FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NorseBoat 17.5 Sailing & Rowing Cruiser
Proves Itself During Sea Trials
March 10, 2004, Belfast, PEI, Canada - Sea trials for the new NorseBoat 17.5 Sailing and Rowing Cruiser were conducted February 18-23, 2004 in the Florida Keys. NorseBoat President Kevin Jeffrey and Florida dealer Bob Williams were on hand to take part in the launching of hull #1 and the subsequent sailing and rowing trials.
The innovative NorseBoat 17.5 exhibited sparkling performance on almost every point of sail and in the rowing mode. The boat proved to be fast yet stable, and displayed good balance, tracking ability, and ease of handling, and wherever she was sailed, rowed or trailered she drew an admiring crowd.
The NorseBoat 17.5 is a gaff-rigged cat with free-standing carbon fiber mast and a 105 s.f. fully battened, loose-footed mainsail attached to the mast with traditional wooden hoops. The free-sliding hoops cause the mainsail to raise and lower effortlessly, and allow it to maintain an efficient foil shape. During trials the crew found that the boat sailed well without a boom, but one of the oars easily doubles as a boom if desired.
The optional 65 s.f. screecher mounted on a bowsprit can be unfurled or furled in an instant. When sailing close hauled the crew found that the boat points higher with the screecher furled, but also that the skipper can choose to leave the screecher up, fall off a bit, and let the additional boat speed offset the larger tacking angle.
Some other things learned during sea trials:
• The boat is well balanced and in most conditions the tiller requires little pressure to keep the boat on course.
• The efficient hull shape means that even near hull speed the boat¹s wake is almost unnoticeable.
• Kevin (at 165 lbs) found that he could actually stand on the gunnel in still water and not tip the boat over, quite impressive for a boat with a 5'2" beam.
• A person in the water can easily climb back on board midships; as the person pulls themselves up, the boat's gunnel tips close to the water but stops short of allowing water on board. Similarly, under sail the boat heels initially, then settles into a comfortable, stable position.
• It is not essential, but the crew found themselves wanting to hike out at times. This can be accomplished easily by wearing a harness and attaching the line to the stainless steel mainsheet bail on the aft portion of the centerboard trunk.
The NorseBoat 17.5 displayed its seaworthiness and high performance by excelling in its first race, the demanding WaterTribe Everglades Challenge held March 6-11, 2004 ( www.watertribe.com ), a 300 mile adventure race from St. Petersburg, FL to Key Largo. The NorseBoat entry, skippered by Marathon, Florida dealer Bob Williams, won its Class 4 division and came in third overall.
The recent sea trials prove that in the NorseBoat 17.5 designer Chuck Paine and builder Kevin Jeffrey have successfully integrated seaworthiness, good sailing and rowing performance, beautiful lines and details, and versatility. The NorseBoat 17.5 appeals to a variety of markets: larger boat owners who want to downsize, sea kayakers who want to upgrade, daysailors who want a beautiful, practical boat, and anyone who wants a watercraft for tame or adventurous explorations, beach camping, or micro-cruising.
For more information visit www.norseboat.com .
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Contact:
Kevin Jeffrey, President
tel: 902-659-2790
kjeffrey@norseboat.com
