Hi, Dick,
everthing is ok, just a bit overload due to my job (this week I am in Kyoto …)
Btw, I just completed a new RG-65, the NeKst Round, designed together with Andreas Hoffmann. She is based on the IOM-Design Scharming MK VIII. The hull is a combination of hard chines and a round bottom, similar to the starboat. Performance looks very promising, but I had not yet the opportunity to test her in a race.
The original idea was to design a boat which could easyly be build and which can be an alternative to the JIF.65. Andreas first adopted the Scharming to the RG-65 (he changed the original design a bit) what resulted in the NeKst (with hard chines) and he had also the idea of the version with the rounded bottom (NeKst Round).
I like the look of the “Old Lady” - beautiful lines. Found out that my German is more than a bit “rusty”. Was family language growing up a “few” years back. Once in school, we switched to English, except for Grandparents who liked to “cuss me out” in German. My mom passed away in 2001, so lost the ability to continue German. My daughter knows. reads - but she too has lost a lot from not using daily.
OK - enough of that.
The idea of using a Fortune 612 - is a rather neat idea. Had not thought of that. Is it competitive with other RG65’s - and worth the effort to modify? We have a lot of interest, and getting a pre-built and then modifying at a low initial cost might interest a lot of US sailors who don’t want to build from scratch.
I like your “blog” - and the photos. Thank you for the links. Stay well.
Keep away from the Fortune. As I wrote you need a complete refit (keel fin, rigg, rc components) and you will end up with a boat for (very) light wind conditions and smooth water. Only then it is competitive (I came out with a second place in a race with very low winds). A Fortune is not managable even in moderate winds and some waves. A Fortune will frustrate a newcomer.
An alternative might be the new Riptide Dragon Force. May be that I will have one next week for testing. Sails seem to be terrible but everything else looks ok although the boat is rather heavy.
You only need to sail a Marblehead that doesn’t draw alot of water, and meets you draft requirements.
There are MANY that will fit your needs.
The RG-65 sounds cool… but you don’t have to look to a different class because of a local restriction.
You only need to look toward a more applicable design.
I also sail in Redds Pond, the inventors of the class. We have major draft limitations. if the water goes low, I sail a different M.