I am looking to replace the Main and Jib sails on my Stiletto 23. It appears that the set I currently have are not the correct ones for the boat. What should the measurements be for the Main and a 95% jib? I am looking for a square top main, full batton, and a 95% roller furling jib in dacron. Where is the best place to purchase from?
Replying to Kenneth Kurtyka comments: Ken, We can supply you with a new set of sails for your 23'Stiletto. Give me a call or e-mail to discuss the details. ron@stilettocatamarans.com 941-350-WIND
Replying to Geoffrey Lyford comments: Nope - that one is the same as the one buried somewhere in my garage, except that the one in the link has dimensions, which makes it better...
Just wondering if/what method is used to latch the canopies. I know on the original setup there was some kind of latch to secure them but I did not put that on when I replaced the canopies some time ago. So, what if anything is being used out there. BTW, that is for the 27's. I'm sure latching is different for the 30's and 23's.
Replying to Clayton D comments: Clayton D I replaced my Compression spring catches on my Stiletto 27 with what I think were the originals.They were in poor shape when I purchased Windswept.The company name is Nielsen/Sessions.Part#I-HC83314SS The price was $5.95 each. The Strikes were sold separately Part#I-HS83314ss. They are stainless steel 300 series. The bad news is they now have a $150.00 minium on there web site. The good news is I think they are for sale from McMaster-Carr.(nj.sales@mcmaster.com)without a minium. Bob
Replying to Robert Whittle comments: Hi Bob how is your boat coming along. I took your advice and made a mold and just poped out my 1st canopy. It came out pretty good. I will post a picture. Also I have used a latch from West Marine that works great to secure the canopy except it is not locking. Take a look at: IGLOO Heavy Duty Rubberized Latch for 50 to 250Qt. Cooler Model # 13857891 Manuf. # 24003 PS if you get the information on the original latch from the catalog please post details. Thanks Bill
Big fun but not much wind at the Buzzelli Regatta this year. Light air Friday & Saturday, complete vacuum on Sunday (no racing). It was great to see both of the very first two Stiletto 30's in attendance - both looking REALLY good. The second, Mirage, was the boat that we took around the country sailing offshore races and gathering 7 course records at one time in her career. Bill Johnson's long awaited highly modified Stiletto 30 finally made it to the regatta site...but wasn't complete in time to go sailing. And another old friend (actually one of my children) Merlin, the Gulfstream 35, was back in attendance under new ownership. With Deuce Coupe out of the water, I got to skipper Merlin in the Regatta. She's still a sweet ride...
I am looking to sell my Macgregor M for a 23 or 27 stiletto to sail in the shallow windy short steep chop of windy Buzzards Bay ma winds are 15-25 waist to shoulder high chop . I want to be able to do both solo and have a crew. does this make sense ? I am an avid wind surfer but want to go Farther and take family/friends found the Mac slow and don't need to sleep on board
Replying to Neal Carriker comments: Neal, I have single-handed over the years on monoulls but not yet on my Stiletto 27 which I have owned for two seasons. However, I intend to begin single-handing next season. I can maneuver the Stiletto in the marina and dock in a traditional slip which is not a simple task and requires practice. I still have issues to address on the Stiletto before single-handing. When I single-handed my monohull I would turn the engine off, the sails were down and the tiller was let go. In this condition the boat would go to a position where the wind was on her beam. As I raised the main sail, she would gradually turn into the wind which enabled me to raise the main sail fully. With the main sail cleated on the mid-line, she would stay bow to the wind. Then I would raise the jib.
I am hoping to apply the same strategy to raising the sails on my Stiletto. However, I do anticipate two complications. One is that when I currently raise the main, the battens typically get hung up in the lazy-jacks. I have to orient directly into the wind to avoid this and even then I have to extricate the battens. I plan to reconfigure the lazy-jacks to avoid this problem so I can single-hand. The other issue is that I have a bolt rope in the main sail which slides up the mast slot. There is a lot of friction so it is difficult to raise if the boat is not facing precisely into the wind. I thought I would add plastic slugs to the luff of the sail to reduce this friction. I believe with these minor modifications I will be able to single-hand the Stiletto.
