Megabyte????

[Nessa]

or here at Hunts, we already have two!

[neil]

Well, there's a thought. Sure we can combine with a CVRDA event somewhere.

I understand that around 20 boats were imported in 2000/2001. We now need to find them.

[Nessa]

try West Oxford, there are a few there. Someone from there has a wanted ad on apollo duck. He bought one from somewhere else ie not mine.

[Nigel]

I have a few email contacts, mainly on the south coast but we may be talking about the same boats that have been bought and sold.

A few searches and emails via the Megabyte forum should pick up most.

[neil]

As requested in the ToY thread - a pic of the new boat. In a rash move last week I imported a Mk2 Megabyte sail, so Nigel is not the only one with the new rig.

[Rupert]

That looks very smart indeed.

I enjoyed sailing Nigel's a couple of years ago - plenty of light wind power! Think I'd have been swimming in much more...

[Nigel]

Very nice

I do think that sail is particularly photogenic.

What is the barcode number? Interested to see if it is the same as mine or a different cut.

[corms]

Can I be cheeky and ask you how much to import.

Did you need the complete mast or only the top section?

I have MB128 and like the look of the Mk2 rig

[Rupert]

So, is the Megabyte not more popular over here simply because the Phantom fills the same niche?

[Ed]

I admit they are both in a similiar niche, but they are such different boats.....

The megabyte reminds me of a Finn, but somehow looks like a middle-aged laser....whereas the Phantom just looks entirely different, like it wants to be fast, but can never quite get there...

The megabyte just looks 'sensible' and 'practical' and well thought out, especially with the new rig....and the Phantom doesn't. It looks over-canvased, hard-work and unpractical....

I have only sailed a Phantom a handful of times, with a tin mast too....and have not yet had the chance to sail Neil's Megabyte......so I am certainly in no position to have too firm a judgement

but I know which my heart would choose, if not my head.

eib

[Ed]

that sail is to die for though....

[PeterV]

I'd love to sail the 3 to compare, Finn, Phantom, Megabyte. I've always known that a Phantom requires a lot more weight than a Finn because the Finn analysed the effect of lightening the hull a long time ago but I'd still like a go. I've never understood any of the Laser competitors, simply because I don't believe any of the are as good, but the Megabyte seems to fit a different brief. What about the Solution, another obvious boat but one that doesn't seem to be very popular?

[Rupert]

The Solution appears to have hit the Laser market head on, and oddly, despite the development, seems little faster than a Laser. The Supernova seems to have caught on better than the Solution.

I rather like the look of the Phantom, and with modern build and carbon stick it is certainly fast in the right (heavy) hands. That rig for the Megabyte does look better, though. Would love to see them go head to head with equal ability helms onboard.

[neil]

Can I be cheeky and ask you how much to import.

Did you need the complete mast or only the top section?

I have MB128 and like the look of the Mk2 rig

I did contact you a while back via the Megabyte forum - check there in your PMs for the costs. I value my body parts too much to post the costs in a public forum, suffice to say the shipping costs were not insignificant, and the courier was demanding payment of the VAT + import duty before handing over the goods, though this was less than expected due to an unexpected last minute discount for the sail. Luckily my boat came with a MK2 rig as the previous owner broke his mast last year and his insurers coughed for a new one from Ian Bruce / Performance Sailcraft.

I exchanged a number of emails with the new manufacturer - http://www.zimsailing.com/ to make sure the mast and new sail were compatible as there's been a number of changes of mast manufacturer, and some confusion over mixing new top sections with old bottom sections - best to talk to the guys at Zim for guidance on compatibility of an older lower section with the new top mast.

So, is the Megabyte not more popular over here simply because the Phantom fills the same niche?

Well, there's a number of factors in play here. There were about 20 boats imported in 2000 or 2001 by The Dinghy Store. These boats all sold but no more were imported by a supplier, so the only way to get a boat was a personal import (I believe this is how Nigel got his boat). Performance Sailcraft changed the rig in about 2007/8 to modernise the look of the boat. Shame really as there's plenty of positive reviews of the boat, and the new rig does bring it up to date.

Zim sailing took over the Byte and Megabyte from Performance Sailcraft quite recently there's about 400 Megabytes produced to date, and now there's some consistency in supply of the boats and the rigs the class is growing in the USA. I know Zim are actively looking for a supplier or even a builder for the UK & European market as they are getting plenty of interest from the UK, but the killer is getting the stuff shipped over.

The MB is a one design so could be licensed for building. The MK2 sail is an Australian Design by Ian MacDiarmid, manufactured by Neil Pryde so their international network could distribute. The fittings are Ronstan (though the class rules do allow changes to fittings). The mast is a round section - so the costs of Finn wing won't apply so I reckon these could be easily produced under license in the UK

Being a one design was part of what attracted me to the boat. Simple to set up, not a lot of choice or need to pimp/bimble and the build quality is excellent. I did look at Phantoms but was put off by quality issues in the boats I could afford and a decent boat was going to cost far more than the MB - I also wanted an unstayed rig, and I like the two part mast for simplicity.

Personally, I think the worse marketing ploy was to sell it as the 'Gentleman's Finn' as at half the wight it's nothing like a Finn, and if you try and sail it as a Finn downwind you get wet as I found to my cost - deathroll when seeing if sailing by the lee would work - forgot the daggerboard was up.

Bruce Farr and Ian Bruce got this boat right. I was out in some breeze a couple of weeks ago and it goes very quick in a blow (even with the old sail), never planed for so long at Roadford before. Faster than my Pata on a reach, just need to get it going consistantly upwind. The fully battened rig takes some getting used to and is very sensitive to traveller position, but on the occasions I had it right I was going fast in the right direction. Shame I didn't take notes though.

If anyone's at Roadford and wants a go, just shout and you can take it for a spin.

One of the current activities is to get a UK event next year, would be great to get 6+ boats together.

[corms]

Thanks Neil

Never noticed the pm from the megabyte forum.

I would be very interested to see how you find the mk2 rig