WETA

Let us know if any make it to the Northeast. There are a few of us interested in this area.

sorry the prices were my mistake

just dropped a zero from the two prices by mistake

$1000 should have been $10000
and $1200 should have been $12000

There are no bigger amas.

One of the beauty parts of this boat is that is shines as a high performance multihull for little people. It is the fastest boat that I know of that could be single handed by one person weighing more than say, 90 lbs, even without a trapeze, especially if he/she didn’t fly the reacher. My guess is that 145 lbs will be near optimum racing weight for an adult single hander using all three sails, even in heavy air. Since I weigh 145 lbs. that probably explains part of my optimism for the boat. But more altruistically, I have always believed that if we are to rebuild the sport of sailing, including multi-hull sailing, we are going to have to start with young people, and by young I don’t mean 20 somethings. I started racing when I was 12 and many from my club racing cohort started in prams when they were 8 years old. I could see my kids in a Weta when they get to be that age.

Strategery on this site has had a Weta for about 5 months now. Sails it with his kids. Surprised he hasn't gotten on board with this discussion.

Sorry all - been working too hard and not sailing enough.

So...I've been beating the crap out of this boat for almost 5 months now and it is taking it well. I load it on top of my car in about 35 minutes and can rig it (without sails) in under 20. I've been sailing it in Maine this summer and am about to head back to FL where I can stow the drysuit. It has trailered well - 3200 miles on top of the car behind the RV, then another 1,000 miles camping this sumer.

I know it's got a rap against it for flipping due to the vids they circulated, but in my experience this is a very good boat in breeze. I've been out now in up to 20 knots sustained and all I can say is WOW.

In light air, it is as fast as a any other displacement hull of 14 feet - slow. Once you reach planing speed, it is fast both up and downwind. IT IS NOT A CAT. Nor should your expectations be that it will match a cat's performance. However - it will sail in air that would be a knee knocking experience on a cat without threat of capsizing.

As a trainer - it's good. I've had both kids on it (6 and 8) letting one drive and the other trim. Lots of oversteering and late trim adjustments, but the boat lets them get away with it safely and without stress.

As for racing - the only race I've done was Juanna's Spring Fling, and with my daughter and I on board with a rating assigned for a single sailor, we were slow. I'd like to try it singlehanded in a breeze, where I think she'd do well.

It is extremely well balanced, and responds well to sail trim. I wonked a rock in Bar Harbor, Me a couple of weeks ago in about 18 knots of breeze and my rudder cracked/turned to mush. I locked it up so that I wouldn't lose it, and I ended up steering back about 4 miles using just the main and jib in puffy conditions. Not always perfect, but I managed to sail her back...very cool.

If you are considering this boat - you should take a sail. It is strong, light, and flawlessly finished.

If I could change anything, it would be to create an

R

package with a taller mast and a snuffer/chute instead of the screecher. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

It will be in the FWYC fleet in 2 weeks.

C.

You can sail it on one ama...but not for long... <img src=

alt=

/>

I have a question for those of you who have sailed a Weta off of the beach, which I did not do during my week at Nor’Banks Sailing (a marvelously operated private outfit located on the sound side of Duck, NC). How does the Weta do bustn out through an onshore break? The most durable boat for that in my opinion has always been the Hobie 16. After all that is what made the ‘Hobie Way of Life’ (sans protected harbor and private membership yacht club) possible for so many 000s. So the answer to my question has both direct and indirect implications for what type of sailors will be attracted to this boat. We know it handles like a dinghy. That will be very attractive to the traditional yacht club set. If the boat also does well getting out through surf, then it has the potential to attract both yacht clubers and the public beach crowd. On the other hand, if you can’t easily get it through a surf break then it may simply become a fast yacht club dinghy with training wheels.

One small clarification to my previous post ... I said that Nor’Banks Sailing is a ‘private outfit’. My understanding is that it is actually a private business that is open to the public. It does however offer rental and sailing instruction on Flying Scots, WindRiders, Hobie Cats and the Weta, all from the same location. From my experience you don’t often see rental and instruction on club dinghies and multis by the same people. How refreshing.

Strateragy says it it not a cat.
Will the WETA fill the void left by the absence of a F14 in the US?

Any appetite to have on of the NOOD's as a national point for a Weta gathering/race? If we have 6 boats on the line, I think they would give us a fleet start...

My bias is that I'm close to St. Pete and Houston, although I could try to make Marblehead work next year as well.