FullCircle
Well-Known Member
Or crewed on one?
Wot they like then?
Wot they like then?
Anyone got a Hunter 707?
- Thread starter FullCircle
- Start date
Martin999
Well-Known Member
I've crewed and skippered 707's at a few cowes weeks back in the late 90's and early 00's -when they were (almost) the SB3 of today and used to get their own start at Cowes and the RTIR. they are great fun to sail plane easily in a blow and surf well - we had 17kts round the back of the IOW one year. As they have no backstay you need to play with the traveller and kicker quite a lot to keep them flat upwind as they don't like too much heeling. To be competitive you have to have a crew that sail together frequently (we didn't and the results showed). These days the SB3 has taken over and you only see a few 707's out on solent.
Up keep was fairly low and most are dry sailed but you need a good set of sails to be competitive if sailing in a one design 707 fleet.
There's lots of info on the 707 association website www.sail707.com and a few for sale - you used to be able to charter them from impression Sailing at Port Hamble but I'm not sure if they still have them.
Up keep was fairly low and most are dry sailed but you need a good set of sails to be competitive if sailing in a one design 707 fleet.
There's lots of info on the 707 association website www.sail707.com and a few for sale - you used to be able to charter them from impression Sailing at Port Hamble but I'm not sure if they still have them.
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that.
Does that mean there is a ready market of second hand sails form the top of the fleet, or do they just stuff them up in the loft?
I am thinking of a little 4 man syndicate for Wednesday night racing and Burnham Week.
There are quite a few on the moorings at Burnham On Crouch.
Does that mean there is a ready market of second hand sails form the top of the fleet, or do they just stuff them up in the loft?
I am thinking of a little 4 man syndicate for Wednesday night racing and Burnham Week.
There are quite a few on the moorings at Burnham On Crouch.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
I used to own and race a 707 for about 3 years from 99 onwards. Great fun little boats that not only had some of the best racing around, but at a push you could do some weekend cruising on.
Have to say we managed fine on old sails. We often would be in the top 5 at the windward mark, but that was in a big fleet where good starts and keeping clear air make a dramatic difference to performance. Very occasionally we would be first to the windward mark, but then throw it all away downwind, where good crew work was essential for speed. We found keeping a fully competitive crew was hardest bit and I would put the foredeck as most key.
I would say old sails didn't point quite as well, but by footing off a little we made up for it in boatspeed. The slight lack of pointing only read hit if we were getting stuffed to windward off the start line, so I always made sure that I had some clear water to leeward. Also due to having no backstay, you really need to crack on the mainsheet to flatten the main.
Have to say we managed fine on old sails. We often would be in the top 5 at the windward mark, but that was in a big fleet where good starts and keeping clear air make a dramatic difference to performance. Very occasionally we would be first to the windward mark, but then throw it all away downwind, where good crew work was essential for speed. We found keeping a fully competitive crew was hardest bit and I would put the foredeck as most key.
I would say old sails didn't point quite as well, but by footing off a little we made up for it in boatspeed. The slight lack of pointing only read hit if we were getting stuffed to windward off the start line, so I always made sure that I had some clear water to leeward. Also due to having no backstay, you really need to crack on the mainsheet to flatten the main.