Replying to Ron Hoodin comments: I have been single handing my stilleto 27 and 30 for years ,I have put slugs on the main and a furler is the best way to go.When raising the main I use a autohelm with the motor running to keep the bows into the wind ,once up bear off turn the motor off unfurl the jig all while not touching the tiller.
Replying to Cliff White comments: hello everyone...haven't posted since last year after Hurricane Sandy messed up my boat and I must say , first off...that I really appreciate that this site exits....the insurance company totalled my boat and I bought it back ...this is the second time ,,,I get teased about this Cat having 7 more lives to go...so I fixed it up before I fixed my house and got it back on the mooring and had a great season of sailing...my friends and neighbors were buoyed by my sense of priorities and I treated them to some fine displays of a Stiletto 27 ripping across the Bay...my reason for writing is that I am ready to get an Autohelm for the Boat and have researched the site and have not seen good pictures of how to set one up...I am sure at this point that you more experienced Stiletto owners have thought out the perfect way to hook one up...it seems the Autohelm 2000 is the most popular one with the remote...but there is a lack of pictures on how to install one on a Stiletto 27 ....so my friends ..please put some pictures up of how you did it.. I don't want to reinvent the wheel...I see recently there have been some questions about moorings, motors, and ladders..I have stuck with the 4 stroke 9.9's because of the weight factor...about 80 lbs...manageable for me ...and fast enough...with a small 3 gal. can in the motor mount and a 5 gal. can in my stern starboard storage area...with my mooring I keep my lines short so the ball doesn't hit the hull and of course rudders and centerboard up..stays pointed into the wind just fine.....and with a boarding ladder I wanted one that was fixed so that when I swim to the boat which we often do ....and in man overboard situations....it would be there and available...so the one I hooked up on the port side at the stern is my solution..pic on porfolio...I also have a nice 5 step ladder that I have for a more formal boarding on the starboard side in front of the canopy... it clips into place and is stored in the starboard hull in the bow section....well.. thanks in advance for the help and I will keep in touch....warm regards....Bill K
What do you do about ss screws that are broken off inside the transom or in fittings on your boat?
Many times we go through numerous drill bits and hours working to get these ss screws out and have with little success.
So, does one:
1. just continue to try and drill out the ss screws (using cobalt bits), fill with resin and filler (btw I have no fiberglass experience), and then re-tap with a larger size screw?
2. do the above step and try to glass in helicoils? (seems expensive, compared to other options)
3. one explore some other options????
Drilling a screw out is not an easy task. It is hard to locate and drill out the exact middle of the screw and this option is usually not cheap, if you have a pro do it.
Here are some thoughts....what do you think????
*Grind the broken screw flat
*Mark the center with a punch
*Use a center drill to start the hole
*Drill a pilot hole all the way through the screw. The pilot hole should be no larger than 1/2 the dia of the screw
*Drill the screw out in at least 2 steps
To drill out a 1/4 inch screw you start by drilling a 3/32-1/8 hole all the way through the screw without breaking the bit. This takes a steady hand, lot of sharp bits, cutting fluid, constant pressure on the drill and the right drill speed. Never ever try to drill with a dull bit. The normal SS screws work harden. Just spinning a dull bit, will harden the SS until steel bits will not cut(cobalt bits are cobalt steel by the way). You need a solid carbide bit to drill through it.
There are kits that promise to make this easy and there much more expensive kits and tools that center the hole and keep the drill aligned and square.
There are alternatives
Use a Dremel tool with a 1/4 in cylinder grinding stones and just grind the screw away. This produces a lot of heat, don't set the boat on fire. This will take several aluminum oxide stones. They make a carbide bit that has smooth sides just to do this(expensive). This takes about an hour and you have a ragged hole to fill.
