Why would an inland dinghy be different to one that sails mostly on the sea?The one big difference that dinghy sailors on rivers and inland waters notice, compared to sea sailors, is that average wind speeds are generally lower, which many people find can get frustrating. An 'inland boat' therefore will tend to have a larger sail area, and probably a taller mast, to keep going in these lighter winds. That's not all, however - being able to tack quickly and easily without slowing down significantly and also being able to run dead down wind are very useful too in shifty winds and more confined spaces. So it's designing a boat with these as the most important considerations that makes the X0 and X1 'inland boats' and perfectly suited to all river and inland sailing. In addition to these core design objectives and to ensure that the X0 and X1 are accessible to as wide a range of sailors as possible, we've insisted on keeping them modern and simple, which means: - strict one designs - all boats of each design are the same.
- use of the best lightweight materials to reduce weight - faster to sail, easier to move around on land, long lasting and easy to maintain.
- limit the number of adjustments and controls possible - not complicated to sail at all.
- space for 2 or 3 crew - enable lighter weight crews to sail 3 up.
We hope this makes the X0 and X1 truly modern racing dinghies, just as at home on tidal estuaries, inland lakes and reservoirs as on rivers. | | Atmospheric Thames evening - Photo: James Sharrock |
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