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 Model Sailing Center Evaluation
One thing our customers always tell me they enjoy is that we actually know the boats we sell, and we tell it like it is. In the case of the Seawind, Steve actually built a Seawind from the kit, a straight stock boat, and signed up for the very next national level regatta two weeks later - which happened to be the 2007 National Championships. Where else could you learn more about the boat, the class rule, and the people that make up the class? Racing is the ultimate test of the durability and handling of any boat. Since I have raced a great deal in my lifetime in both crewed boats and models, why not jump right into the fire with my new Seawind. After two days of racing on a lake outside of Sacramento, completing 15 races in winds from 0-18 mph, I was excited to finish 2d out of 20 competitors.  /> How close can you get after 3 legs of the course.
L to R: Dennis Desprois (06), Mike Eades (86), Bill Wright (53) Photo by Eva Sanford, http://CreativePhotographicImaging.com The important story, however, is that everything worked - nothing broke down. I was able to tune the boat very quickly to give her the speed to win. No secret handshake, no odd quirks to learn, just a straight forward model with nice handling characteristics anyone can enjoy. This single weekend of racing sold me on the Seawind - without a second thought. And please note again, I was sailing a stock, out of the box Seawind. In fact, so was everyone else because the racing rule does not allow performance-enhancing modifications!! Pros and Cons - Sure there are a few little cons to this boat, all boats have something you would rather see changed. The Seawind is a little "tender", meaning she sails best in winds under 20 mph. That is a result of her rather shallow keel. Even though the keel is a modern lead bulb ballasted keel - the boat would be more stable in a blow if it were a little deeper. The rudder is also a little suspect in design. It looks cool, but you need to be careful to keep the boat moving or its knife blade will stall.  /> Launching for a race. Steve (red hat) making final adjustments.
Note relatively shallow keel and narrow rudder. Photo by Eva Sanford, http://CreativePhotographicImaging.com On the other side of the coin, she has an efficient simple rig, nothing too complicated. She has very nice strong, light weight, aluminum spars, especially the mast and main boom. The fittings on this boat are very nice, no cutting corners here. Sure the stock boom vang rod is not easy to adjust, but that has been one modification to the rule - you are now allowed to install an adjustable length rod as long as you use the same end fittings, and ball joints.  /> Boats and skippers standing around before the first race.
Photo by Eva Sanford, http://CreativePhotographicImaging.com The sails are very nice polished Dacron, not the crumby kind you find on a lot of model sailboats. The booms (jib and main) are regrettably short. They could be longer without fouling on the rigging, but the rule does not allow a change. So you must carefully adjust the outhaul and halyard to get the desired set in the sails - something that would be a little easier if the booms were longer. The standard hatch is not watertight. I knew of this problem when I built my boat and I reviewed several solutions others had posted. Fortunately, I put a shield over my electronics because water just poured in when the going got a little wet, even though I was confident that I had solved the problem. Now I have designed a better "mousetrap" which is included as part of our value added program.  /> You can decorate your boat any way you please.
Left - Peter Jennings (90) with Dennis Desprois (06) Photo by Eva Sanford, http://CreativePhotographicImaging.com Sexy is the word that comes to mind about the looks of this boat. She just looks fast, sleek, and her deck layout is definitely Americas Cup vintage 1990's. As you can see from pictures, she looks great in the water sailing too. Good sail shape, good heeling angle, just a slippery little boat. All in all I really like this boat, how did you guess. A great boat to have on display, easy to rig and unrig for transport, and a great casusal sailing or racing boat. Her class organization is sound and supportive giving this boat the stability to be a solid class for a long time. As a result, I came home and solidified my commitment to this boat with a substancial order for stock and we are hear to support Seawind sailors the world over with service, advice and accessories. |