My newest favorite is the diamond one piece hole saw. There is no center drill. You fit the hole saw over the screw and just cut a hole around the screw. Then I used a bigger hole saw to make a plug out of G10 and drilled it for a helicoil. The saw has a limited depth of cut. You may have to do this in stages.
Replying to Tom House comments: I use these: http://www.sears.com/craftsman-7-pc-drill-out-screw-out-power-extractors/p-00952157000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
Commentators said that team oracle kept making changes to the boat each night. Something about changing balance.Ron, peter, any body any Ideas. amazing races to watch.- on a low note pulling Spirit in 1/2 weeks. God Bless, Gene
Replying to Eugene Scarberry comments: From what I've been able to learn, it was a bunch of small changes. Yes they changed tacticians, which seemed to improve communication in the back of the boat; but the original tactician would have been looking better if he'd been aboard when the boat got faster. They raked their rig back to add weather helm and move weight aft. They trimmed the wing with more camber (power) in the bottom. They learned to tack faster by leaving the old weather board up until the tack was complete. This did two things - allowed the old leeward foil to fly the old leeward hull onto the new tack, keeping it out of the water; which gave the boat one pivot point to turn around, making for a faster tack. Secondly, it allowed them to come out of the tacks already flying a hull, so they accelerated faster.
Apparently, they were having some high speed cavitation problems with the foils on their rudders. They added little cones to the intersection of rudder and foil, which, apparently, got rid of the cavitation. This allowed the foil to lift better and carry the extra weight that was moved aft to get the bows up.
Rumor also has it that they had two different foils on the boat - the one in the port hull was better for high speed, the one in the starboard hull better for upwind. That way they would have the high speed foil for starting, the longer of the two gybes downwind, and the reach to the finish. The port tack was longer upwind, so the starboard foil leaned in that direction. T
They also developed two upwind modes - pointing and footing. If you go back and review the footage in the latter races, you will hear the tactician calling for the high mode in some cases and fast mode in others. This allowed them to point when they needed to lay a mark or speed when they needed to get across current or position themselves relative to TNZ. The race where TNZ tacked to leeward of them and they footed right up to TNZ's weather side, getting in front when they both tacked, was an example of the speed mode.
In the latter races, their course management was definitely better than TNZ's. For instance, at the leeward gate with a flood tide. Common knowledge is to get in the cone of tidal relief under Alcatraz. Given that condition, on the surface of it it made sense to turn left at the gate and get into the relief immediately. The only problem with that is that, once around the mark, the boundary came up fast, forcing a tack. By going around the right mark, Oracle could go upwind for 100-200 meters, tack, and sail up the left edge of the current relief much further before encountering the boundary. Watching the video in the last two races when TNZ was leading through the first leeward gate, you will see her go around the left gate sail a short way, tack, sail out to Oracle's line and then tack back...that's two tacks to Oracle's one.
Generally, I think the reason that they were able to come from behind is that they had more ideas in their "ways to improve" bucket than TNZ did - both from their sailing team and their design team.
Replying to Peter Wormwood comments: Thanks for the extra details! It makes for an even better story that it was a team effort on and off water! I think I'll just settle for going "slow" on a 27. many times she is plenty to handle. Thanks to all of you for a GREAT boat to sail! God BLess, Gensw
I noticed the Oracle boat looked pretty squirrely at the beginning. I couldn't figure out why Spithill was steering the boat all over the place. By the last few races the Oracle boat looked very stable (Except that bow down at the first mark on the last race), and looked smoother than NZ. I suspect it was a combination of helmsmanship and boat balance. I also suspect they did a lot of work on the foils to be perfectly balanced. And no doubt their tactics improved. I can only image the thrill of going over 40knots with your hull 20 feet up, and only holding on to your wheel. Both these teams were inventing how to sail these boats and learning new stuff every day.
