North American Sun Break Swift Solo / Musto Skiff mid-winters training and regatta

Report by Paul Clements

It was my fate to pick up the onerous task of training Musto Skiff sailors in Hot and Sunny Florida. The plan was to help new Musto sailors in the US improve their sailing by stint of continuous training in ideal sailing conditions. Also to show-off our lovely boats to best advantage (i.e. upright and fast).

The event took place off a tropical beach with white sands, coconut trees and water temperature of 79 deg. The morning breeze was invariably a gentle 5 to 8 Kits. which died at lunchtime before swinging round and building steadily and reliably to about 18 Kits. Just occasionally it reached the low twenties. This predictable wind was perfect for training purposes.

It proved a great idea to share this event with the Swift Solo fleet. This class is of similar mindset to us Musto sailors and many of them are just beginning to learn to sail their boats. The boat itself is a fast single-handed skiff style boat. Comparing the minimalist Musto with the complex and powerful Swift is like chalk and cheese, but this diverse approach produces remarkably similar performance. Each to their own I say and certainly there is no conflict of interest.

My first day was largely self-gratification as I spent a good 5 ½ hours on the water. Sunburn and aches and pains were predictable outcomes. After that understandable slip I focused on the task of training. First out was Steve. His sailing background was 5o5, which made him prone to bum shuffling. By the end of the week this trait was eradicated and he was safe to launch/sail and recover in up to 15 Kts. He could get home in a lot more wind if caught out. Once the wind was up Ron Radko and I went into demo sail mode concentrating also on tacks and gybing practice. By the end of the week Ron was sailing very well indeed. Our regular evening sailing trips certainly entertained the crowds since the wind was up and most Swifts were ashore. They were enlightened to the range of weight the Musto could carry and our delight in high wind sailing. I took several non-Musto sailors out 2 up and got some huge grins as a reward.

Calum joined the fray later in the week. He is an ex laser sailor and has sailed the Musto for a while, based in Canada. He had a good basic sailing style and made rapid progress. I have high hopes that Calum will soon be very competent and impress others in his area.

Overall the Musto showed up well at this event and gained a lot of respect and interest. The good news is likely to filter through the grapevine and I anticipate renewed interest from USA sailors.