K6 Sailing at Itchenor
The K6 is an ideal “crossover boat” from the performance dinghies to the traditional keelboats. It’s a big dinghy but has two of the big attractions of a keelboat: it’s easy to handle and doesn’t capsize. Its light weight means low sheet loads so it’s easily handled by mixed crews, and it’s a very simple strict one-design so needs no regular maintenance (enough bimbling is allowed to keep ex-14 sailors happy).This makes it ideal for those without the time or energy to keep on top of their dinghy sailing. It’s
· Fast, with a PY similar to a 505, easily planing;
· Light (280kg), easily handled ashore and afloat (it has a retractable bulb keel so draws only 12” raised);
· Rigged like a dinghy, with light all-carbon spars and asymmetric spinnaker;
· Relatively affordable at £16,000 (plus extras) new, £7,000+ second hand;
· Can be sailed with two or three crew.
Find out more at:http://www.k6class.org/
What have we learned about the boat?
Launching is not a problem: At high tide in benign conditions you can launch and recover single handed. Dead low with ribs blocking the hard is the only time when you might need more than two. At the open meeting when we had 15 boats, it was no problem getting everyone out reasonably quickly.
The K6 is great fun to sail: This seems to be the universal conclusion of everyone who has tried it. It is light and responsive to helm, comfortable to crew (although leaning out is a definite requirement to go fast) and all the systems work well.
In summary they seem a perfect boat to race at Itchenor to fill the gap for those that have hung up the trapeze harness and/or find the idea of being scrunched up in a dinghy not appealing but who are more inclined to race a fast modern one design with a national fleet rather than to move to one of the three existing classic keelboats.
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