Replying to Eugene Scarberry comments:They say they will give that info to the public, but basically they changed their tactician and strategist to Ainslie and Slingsby and Spithill listened to them. When you put the best of the best together, see what happens!
Replying to Ron Nicol comments: On the S.F. water front(south), several of my friends have been volunteers for the AC34 organization from the start. They have been in the thick of the racing , the parties, visiting the shed over by pier 80 Oracle. The story from them is that both teams did extensive work on their boats every night, all night. All work under the supervision of race committee inspectors. Team USA is said to have ground out the forefoot/ bows on #17, then re-laminated to a finer, lighter entry. To meet water, or air, we can only guess. The run of their keel is pretty much flat compared to the considerable rocker of the Kiwi boat. This is not the only change made. The guys with the turbo- charged slide rules were working overtime on this race series.
The big news this week in San Francisco is..... I'm a grandfather, with a new girl crew to hand, reef and steer ( in the near future). By coincidence, Oracle Team USA has made a record breaking come back in AC 34, and today there will be ONLY ONE RACE. It looks good for the home team. Andy B.
Replying to Ron Nicol comments: Thanks Ron, for the kind words. Family is a blessing. Sailboat races put a cherry on the top. Sail fast. Sleep well. Andy B.
It ain't over 'til it's over. I can't hear the fat lady singing. Oracle has found new speed in their boat. Serious upwind speed over 30 Kt. USA was flying two hulls briefly into a fresh breeze. Just fantastic racing. My neighbor says they got lucky today. I say yesterday they were dominant to an astonishing degree, and bad luck doesn't last. The champ is coming off the ropes with a determined purpose. Now neither team can make a mistake. Don't count out the Golden Gate Yacht Club yet. Andy B.
Well I finished up the refurbishing/painting/repairs to my stiletto 23' just to realize that I somehow messed up my measurements of the boat ramp the ramp it about 8 inches to skinny for my boat to go down it. I have free access to a boat lift (standard hook lift), and was wondering if anyone had a setup or a picture of doing this. I can't really run straps around the hull as I don't have a spreader bar that I can safely use. So I am thinking of using 3 inch straps around the hulls secured with D shackles attached to 3/4 double braid line directly to the lifting hook. It seems like this will intersect with the rigging(not to mention the spreader halfway up the mast). Any help would be appreciated.
Replying to Nick Wilson comments:You can just launch it directly off the trailer over a seawall or beach and save the trouble of lifting it. It only weighs 875 pounds, so a couple of guys can move it around easily. Don't put any gear aboard until you float it.
Replying to Nick Wilson comments: I've owned my S23 for 21 years and here is my opinion. Do not lift the boat with straps around the hulls. The straps when loaded with the weight will tend to pull the outside of the hulls in. This puts an uneven load on the crossbeam bolts and can produce cracks in the crossbeam saddles. I would raise the boat by tying line or webbing around each crossbeam on the inside of each hull. All the load is straight up and not on the hulls.
Anybody have any suggestions as to where to keep a stiletto 27 for the winter down in the keys. We are from Michigan and would like to keep it set up on the trailer so we can fly down for long weekends and just drop it in and go. Would prefer to be north of mile marker 60 so it isn't to far from the airport. Thanks
Replying to Ed Grabenstein comments:See Rick White at catsailor.com They are in Key Largo. Also I think Upper Keys Sailing Club may have some dry-sailing space. Miami Yacht Club is another option.
I have had a 6 hp (electric start) on my 27 for years without issue. The only problem is that our favorite sand bar and anchorage (hangout) is about 8 miles straight up wind and sometimes we just want to get there. I have heard some folks are putting up to 25 hp outboards on these boats, 2 strokes of course. I have heard this from Ron and Andy as well as an old post from Peter Wormwood. My first Stiletto 27 had a 9.8, 4 stroke; I think it was about 100 lbs. I checked out some 25 hp 2 stoke, electric start, long shaft motors and they seem to be around 115 lbs. I looked at some of these (on boats at the local marina) and they look physically large. I would like to hear from anyone who has a 25 on their boat. Also are there 25’s the same physical size as some 15’s? Does someone make an 18 or 20 that is a better choice? Lastly, What kind of speed difference is there between the 15, 20, and 25. Thank you guys.
