"No, The Other Button!"

After the "boot" show in Dusseldorf we published a picture of Sailovation, a boat built on the initiative of the German monthly sailing-magazine segeln. They sailed it and here is a report. Enjoy.

We sailed yesterday for the first time - the boat really is a weapon! As you might know we developed the so called X-Keel for the boat.
It's a combination of a canting keel (cants 50 degrees each side) and a canting daggerboard (25 degrees), sitting right behind the keel. These are separately controlled by a wireless device. It worked quite nicely on the water yesterday. The other aim was to design the first cruising-monohull capable of planing upwind.

We reached 8.4 knots upwind yesterday which is for a 30 footer far over hull speed! There are a lot more innovative things like a magic trim for the main-traveller which means push-button ease and haul-in. The boat has PBO-rigging and carbon mast, Sprint-System from SP for hull and deck etc...

You will find some more information here - unfortunately only in german :-) You may also contact the designer Marc-Oliver von Ahlen for more information.

Best Regards,

Thorsten

04/25/06