Thanks!! I had to put more thought and time into it than the sailing 😂 So pleased it’s hit the mark 😊😊

Not monica, Minicat! Thanks autocorrect.

Me too!

Well observed! The float is brilliant. I’m not keen on the mast head ones (mostly because of looks 😂) but also, right at the top, despite being reasonably lightweight, conventional mast floats still add some extra heft due to leverage if you’re sailing solo like me. But this float on the sail itself works perfectly. It’s nicer looking, super light and doesn’t get in the way at all. I can roll the sail up easy. But I do unclip it when stowing sail in bag. It’s made by and for X-cat. It comes in two halves and you thread a strap through eyelets at the top of your mainsail. (That’s the only nuisance - you need to put two eyelets in your sail). Not difficult though. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I had the same thoughts as you when saw it, but it is awesome. A bit like iSUPs these days, technology has made the need for hard boards just necessary for high level completions etc. You really don’t sacrifice much for the convenience. But you gain so much from its packability and lightness. If you’re in doubt, watch this space, as I will properly be putting this through some seriously harsh conditions. All will be revealed soon!

Tricky. The gennaker and rolling genna are quite different in Minicat. I find the gennaker quite an intimidating beast, loads of fun but stressful to use. Easy to get tangled, so many ropes to lay out well and constantly tidy up. And demands more skill to fly it, and potential to dip bow and get in trouble, and the constant fear that have to get it all back in snuffer on the correct side - what if it snags. And if you capsize with it out, a painful affair sorting out in the water. At the same time, you really feel the power and it helps massively on what is usually a more bland point of sail. This is mostly from a ‘solo’ perspective. If crew with, then they make life easier. The rolling genna, is completely different. It is sooooo easy. No sweat when solo. Just open it out instantly much like the jib and furl back in within seconds. Quite versatile in its point of sail too, downwind and a little upwind too. But it lacks the exhilaration of the gennaker. And it doesn’t fly as well completely downwind in the same way gennaker does. For ease and relaxation, no question the genna is way to go for most people, and makes sense why Minicat introduced it. Works very well in very little wind too. But for reward and technical skill, the gennaker is superior. Hope that helps. In summary, genna is slightly bland in comparison to gennaker, but convenience to fly it and setup outweighs this negative.

Not Datchet, King George Reservoir in London

The front wheels are Minicat’s own accessory. It’s one rod in two parts, that connects to V shaped mounts that allow space for Minicat’s skeg/fins on the hull. This is good as can get wheels more central for weight balance. Makes boat feel lighter pushing. I also have the rear ones as it’s a very long walk up that hill from car park, so anything to help my back! (Those, I also use for kayaking).