Replying to Frank Ciufia comments: I am running a mercury electric start and tilt 15 hp 4cyl. 115 lbs, the 20hp is only 118 lbs. My speed is 12 mph. with boat and 3 people. I am a cruiser so boat is not light!
Had a 10 previjously don't see a great difference.
I don't know about the opinions of the other 200, but I run a 15 hp Honda electric start 4 stroke, w/ extra long shaft.
It easily runs at about 10 mph at about 1/4 to 1/2 throttle and sips gas, rather than guzzling it; even when loaded with four people and enough stuff for a week or ten days of crusinging, snorkeling and boat camping, plus dingy and the dingy's 2 hp Honda 4 stroke outboard.
(BTW, that dingy and 2 hp outboard has gotten the Stiletto back to port when becalmed and the main outboard wouldn't run and push it pretty well, all things considered.)
I often wish I had the electric lift on the 15 hp Honda, but manage ok, lifting the main outboard by hand.
The extra long shaft gives me some options in heavy weather and heavy chop that a short or even a long shaft doesn't.
In heavy chop and bouncy conditions the extra long shaft keeps the prop in the drink longer and more consistently.
Without that extra long shaft feature, the prop cavitates at the most inopportune times.
Out of 200, that's my 2 cents, for what that's worth.
Replying to Tom House comments: THe mercury only came in long shaft with electric start and tilt. have had occasional choppy water causing prop high rev seemed to have reduced it with a used set of wings added to the bottom of shaft just above the prop. NO guarantees. GOd BLess, Gene
My first boat I had a 6hp 2 stroke, it's top speed was almost 9 with just me and no wind. I then put a 9.9 honda 4 stroke. It's top speed was maybe 12. I now have a 15hp 4 stroke electric start, it's top speed is maybe 13. So not a huge difference between them even though the HP almost doubled. I suspect them all being high thrust sail drives limits the top speed. The big difference for me between them was that the 4 strokes while heaver are quieter and get better fuel usage, electric start is nice on cool mornings too. But you do notice a weight difference in the boat. I've seen 25HP 2 strokes on stilettos and have heard the FL guys like them as the currents in channels can be as high as 6 knots. I'm not sure if extra reinforcement is added to the brackets, but I can't see a 25HP 2 stroke being any heaver then my 4stroke electric start 15hp Suzuki.
Our boats are built with a sandwich material called nomex which is what the AC72 are using. (Except they use carbon fiber for the skin). Pretty amazing how far ahead of its time Stiletto was.
Just want a gut check here - we bought a 2007 39' cruising cat but my wife lost all interest and it hasn't been used for several years. She suggested I get the boat I wanted and forget about her sailing. When I was younger, I enjoyed the thrill of a Hobie but now at age 67 I want something drier that has a longer sailing season on the Chesapeake Bay. I am still pretty agile and active for my age. So I am thinking that trading down to a Stilletto 27 makes sense. Any old guys out there who can tell me if I am just dreaming? I just put my cat on the "for sale" list here to see if anyone is interested in a trade.
Replying to George Greene comments: I am older than you are and I just sold ly Stiletto 27 after sailing extensively for 6 years. The main reasons are that I sold it are that the boat is not that easy to put in an out of the water ( it is not easy for me to get 2-3 helping hands). Also because the seating position gives me backhaches, and finally that sailing in full sun is too much for me. This said, the Stiletto 27 is the most wonderful cat you can get , at a very reasonable price. It is FAST , it is dry ( except for water shooting out of the daggerboard- which can be corrected-,it does not have the tendency to dig a hull in the water like many performance cats, it can take large waves... I am not a 'racer', rather going around near my place ( where the St-Laurent river is narrow with 2 kts current and mostly with headwinds)and 3 long distance trips, which you can see on the web: I have already given this reference here but let me give it once more. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OUYXm6WrD4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCSR2bQt9M&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL ). I think that you can get many years of pure fun with this boat.
