John Lennon, imagination and the new Boon Solo

by Gerald New on 16 Apr 2007
John Lennon once said, 'The trouble with reality is it leaves a lot to the imagination' - and in dinghy design imagination has run riot.

Now a new epoxy FRP version of Jack Holt's classic Solo design brings a sense of reality and quality that is a world away from the early plastic horrors that now crumble away in dinghy parks across the country.

With the freedom to produce freeform shapes in grp, designers or at least builders churned out a veritable armada of dubious plastic bathtubs to fill each new perceived niche.

Many of these products were intended to replace the old racing classes that were considered past their sell date. Classes that had been conceived in the era of clinker construction and bronze fittings and the later plywood designs - all sharp edges and flat surfaces - did suffer from poor techniques in the early years of conversion to grp construction.

But, quality will out, and several racing classes designed in the 1950s have had remarkable staying power. The designs of Jack Holt have shown that a well designed little’n will beat a bodged big´n.

One, the Solo, recently celebrated 50 years since Jack Holt produced the snub-nosed single hander that continues to confound the modern throwaway school of boat design. With several 'modern' dinghy designs looking decidedly shoddy round the edges and crumbling away in dinghy parks across the country, the Solo goes from strength to strength.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]Now something of a restoration favourite, the Solo is still available in wood, frp or frp/wood versions from a number of specialist boat builders. Alongside the 'furniture' finished customised specials, a number of 'plastic' hulls have been produced that are a world away from the early horrors, and these have driven the resurgence of the class.

The two main manufactures, Winder and Speedsail, have now been joined by an all new epoxy FRP hull from Steve Boon. Steve has been producing top class wooden Solos for 15 years but decided that rather than deck competitors FRP hulls, when he could get them, he would produce a complete new hull incorporating his own ideas.

As a basis Steve already had his well proven hull shape and added top Solo helm Jim Hunt into the mix to provide input on the development of the hull moulds and fit-out. The thoroughness of their approach to the task shows in the finished product.

Jack Holt’s deceivingly simple dinghy has been tweaked over the years in a search for the killer shape with maximum stiffness, and in the transition to an all FRP hull Steve and Jim have ensured that this has not just been carried over, but improved.

Steve claims this is the first ever Epoxy FRP Solo to be built with an integral cockpit floor, using the very latest in vacuum bag foam core technology. This guarantees a down to weight boat with the least amount of weight in the ends.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]The hull and deck have been separately vacuum bagged, with the deck mould incorporating the floor panel and centreboard lining, giving a unique gel coat finish throughout the cockpit.

When the hull/centreboard is then joined to the deck/sidetank/floor/centreboard lining you literally cannot see the join. This gives a very stiff floor panel, as well as a very clean cockpit, without the normal tank flanges to the floor.

The extreme amount of work that the complicated moulds required meant that the new hull missed appearing at this years Dinghy Show, but then this is the reality and the finished boat reflects the effort.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]The other stand-out feature of the new Boon hull is the gunwale treatment. The gunwales have been taken to maximum width/height for comfort and righting power and then given a distinctive sweep back to normal forward of the thwart.

The control layout shows some neat touches with a radiused mainsheet track, and a tidy continuous control line system running under the thwart - four lines are fitted, kicker, Cunningham, outhaul and inhaul.

The rear toe strap fixing has been moved forward so that when hiking to windward your feet are in the middle of the strap to provide a more normal posture. A second, separate rear toe strap provides for off-wind hiking.

The centerboard and a new lifting rudder assembly are also produced by Steve.

Jim Hunt has also been developing the Solo rig.

The standard fit at the moment is the Cumulus mast and North sail, but a specially developed Seldon D+ section will be available, with a new cut of North sail in Technora laminate (as used in the Finn class).

Jim was developing this combination last season and feels that the masts bend characteristics allow gains to be made from a deeper sail cut for the new mast.

The first outing for the Boon hull will be in Scotland next weekend, during a Solo training event at Largo Bay SC. This will show up any minor set up problems before production starts.

Standard fit boats will be available in a stunning shade of designer grey to begin with, and a number of orders are ready to roll as soon as the on-course testing is completed.

Target price for a ready to sail Boon Solo is £5999.

Need to know more - contact Steve on 01270-872174

Website : http://www.boon4boats.com