Thread: Everglades Challenge in Florida

Thanks for the link Simon.

Some weird looking craft there!

Cool roller reefing system on this balanced lug.
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It is possibly the most eclectic conglomeration of small craft on the planet. The boat in the picture is of Matt Lyden launching his latest design. Matt has designed a whole fleet of very intriguing micro cruising boats. They have undertaken some quite impressive voyages. If you are interested, David and Mindy Bolduc of Micro Cruiser Microcruising in the Bahamas have a website detailing the boats and their adventures. David is also in this race on board another of Matt's designs called Enigma. Really fascinating folks. Oh, and the Yellow Thing is Mead Gougeon's (founder of West System Epoxies). He is now out of the race with rudder failure.

I have seen this furling in action and it works really well. I do think it emphasizes ease of handling over sail performance.

Here is a writeup of PDR with the same roller reefed lug.

Matt is always a real chance for this event because he can keep going long periods without sleep or with minimal sleep. You can keep going if you want all day and all night.

However a previous year a kayaker was found just paddling in circles in one of the bays - totally disoriented.

One of the interesting things each year is how the best sorted and most consistently sailed/paddled/rowed boats do a lot better than may of the potentially more high performance specials.

A couple of the puddle duckers are sailing in larger boats in this year's event with the idea of looking at the feasibility of doing it in a Duck. Matt Leyden did the event in an 8ft dinghy before, but the problem is that you might not reach the first checkpoint in time to miss a cutoff. Generally the first leg is upwind where the Ducks will be restricted to about 3 knots speed made good in the right direction if there is reasonable wind.

So if they decide it is a possible they will give it a shot next year.

Best wishes
MIK

Originally Posted by SimonLew

The boat in the picture is of Matt Lyden launching his latest design.

If Enigma is 12' long and this new design looks a little smaller, what would be your guess as to the length of this new design?

I find Matt's thinking on boat design for this event really illuminating. He works out that to win you need to keep going, say 20 hours a day. Then if you are going 20 hours a day, you can only keep going in a steady way, so speed average might be 3 knots or so. Reading his account of sculling off the back of the transom for 40 miles against the stream brings this point home. Also by sculling this way he can keep very close to the shore out of the stream. Thus length only needs to be capable of 3 knots. Any longer waterline is wasted skin friction. No one else seems to twig this fact.

Brian