Replying to George Greene comments: her is the vidio I mentioned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4j4lNstg7Y
Person taking video was interested in a stiletto so this was a trial ride. conditions were more stormy than i usually like. But it WAS a great ride! I have the nice ability to step off onto my dock( I pay rent to state of Ohio for the privilege of putting up my dock). The boat has been geeserized since I am 70 years of age. Mack pack lazy jacks, roller furling, storm plastic main track, electric start and tilt on a 15hp motor and ron and andy's console for gas tank and wenches. Thanks for the comments always enjoy your ramblings God BLess, admiral Gene ( I now own a fleet 27, 2 kayaks, canoe , paddle boat , inflatable kayak and a dingy)
Replying to George Greene comments: George I am 70 and still sailing a 27! Plan to for 10 More years. all it takes is to "gesser ize the boat" Ron and andy can suggest other items. IT can be done come join the unique club. I also had a Hobie 16 in earler years. I sail my 27 from May to end of Oct near lake Erie so your season should be longer. God BLess, Gene
Hi everyone ive just brought one of the 2 boats in Australia.. sadly she got badly damaged after going wrong way up... she has some cracks and holes and missing a few things and damaged, but not to bad that it cant be repaired... as im going to prob ask questions that every one first time pulling there's apart and saying these pins go where and how the hell do you slide them apart easily!!! there has to be a better way!! Im happy to be the centre for everyones amusement for a while.... :) one out of a few major things missing is the front spare that tramp laces to at front... can any body tell me what section it is and length please?? look forward to hear from a few of you.. its a bit lonely down here with no one else to bug about these kinds of things.. paul.
Paul welcome to a very unique club. the 27 is a great boat. and you made a wise choice! go through this site to view all the pictures in profile. search the site for discussions on the parts you have questions on. ONce you know the concepts of the 27 a long phone call to ron & andy or any of the frequent posters should get you started ( Tom, CLiff, Guy Etc) God BLess and Fair winds Gene Scarberry
Greetings Sports fans: The crew and I rode bikes to the Louis Vuiton Cup race. We watched from an empty pier end and could see the entire race: start, finish and the the 72's tacking up the City front to weather. Luna Rossa led the Swedes on team Artemis the whole race. They both tacked within 100' of us. They flew both hulls downwind but only one to weather. Conditions were moderate, blowing about 15 kt. The Italians have gotten up to speed since the first few races, and are now looking GOOD. The Swedes are playing catch-up with their new boat. Artemis is flying both hulls through their jibes, very important because the Kiwis and Italians have been making bank downwind that way. The issue is Artemis flies downwind in a bow-down trim angle, custom made for a PP if they stuff it in a wave. I'm sure they are working to resolve this. Luna Rossa finished 1 minute+ ahead of the Swedes, then pulled the boat out and swapped their rudder set for one with much larger winglets. They re-launched and foiled off across the bay to spar with Oracle, which had been shadowing the race a mile outside the picket barrier boats that secure the race course. Yes, I have photos. No, I don't have the cord to download from my phone. My kid will help with this. Sheet In. Breath Out. Andy B.
Watching on http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup just breathtaking when they get up on the foils. I think the Nicol's & Wormwood need to figure out how we can get our boats to do that ;-) ....
Replying to Guy Grafius comments: I think we all know it is out of the average man's reality to build an all carbon boat with foils. It is interesting to watch the A/C Challengers cannot even keep the boats together for one day, no matter how much money they throw at it Let's see what happens~
After watching the races this week-end and listening to the commentators, I don't want those on my boat. One of the commentators said while on TV it looks smooth, coming up on the foils, it's anything but. He said after 30 knots it feels like the boat is going to shake itself into pieces. In an interview one of the skippers said if you fly too high the rudder and come out of the water and you have to keep a straight face and hope the boat settles down ok as you don't want the crew to know you have NO control. That bow down dive by NZ was spectacular, and that no one got hurt was even more amazing.
