Meerkat's wishbone rig works really well

by John MacBeath Watkins

Well, I've been out with the new wishbone rig, and I think it's just right for the boat. She seems faster with this rig than either of the others, and I can change gears as the wind increases or drops very easily, so though it's powerful in light winds, it's not too powerful in stronger winds.

The mast is a little too bendy, which causes the sail to develop some creases when I'm sailing in anything but the lightest winds, but the sail seems to drive the boat really well anyway, and the soft mast helps depower the rig as the wind increases. So far, I've been sailing the boat from inside the boat.

Of course, thing thing about depowering is, the boat is exceptionally fast in light air, but when it blows a bit, and I depower in proportion, she becomes a bit more ordinary in performance.  She's not going past hull speed in any case.