| Le Breton Yachts Newsletter November 2008 |
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Sea Trials The SIG45 is currently undergoing sea trials in Italy in the waters between the mainland and the Island of Elba, and the results are extremely promising. While we have only been out 8 times to date, we are delighted by her performance. The boat is smooth, dry, easy to handle and amazingly fast. Top boat speed to date is 22 knots in 24 knots of wind. Rudder response is excellent. The fine bows throw up virtually no bow wave or spray, and the stern wake, which is apparent at very low speeds, quickly flattens out as the speed increases. This can be clearly seen on the short video on the website. There are also some longer videos on You Tube – just type SIG45 into the search box. All the sails have been tested and work well. The North Sails representative spent a week with us optimising the sails, and the results have been very pleasing. The mainsail has a stunning shape and sets beautifully. A great result of the flat head main is that releasing only a small amount of sheet quickly depowers the sail The self-tacking jib makes tacking quick and easy. The only tasks are to rotate the mast and to reset the daggerboards. The mast can be rotated by hand, thanks to the 6:1 purchase, and in cruising mode, both daggerboards could be left down. The reacher sets well in a range of wind speeds, and the Karver furler makes it very easy to deploy and dowse. As it is fractional, the reacher will also be used for downwind work in heavier winds with a reef in the main. The asymmetric, with its sock, is also very easy to hoist and dowse. We look forward to using it with a little more wind than the 10 knots experienced so far! |
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The Sailing Experience The sailing experience has vindicated the concept of the SIG45 many times over. The deck layout functions exactly as intended. Manoeuvres are simple and easy, and the working areas of the boat – the aft sections of the two cockpits and the main winch island at the mast- provide uncluttered and practical working environments. The main deck area feels safe and protected. The fact that there are no lines running across the nearly 40m2 deck area between the main and aft beams makes movement particularly easy. There are scores of comfortable areas for guests on board to sit, lie, chat, dose, watch the wake, watch the bows...... Some crew enjoy the action of the helming and winch trimming area of the cockpit, while others relish the intimate protection of the doghouses. Many seek out open areas like the huge forward nets, while others take advantage of the large deck area aft of the main beam, particularly against the pilothouse – a cosy spot away from the working cockpit with great views fore and aft! The interior is also a delight. The saloon and navigation station are bathed in natural light. The horizon is always visible, and the large windows make being below a pleasure. It is very easy to see the activity on deck, so one always feels involved. More on this in the next newsletter. Test Sails We are currently carrying out test sails with clients and journalists. If you are interested in this amazing yacht, the only way to really appreciate its capabilities, size and versatility is to take a test sail. Please do not hesitate to contact us. The diary is filling up! Kind regards, Hugo Le Breton |
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Le Breton Yachts |