Those boats do look beautiful cruising at those speeds.
Replying to Guy Grafius comments: Yes it is an awesome sight when they pull off a near perfect gybe on foils at 30-40+ knots!!! I will be watching all the action, be sure to watch the Red Bull youth series on the 45 footers the first week of September. This will show the next stars in our sport! Fair Winds, Ron
I don't watch much sports but I really love watching these boats. I start yelling at the screen during the race, my kids look into my office like I'm insane. I find myself rooting for the underdog (Luna Rosa) and yelling at them what they are doing wrong, like I could do better! It's obvious NZ will take the LV and race Oracle in the AC. Oracle must be a little nervous as the Kiwis boat is fast and that team has their $h!t together.
Replying to Jason Wallace comments: Here is a diagram from Harken: http://www.harken.com/uploadedfiles/Product_Support/PDF/4059.pdf I bought the kit, takes all the guess work out.
I may have a possibility of having a company buy me a new spin in order to have their logo plastered on it (Its RUM!) So I need ideas as to how is that done? Is it an applique or is it printed? Does it need to be white or does colors work well? It would probably be a grey or black logo, not colored.
Then suggestions on sailmakers would suffice also.
I ran across a bit of catamaran racing history and thought others might find it of some interest:
Herreshoff’s 1876 Amaryllis was the first racing catamaran
Nothing new under the sun?
America's Cup fans try to come to grips with the monster AC72 catamarans with their 130-foot tall wing sails that will be racing on San Francisco Bay in summer 2013. Imagine the puzzlement of the 35 yachts entered in the New York Yacht Club’s 1876 regatta when they saw Herreshoff’s Amaryllis. Thousands of spectators came out on the excursion steamers that beautiful June day. The New Yorkers were celebrating 100 years of US independence and thinking about the third defence of the America’s Cup, to be sailed later that summer.
Few paid any attention to Herreshoff’s 24-foot long curiosity, which was described in the press as a “half-liferaft cigar boat” and a “sea monster.” Amaryllis got off to an unspectacular start in light air for the 20-mile race off Staten Island, but when the breeze freshened after almost two hours of racing, Amaryllis began to show her “wonderful speed… passing yacht after yacht as if they were anchored,” according to the New York World’s account of the race. When Amaryllis was unable to point high enough to pass a boat to windward, Herreshoff would dive off to leeward and sail right through the other boat’s dirty air. As the breeze freshened more, Amaryllis “kept jumping along” moving like a “frightened porpoise.”
When only the Susie S remained in front of her, things got more entertaining. Herreshoff powered up and flew past Susie S at about 20 knots, but then almost pitchpoled. Amaryllis stood on both bows for 30 seconds and Susie S passed her back. The crew of Susie S thought Herreshoff’s “pointé” was an intentional stunt. Amaryllis settled down and flew into the lead again, taking line honors.
Herreshoff had sent a description of Amaryllis to the race committee with his entry. It was approved. Some of the unhappy owners of the monohulls protested after the race. Amaryllis was disqualified on the grounds that she was “not a yacht” – you could not sleep on board. Herreshoff showed the tent that he rigged over the boom, which provided standing room and wonderful sleeping quarters. He explained, “To those who are truly in love with aquatic sports, the tent affords sufficient shelter, and if anyone wants a cabin, it is clear in my mind he doesn't want a catamaran.”
The NYYC consoled Herreshoff with a medal and a certificate declaring Amaryllis the world’s fastest sailing vessel. He remained bitter, noting that the club’s constitution included a clause that the purpose of the club was “to encourage naval architecture.”
