Update: Februay 2010
Two AltOs took part in the Grafham asymmetric slalem in November. Ian Pinnell and Gareth Lincoln came second with Jon Heissig and Nicky Griffin 6th out of the fleet of thirty dinghies. You can see from this picture of Jon and Nicky coming ashore how much they enjoyed it.
Ian and Gareth look rather more serious, perhaps reflecting on what might have been if a glitch with the new 'crew operated' pole/kite launch system had not kept the kite down for one leg, or was it that they are not used to coming second!
Battle of the Classes at the Excel Boat Show
Mike Arnold and Geoff Hunt enjoyed a battle with the Two FiveOs with the three boats continually interchanging positions throughout the race. While not an event for three sail boats and certainly not 'normal' asymmetrics, the East West F2 wind gave a simple windward leeward course which very much suited the large kited fiveOs. The swinging pole of the AltO allowed them to keep with them.
Alton Water frostbite Race 3
With the sad demise of the fiveOs over the past few years to none, Mike and Geoff were the only fast trapeze boat in the fast handicap fleet, leaving them very lonely at the front. However the AltO class will at least double in size before the end of the series.
Steve Nickolson Memorial Trophy
Two AltOs took part in this very popular and highly competitive event, one helmed by Ross Kearney and crewed by Ian Pinnell (who said helms can't trapeze) and the othe sailed by Jon and Nicky Heissig. Jon would prefer to forget the first race, but after a littile tweaking produced great speed in the second. He was never lower than fourth on the water, with two 49ers out in front, followed by Peter Barton in the Cherub (the event winner) and the AltO. These two continually interchanged positions throughout the race. Peter's Cherub with it's very large kite passed the AltO down wind, with the AltO passing the Cherub up wind. Since they were sailng on almost identical PY nos., would Jon and Nicky have won the race if the knot in the pole launch system not have failed on the last downwind leg?
Update: January 2010
2010 will be a big year for the AltO. The launch of the now well tested production boat will be at the Dinghy Show 2010. The class association will form this year with the intention of becoming affiliated to the RYA by 2011. It is intended that the class will be a non SMOD (single manufacturer one design) class. Class rules and specification will be available at the Show.
During testing the only significant change is that the kite will be for crew hoist, though helm hoist will be available.
The website will be updated regularly and the new webstie altoclass.com will be introduced as soon as the class has formed.
Update: May 09
Pinnell and Bax Ltd have been appointed to market the AltO. The price list in now available from P&B.A programme of demonstration and test sailing will be announced shortly both on this and the P&B website.
You can download the recent Yachts and Yachting test report, just click on the front cover below. An AltO information sheet with specification will be available shortly.
Update: April 09
You may have noticed the P&B advert posted on the Yachts and Yachting website on 23rd April entitled 'P&B back the new AltO'. In effect P&B will start fitting out and marketing the AltO in the UK and Europe. Thus the AltO will be added to the P&B stable of thoroughbred racing dinghies.
AltOboat is proud to become part of the P&B racing dinghy fleet and thanks Ian Pinnell, the current 505 world champion, and his team at P&B for recognising the potential of this new class. The AltO price will shortly be added to the P&B website together with an introductory offer for the first few sales.
News of the US and Canada distributor will be announced soon
Update: March 09
Much is about to happen with the AltO with the delivery of two demonstration boats for mid-April, and production following on from then. The AltO was first shown a year ago at the 08 Dinghy Show with the launch of the final product at the Southampton Boat Show. It has been decided to next exhibit at the 09 Southampton Show after final production is underway and a distributor appointed, which should be during the next couple of months.
For those interested in seeing it sailing 'in the flesh', and in the possibility of sailing in it, this website will indicate events at which it will be sailing.
Planned events are:-
April 10th- 13th Weston SC Grand Slam
April 25th The Glyn Charles at HISC
If you are interested in sailing it while it is at these events then please liase with: mike@altoboats.com
Update: mid November 08
Firstly. congratulations to Graeme Fuller and Steve Avery on Graeme's challenging first dinghy open meeting, the 40 mile round Sheppy Race. This was particularly ambitious since his AltO was the protoype new AltO, rushed out by Rondar for the Dinghy Show and before the planned summer testing programme. To have finished the race at all following the early failure of the protyype SuperSpar gnav, leaving them kickerless and with a large oversized square headed 12.75m2 mainsail in winds increasing to force 6, was no mean achievement. Well done.
