THE MOST VERSATILE SMALL SAILBOATS EVER

(THIS ESSAY IS BASICALLY ABOUT THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT YOU CAN REDUCE SAIL AREA ON MY HEW DESIGNS)

The new PAINE 14, LEVANT 15 and YORK 18 are intended to be the most versatile small sailboats yet offered. They are capable of sailing extremely well without any need for athletic ability, in winds of zero to over 20 knots. They do so because there is a generous amount of sail area, properly placed, so the boat sails amazingly well in light airs. The boat can easily be sailed by a single person in up to 14 knots of apparent wind with full sail, and with three persons sitting to windward, up to 17 knots of apparent wind with full sail. But unlike virtually all sailboats yet offered, these three designs have the ability to very easily reef both the main and the jib, and to sail with just the mainsail alone whether reefed or not; which very few small sailboats are capable of doing.

There are many athletic-oriented sailboats that cannot be sailed by an average-skilled singlehander in over a few knots of wind: Thistles, 420s, 470s, 505s, Flying Dutchmen, and many others. Many centerboard sailboats are intended to be thrilling and challenging to sail, requiring a specific number of highly skilled sailors to keep them moving at their best, and indeed, upright! To make them more sporty, many small sailboats do not have reefing capability- the sails must be carried at their full size–or in too much wind, lowered entirely. There are no sail-reducing alternatives and above a certain amount of wind, they will capsize.

Shown below are the various sail carrying possibilities. all of which are included as standard on the yachts, which is unheard of on any competing designs. Although a Levant 15 was used for illustration purposes, the Paine 14 and York 18 are also equipped in this fashion.

FULL SAIL.

FULL JIB, REEFED MAIN. All fittings and lines are provided for simple reefing of the mainsail (and jib).  Can be carried  singlehanded in 16 knots apparent wind, by a three person crew in 19 knots apparent.

FULL MAINSAIL  JIB LEFT ROLLED-UP. Unlike almost any other  sailboat, these designs sail just fine with the mainsail only. Won’t go quite as fast as the above configuration, but sometimes you just want to relax and not bother thinking about two sails, or taking the time to reef the mainsail. Can be carried by a singlehanded skipper in 16 knots apparent wind, a three person crew in 19 knots apparent.

REEFED MAIN, ROLLER REEFED JIB. The jib has three full-height battens fitted parallel to the jib luff. The reefed jib is just as efficient as unreefed- only smaller. These battens prevent the reefed jib from getting baggy, which happens with EVERY OTHER roller reefed jib. Can be carried by a singlehanded sailor in 17 knots apparent wind, a three person crew in 20 knots apparent.

REEFED MAIN ALONE. Can be carried by a singlehanded skipper in 18 knots apparent wind, a three person crew in 22 knots apparent. Note: a highly skilled helmsman or crew can carry more sail in more wind and make the boat go faster by playing the mainsail in and out, collegiate dinghy fashion, in all the above sail combinations.