This thread is useless without pictures

[benjenbav]

Spent yesterday in the Solent on the simply magnificent Leopard 3...which is a sailythingy.

View attachment 44537

Umpteen million $ of carbon with a super-professional crew.

This pic taken from the rib.

The weather was a scorcher and wind too light for anyone to be bothered racing at Cowes week but we still managed to touch 14 knots in the Western Solent when a bit of a breeze picked up.

Snapped a haliard at one point and a crewmember had to nip up top. Mast is 150ft.

View attachment 44538

Btw, this is a cruising sail, albeit still carbon: £180k.

 

[Richard Shead]

I saw you out yesterday and yes she is quite a machine, even more so now she has had her "cruising" refit.

Owner and skipper as mad as each other and very pleasant indeed.

A couple of Antigua Sailing Weeks ago we were lunching at Catherine's in Falmouth Harbour with Mike and his crew on one table and Richard Matthews and his crew on the other (Ex Owner of Oyster now Gunfleet) when Leopard came in to pick them up. Mike (owner of Leopard) asked Richard if he could borrow his RIB to ferry them to their boat, yes was the answer, only if they could borrow Leopard in return!

Ferrying them out as not an issue however the ladies inc the wife could not get on board so there was only one thing for it....cant the keel and over she went and they all stepped on board!

Cracking boat.

 

[benjenbav]

I saw you out yesterday and yes she is quite a machine, even more so now she has had her "cruising" refit.

Owner and skipper as mad as each other and very pleasant indeed.

A couple of Antigua Sailing Weeks ago we were lunching at Catherine's in Falmouth Harbour with Mike and his crew on one table and Richard Matthews and his crew on the other (Ex Owner of Oyster now Gunfleet) when Leopard came in to pick them up. Mike (owner of Leopard) asked Richard if he could borrow his RIB to ferry them to their boat, yes was the answer, only if they could borrow Leopard in return!

Ferrying them out as not an issue however the ladies inc the wife could not get on board so there was only one thing for it....cant the keel and over she went and they all stepped on board!

Cracking boat.

Chris (skipper) demonstrated the party piece of the canting keel in the dock at OV. With that mast it's quite something to see the boat canted 15 degrees and held at that.

Mind you, we absolutely needed the canting keel and the daggerboards to max out our performance when we were sailing (or at least to keep things level so we didn't spill our drinks)

 

[Firefly625]

Was on a buoy off gurnard this morning as we walked past today, looking lovely. I guessed waiting for red arrows, fire works etc etc… shame about the weather!

 

[benjenbav]

It keeps the sun off...

View attachment 44605

and the chinstrap works at 40knots. Personally tested.

Don't much like the look of the bloke wearing it, tho'

 

[RogerRat]

Spent yesterday in the Solent on the simply magnificent Leopard 3...which is a sailythingy.

View attachment 44537

Beautiful boat but is it an optical illusion? That jib looks highly over sheeted or the fairlead is too far forward.

RR

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Great to see that you got out and about on the water BJB !

I have done one of those corporate days on the previous Leopard and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[benjenbav]

Great to see that you got out and about on the water BJB !

I have done one of those corporate days on the previous Leopard and thoroughly enjoyed it.

More than on the water: also in the water. Post-lunch plunge. I really do hope there aren't any photos of that...