Mach Two

I excited about Si's and AMAC's collaboration on the new MACH 2 that will be available next year. I hope to buy a new centerboard and main foil from KA that utilizes the same horizontal piece (but a slightly different vertical piece) as the new boat to replace my existing board and main foil. I know that I wouldn't think of cutting my own sail and expect the result to be competitive, so why did I think my construction of the blades will produce competitive results? Even with Gui's guidance and Bill's main foil mold I managed to screw up the end product. Sure it works, but I'm positive the drag is substantially more than what is happening below a Prowler, a BR or even Bill's and Gui's homebuilds.

But back to the Mach 2: it's interesting to me that Andrew has gone back to McConaghy as the builder, even as Bladerider has bailed out from the relationship with the same builder. I'd love to be a fly on the wall listening to the negotiations that get the big fish to play with the little guys. While the complete boat should be a very nice package, it seems to me that the critical bits are the rig and the blades. I've got a reasonably light and stiff hull in my Hungry Beaver (19 pounds before the paint and fittings) even if it has a bit more volume and surface area than is fashionable.

So look out for me next year! I probably won't be able to take delivery before the season shuts down me in December. (No frostbiting for this wimp.) Right now for me it's save-the-nickels-and-dimes time.