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This is all phone video...so click the resolution up to the highest level to get a decent picture. The afternoon saw breezes from 15-25.....I would estimate these clips were in 15-17. The San Juan 23 from which the video is being taken is obviously much faster upwind....downwind...I could dang near keep up with him. We were seeing speeds in the low 6's off the wind...with the wind chop pushing. Upwind...I was cracked off a bit to keep the speed up and be able to punch through the significant chop. Great day all around!


http://youtu.be/HMldse8GXag

http://youtu.be/cXtTZv89h2M

http://youtu.be/4Dk9nPeR6I0

http://youtu.be/_FUsjgmb9Wo

Your videos shows just how able a small sailboat can be in strong winds. Were you reefed at all on these clips?

Hey Michel,

I was slightly reefed. I was doing a lot of experimenting with how best to drive Scout upwind and against the well developed wind chop. I found that the biggest mistake seemed to be to over reef and underpower her. If I reefed too much I just did not have the drive necessary to keep the speed up and punch through the chop. this requires me to crack off a bit and not point as high as I can in lower winds and flatter water...but it seems a fair trade off.

I use an anemometer made by Inspeed. If you are not familiar with them, check them out. They make a wind cup sensor that is paired to a bicycle computer. The result it a super lightweight windspeed unit, that needs no external power, and is ridiculously cheap compared to anything else out there. It's great having it because I can now relate specific wind speeds to specific amounts of sail. Only downside is I like to measure speed in in knots, and the INspeed is calibrated in mph.

Keep in mind that the Paradox's system is infinitely reefable. You can remove an inch of sail area, 90% of it.,...or anywhere in between. I would say in these videos the wind was probably around 17 and it looks like I was about 5% reefed. The heel Looks excessive, however it was very comfortable. The boat is rock solid. Ease the pressure on the main and she stands right up. I want to do some more sailing in these conditions, but I seem to be having best luck going to windward in the 20+ range by keeping quite a bit of canvas up, allowing the boat to heel and dig in, sitting with my weight forward, and keeping the speed up in the 3 knot range.

The fun starts when it's time for off the wind sailing. Holy Smokes, this thing flies. Yesterday I saw speeds in the high 5's and low 6's consistently, and for a short time , when I was running exactly in the direction of the windchop I was getting momentary bursts to 7.1 (just as a swell pushed me). I was nearly matching a fully canvassed San Juan 23 boat for boat downwind. I did reach a point once where I was rolling and the boom end was dipping in the water, however, the boat still felt totally under control and the rudder had great authority.

Overall...considering that she has no keel or centerboard whatsoever, she goes to weather quite respectably in a blow. No, she is not setting the world on fire upwind once your really start bumping up the velocity and more importantly the sea state she is punching against...but she works upwind and feels really safe. Once in a while I had to help her through a tack , if I happened to take a hit from a particularly large piece of chop just as she was coming head to wind when the wind was really piped up (I'm talking 22-24mph). No big deal.... a stroke or two with the paddle was all it took to drive her nose through the wind and get her going again. I feel that is a very acceptable compromise for all the unique attributes the boat delivers.

The furling system gives a confidence beyond any furling system I have used. Reefing typically takes 10-15 seconds....start to finish, without the need to bring the boat head to wind, or stop the boat's forward progress. I don't know if Matt Layden was the originator of the system, or if he got it from somewhere else, but it is really revolutionary in my mind. It's so easy that I sometimes reefed just for a specific 25mph gust I would see coming my way...and shook the reef out as soon as the gust was over.

Wow! You are having a ball with that boat! I have to say that I envy that cozy little pilot house a bit! I watched your videos and it feels that it would be possible to go anywhere in confort in a boat like that. There is a feel of security in it too.
Thanks for the tip about these anemometers BTW. One could find his way up to my boat soon.

Please keep on keeping us posted about your Paradox adventures.

Great stuff, Sean! I know the design is already well-proven, but your videos and reports are really doing a lot to document her capabilities.

Keep it coming.

—Josh