Search found 368 matches

by LASERTOURIST
Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:09 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

This one is maybe not completely ugly , only bizarre and tweaky (think it is the brainchild of the US arm of Hobie cat) http://www.leboncoin.fr/nautisme/778452856.htm?ca=12_s Proves that the idea of a windsurf rig on a dinghy still has some believers ...and as it is a US design you probably have som...
by LASERTOURIST
Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:53 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

The wishbone rig is certainly quite diferent when it comes to tuning , from the classic rig. On winsurfs Control on sail shape was horrendous until Pierre Sebright invented the "automatic clamping" wishbome end (he used ski boots cables and a lever incorporeted in the front end) to do away...
by LASERTOURIST
Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:51 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: For LaserTourist - Gouget Aluminum Moth
Replies: 3
Views: 6274

Re: For LaserTourist - Gouget Aluminum Moth

There is a surprising number of those still in existence in France (The Gouget showroom still existed sone three years ago near Eglise d'Auteuil in 16th district of Paris....complete with an unsold brand new ALU moth) Some of them do turn up on Le Bon coin from time to time... There were not many pr...
by LASERTOURIST
Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:35 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

surely some horrible "kleenex" clamshell over foamcore dinghy , sunflower or wildflower style... This one is not bad either never heard of that thing , possibly german (located near the north-eastern border of France), certainly a Dinghy /windsurf cross breed , possibly used by Batman... h...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:49 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Memory lane...
Replies: 12
Views: 13699

Re: Memory lane...

That rings a bell...When i went to England, back in 1969 - 70 as a college boy , to improve my english I sailed on one of those , on the Hyde Park lake with my sister...I remember the old wooden clinkerbuilt hulls (with some thousand coats of varnish ...and the gaudy multicoloured sails red and yell...
by LASERTOURIST
Wed Jan 28, 2015 8:10 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

The Pete Goss boat was a freak and somewhat "out of the box" , not quite tried and tested.... awkwardly supported twin masts (Tim Coleman's crossbow 2 style, only was sailing on inshore flat waters at Weymouth), windsurf style wisbone booms that do not give much control over sail shape , W...
by LASERTOURIST
Wed Jan 28, 2015 6:38 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

The Mailboat is said to be made of polystyrene foam (AKA Klégécell), didn't know about this one but there were two "rather ugly ducklings" made this way : the lateen rigged Sunflower (the first one , sponsored by a US Chewing gum company were bare white klégécell while the later ones wer c...
by LASERTOURIST
Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:50 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

and yes , there is definitely a trapeze on the boat in the ad....The infamous wishbone rigged Wizz claimed it could do without a trapeze wire being so wide...but it was comletely flawed design...JM Finot was a great designer of Vendée Globe planig keelboats , but a small dinghy is working in a quite...
by LASERTOURIST
Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:44 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

Paul Elvström once was in charge of designing an AC 12 metres boat, in a period when the then new huge "Maierform" bulbous bows worked wonders on big tankers and ore carriers ... Tank tests on models seemed promising and America Cup was so tightly boxed in the rules and under Sparkman/Step...
by LASERTOURIST
Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:14 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

I think the catboat :mast forward rig was the first marketed (vague recollections of reviews in nautical press)....Question is was the 2nd , version (classic sloop rig) made to correct some behavioral defect or just to give the crew something to play with (jib and possibly asy spinaker) ? Some boats...
by LASERTOURIST
Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:08 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

Re: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

The designer 's name is pierre Souaille, that's the reason for the silly name...

The alternative silly solo rig (right on the bow) is also quite weird...somebody tried to re-invent the wheel...

http://www.bateauxonline.fr/essais/deri ... e-sur-leau
by LASERTOURIST
Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:33 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: "Ugliest dinghy ever" contest
Replies: 52
Views: 42450

"Ugliest dinghy ever" contest

Hello and happy new year Did CVRDA ever tried to put up a "ugliest dinghy ever" contest? Here is a likely contender (no pun intended) The rationale was probably making a mould out of curved thin plywood , origami style, but it is truely freakish (has been launched in the early 90's and was...
by LASERTOURIST
Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:28 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?
Replies: 33
Views: 30171

Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Well, maybe this will do for pensioned old sailors...the version for beaches is equipped with tank tracks but a tarlmac wheeled version also exists... http://www.nenuphar.com/fr/chariots-de-mise-a-l-eau/6256-nenuftract-petit-remorqueur-electrique.html Nevertheless many clubs and sailing schools in B...
by LASERTOURIST
Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:24 pm
Forum: Boats and bits for sale
Topic: Peter Milne HIT 14 Dinghy
Replies: 117
Views: 51537

Re: Peter Milne HIT 14 Dinghy

Thing is , as always, established classes tend to drag on for quite some time (think of the Snipe in the US !) and OK's were the staple singlehander for the non- finn, non 90 Kgs Athletes sailors on the Continent , there was nothing as the Solo, Hit or Sliding plank british wonders back here... With...
by LASERTOURIST
Sun Oct 26, 2014 2:36 pm
Forum: Boats and bits for sale
Topic: Peter Milne HIT 14 Dinghy
Replies: 117
Views: 51537

Re: Peter Milne HIT 14 Dinghy

Looks like the Hit was some missing link in the darwinian evolution between the OK dinghy and the Laser , it even retains the tupperware hatches that were such a nuisance ion a capsized OK...Trouble is it was advertised as the Singlehander for the 80's while in the early 80' s the laser was already ...