seems to be tailor made for us…a small beat and then a 14 mile reach and then another 14 reach back to the finish. Last year we won on elapsed and corrected…same thing this year, first place on elapsed and corrected.
We got a good start and then started to fly in the light 10 winds. It was especially fun because I had my good friend and new production manager Richard Evett sailing onboard. Richard, an old fireball sailor, seemed to be having fun as we flew past the fleet and winning handily in the 3 and a half hour race.
I had the most fun when I let Richard take the helm as we sailed back the 16 miles back to weather to Huntington Harbor. Richard did an excellent job of getting the feel for the boat blasting along at 9-10 knots to weather in the freshening 15 knot breeze…he almost looked like a kid again :)
R33 Production
In the last two months we have delivered two boats. Our first R33 Turbo Elite, sporting an 18 foot beam and 54 foot carbon mast, has been shipped to Spain where she is currently sailing.
We have also delivered out first boat to Florida and to her new owner John Kidder. John ordered our R33 Race model sporting a 43 foot mast and 16 foot beam. We will be posting new pictures of these speedy craft and their owners sailing in the Mediterranean and the waters off the Florida coast.
Regarding current R33 production we are now in our second stage of production and are currently building three boats in two months. After these boats are completed we will be capable of two boats per month.
With current orders are lead time to get a boat is about 4 months. So if you want to be sailing fast next summer it’s time to firm up your order now. Go to our “how to buy” page to learn how easy it is to save a production slot at no risk.
RS50 update
The RS50 catamaran design is finished and is fast becoming a reality. The new boat will sleep 8, have two heads w/shower and a galley and nav station…yet it will weigh less than 6900 lbs!
The RS50 Cat comes in 3 rig and beam configurations. For the cruiser the RS50 Sport is equipped with a powerful yet easy to sail 50 foot rig and an easy to slip 16-foot beam. For the racing enthusiast, the RS50 Race is 20-feet wide and comes with a 60 foot mast. For the ultimate in speed the RS50 Turbo Elite offers sailors a carbon boat with a high tech 75 foot carbon mast and 24 foot beam. At only 6900 pounds this cat offers twice the performance of other boats at an extremely competitive value.
Keep watching for a complete update on the new RS50 Cat page. We will be constantly adding images and drawings as the first RS50 is being built.
Summary
We are very excited about the new year. We are in production with the R33 with many orders to fill and the RS50 plug will be started in late Nov or early Dec this year. I will have more time to help promote and spread the word about these two boats allowing both classes to grow. It should be an exciting 2004!
If you have any questions on the R33 or RS50 please don’t hesitate to email or call me at 800-366-8584. I will be happy to answer any questions you have on our company and new line of exciting catamarans.
To schedule a DEMO RIDE click here
Till next time…Fast Sailing!
Randy Reynolds
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