Sporty small boat with ability to take the ground

[Dilemma]

I raced a Limbo 6.6 with swing keel for a few years on the East Coast. I'm 6'2" and could sleep comfortably. Once we raced her across from Felixstowe to Ostend, boat for boating a Sonata 7 the whole way. In club races we would be up against the E boats and other mini tonners. We cruised her round Holland one summer. She certainly took the ground, both intentionally and accidentally.

 

[ianat182]

As the Wayfarer was mentioned in passing it reminded me of the fastest most stable sailing dinghy I sailed, also designed by Ian Proctor ,called the "Wildfire", Built around the 1968/70's she was about17-18ft with a removable hollow fibreglas keel, ballasted by about 250lbs of lead shot inside it in small bags. She went like the wind and a thrilling sail in the strongest of blows. Associated with the American designer O'Day who built them in the States. Probably a rarity these days in the UK, like the Proctor Typhoon I also sailed. He also designed a 1/4 tonner project with two drop keels called the Eclipse, at around the time of his Prelude mentioned earlier here- Probably better chance of the longer bunk too.

ianat182