The final mast selected for the AltO is the Selden carbon mast with a very well engineered and tested gnav. The final mainsail is 11.25m2 with a modest square head. The first two production boats are now out and about and available for test sailing. Recently RS 700 skiff sailors, Jono Heissig and Nicky Griffin, sailed two races at Deben YC in strong gusty winds and gave an impressive demonstration of stong wind racing and navigation skills being unfamiliar with the complicated river course and having no one to follow! They commented on how stable, balanced and easy to gybe was the boat.
Following the end of their yachting season, David Carroll and Jono Baker have gone back to the AltO for some winter dinghy racing at Alton Water. In their first race they were not too far behind the top 505 team of Matt Hart and Terry Scutcher, with both boats opening up a considerable lead over the rest of the fleet.
Clearly it is now a challenging time to introduce a new class. As has been shown in many recently introduced new classes, sustained growth will not be achieved purely by mass advertising. A new class must hit the right spot in the market and sell on its merits. Important for market growth and class development and stability in the long term will be the relationship between the class and mould ownership and the class association. Knowing that we now have a great new product, we are now concentrating on this next exciting and challenging phase of the AltO project. There will be new photos on the gallery shortly.
Update: Southampton Boat Show 08 Launch
The first production boat was displayed at the Southampton Boat Show with much interest and praise for its fine looks. See the gallery pictures.
This website will shortly indicate where the AltO will be racing through the Autumn and Winter, and where and when test sailing is available. If you are interested in test sailing the AltO, please email mike@altoboats.com who will try to arrange a suitable location and date.
Update: September 2008
Worth waiting for...the new AltO is now in production and available from Rondar Raceboats. The Southampton Boat Show and introductory price for the complete boat, ready to sail, is £8,995 inc VAT. Test sailing will be available in some areas soon, and can be arranged via: mike@altoboats.com
Update: July 2008
The perhaps optimistic Spring launch did slip, but the first customer now has his AltO, which is the fifth AltO. The slippage has been due to the large number of new Vipers Rondar is manufacturing for the American market. Great for Rondar Raceboats, but not for the AltO launch. However, the good news is that the first batch of boats previously referred to is now being processed with a further batch going through prior to the September Southampton Boat Show launch. The website will shortly give details of the launch boat together with a gallery update.
Update: March 2008
If you visited the AltOboats stand at the Dinghy Sailing Show then you will appreciate the considerable interest shown in the new AltO. Enthusiasts for the new boat, expecting to see yet another revamp of an old class, were surprised to find a thoroughly modern yet non-skiff new design. Comments were very favourable, and overwhelmingly visitors agreed that the boat looked great.
Perhaps an AltO was the first boat sale of the Show. It was 10.05 on the Saturday morning when a purchaser asked if he could buy and take away the Show boat. We had to disappoint him regarding taking the Show boat but promised that he should receive his new boat from the first batch in late May 08.
The AltO is real, so what next? During March and April the AltO will undergo further testing before the first batch of boats is built during May 08. Of these, one will go to the first purchaser, from East Kent, mentioned above. The Show boat will shortly be based at Deben YC in Woodbridge, Suffolk. A demonstration boat will go to the South Coast at Hayling Island SC and two or three further demonstration boats will go to areas to be announced during April.
The April update will give the launch price for the AltO.Update: February 2008
The new AltO will be at the Dinghy Sailing Show at Alexandra Palace on 1st and 2nd March 08.
There has been much speculation on various forums as to what the AltO is and where it slots into the dinghy racing scene.
The first public viewing will be at the Show in the West Hall on stand G38.
We hope to see you there.
Update: November 2007
It has been decided to separate the combined pole and spinnaker launch by the crew due to the necessary force required. The pole launch and swing control is handled by the crew with the helm hoisting and lowering. Thus with less grunt at the front the AltO is more friendly to female crews. This also allows for a faster launch.
The AltO launch date will be announced soon.
Update: May 2007
The testing of all systems is now complete. The final version of the AltOpole system, the spinnaker chute entry, the adjustable jibtrack and the swivelling jib cleat have now been severely tested since last July and in all wind strengths. The last two systems to be finalised were combining the pole launch with the spinnaker halyard, and the continuous plate uphaul/downhaul systems. These also work well.
The launch version of the AltO will be on display at the end of the year with production planned for Spring 2008.
Update: February 2007
The test programme for the AltO and the recent racing performance has more than exceeded expectations. As a result it has been decided that the AltO should be introduced, as a new high performance, one design, two person, single trapeze racing dinghy class with a non-trapeze version, in 2008.