Comments on: Viper 640 http://www.surfacehoar.com/2008/04/viper-640/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:17:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Arnie http://www.surfacehoar.com/2008/04/viper-640/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Arnie Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:54:17 +0000 http://www.surfacehoar.com/?p=19#comment-12 Back in the late 90's I regularly sailed hull 37 in Annapolis under main and jib by myself with my 1.5 yr old daughter aboard in 3-8 knots. In lighter air 3-5 knots I'd let her hold the helm and feel like she was driving while I'd stand on the bow and steer by shifting my weight on the bow. With my wife who doesn't really sail much we would do the same in the 8-12 knots. With just my daughter aboard I'd sail into City Dock in Annapolis, backwind the main and back into a spot between a couple of large boats so we could hop out and get her ice cream. This boat is really manueverable. When racing in a breeze, I thought the boat was great because I could drive down through a puff and plane instead of feathering-up and bleeding speed. It looks more aggressive than it really is. Its light weight not only translates to speed in light air it translates to less load in the rig and lines when the wind comes up because you plane rather than wallow and plow. Additionally the keel lift and low trailer also made it easy for me to get the boat in the water and ready to go by my self. Your impression is typical, though not necessarily well founded because when sailed right this boat is the most comfortable I've sailed. Unfortunately life got in the way, but if I can get back to sailing in the near future I hope that I can get back into a Viper. Arnie Back in the late 90′s I regularly sailed hull 37 in Annapolis under main and jib by myself with my 1.5 yr old daughter aboard in 3-8 knots. In lighter air 3-5 knots I’d let her hold the helm and feel like she was driving while I’d stand on the bow and steer by shifting my weight on the bow. With my wife who doesn’t really sail much we would do the same in the 8-12 knots. With just my daughter aboard I’d sail into City Dock in Annapolis, backwind the main and back into a spot between a couple of large boats so we could hop out and get her ice cream. This boat is really manueverable.

When racing in a breeze, I thought the boat was great because I could drive down through a puff and plane instead of feathering-up and bleeding speed. It looks more aggressive than it really is. Its light weight not only translates to speed in light air it translates to less load in the rig and lines when the wind comes up because you plane rather than wallow and plow. Additionally the keel lift and low trailer also made it easy for me to get the boat in the water and ready to go by my self.

Your impression is typical, though not necessarily well founded because when sailed right this boat is the most comfortable I’ve sailed. Unfortunately life got in the way, but if I can get back to sailing in the near future I hope that I can get back into a Viper.

Arnie

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