No takers for his challenge
Since Amaryllis did not point as well as the monohulls, many claimed that a catamaran was no good to windward. Herreshoff understood race course geometry well and wrote that when sailing upwind he could gain a mile in an hour against any other sailing craft and offered to wager on it. He might sail further than the other boat, but Amaryllis’s speed advantage would win out.
In a letter to the editor of the New York Herald, Herreshoff wrote, “I’ll throw down the gauntlet to anything that floats, be it catamaran, yacht, or steamer!” No one took him up on the challenge. Herreshoff also had some advice for handling “the death zone” in which Oracle's AC 72 catamaran capsized last Octorber. “If, in a catamaran, you are sorely pressed by wind or wave, turn her bow to leeward. There you will find comfort and consolation, so light she is, and presents so little resistance, that the wind blows her along like a bubble floating in the air.”
The journalist for the New York World certainly understood what he saw: “It behooves the owners of the large schooners to take counsel together lest somebody should build an Amaryllis a hundred feet long and convert their crafts into useless lumber. It is a matter quite as important as keeping the America's Cup.” Not having read this 1876 report, many sailors have complained that the current event disregards tradition. Perhaps they should take comfort in Herreshoff’s enthusiasm for multihulls. And perhaps the organizers should give a bit more credit to Captain Nat for his visionary design from 1876.
Replying to Tom House comments: Person taking video was interested in a stiletto so this was a trial ride. conditions were more stormy than i usually like. But it WAS a great ride! I have the nice ability to step off onto my dock( I pay rent to state of Ohio for the privilege of putting up my dock). The boat has been geeserized since I am 70 years of age. Mack pack lazy jacks, roller furling, storm plastic main track, electric start and tilt on a 15hp motor and ron and andy's console for gas tank and wenches. Thanks for the comments always enjoy your ramblings God BLess, admiral Gene ( I now own a fleet 27, 2 kayaks, canoe , paddle boat , inflatable kayak and a dingy)
Replying to Eugene Scarberry comments:Good for you Gene, let the Force be with You! Best Always! Ron
WildJibe Forum Rules
No spam. All automated messages, advertisements, and links to inappropriate websites will be edited or deleted immediately.
Try to keep posts relative to Stiletto Catamarans. Messages may be edited or deleted by moderators if needed.
Respect other users. No flaming or abusing fellow forum members. Users who continue to post inflammatory, abusive comments might be deleted from the forum after multiple warnings are issued by moderators.
Harassment. No threats or harassment of other users will be tolerated. Any instance of threatening or harassing behavior is grounds for deletion from the forums.
Adult content. No profanity or pornography is allowed. Posts containing adult material will be edited or deleted.
Bandwidth. All images must be no larger than 1 megabyte. Posts containing over-sized images will be edited or removed.
Illegal content. No re-posting of copyrighted materials or other illegal content is allowed. Any posts containing illegal content or copyrighted materials will be edited or deleted.
All posts and replies will become created content of WildJibe.com and can not be copied or reposted on other websites unless by the original poster or with premission from WildJibe.com.
Report This Post
Revoke Your Report On?
If you select yes this will remove the report you sent about this post.
Delete Your Post?
If you select yes this will mark your post as deleted by you.
What are your thoughts: Forum content on your discussion. Please format for easy reading.
In line photos: Small photos can be added inline.
Personal Info: Try not to put any personal information here including emails and phone numbers. Contacts can be made through the PM system.
Image Uploader: You can add images by dragging them into area that says "Drop files here" or select a image from your computer by using the "Upload a file" button. (20 max jpeg & png only. If you need more then 20 you can add more after you submit and go to edit to add additional.)
Notes: Files and images need to be 5megs or smaller before you try to upload them.
Please Do Not Refresh Or Close While Loading...
Hang on... we are uploading now... This will close when done uploading.
It appears that the set I currently have are not the correct ones for the boat. What should the measurements be for the Main and a 95% jib?
I am looking for a square top main, full batton, and a 95% roller furling jib in dacron. Where is the best place to purchase from?
Thanks
Ken