Halo

It has been decades since a racing dinghy for the larger helm has been launched. Yet in this time the population has grown – apparently we are mostly heavier and larger than in the past.

During this period there have also been a series of technical developments that made rigs more adaptable and easier to use. The impact of innovations such as composite masts and modern sail materials on racing is that today lighter and lighter helms can handle boats that years ago would have effectively been denied to them.

Put another way …. The bigger helm is frequently at a disadvantage today, even in classes where they previously dominated.

We are ‘larger’ and technology has worked to give a differential and greater advantage to the lighter helm.

It sounded like something needed to be done.

Heavyweights also approached the company arguing passionately for a Blaze type boat but one specifically developed for the larger helm. The best way of doing this was to focus on rig development and use the proven and highly effective Blaze hull and systems.

The Blaze-Halo concept was born: We would use the technical advances in design and sail material to put a significantly larger rig on the hull and offer the larger helm a ‘Heavyweights Blaze’. Work with a small group of capable heavyweight helms and produce a modern boat specifically for them and the 30% of adults who currently have very limited choice.

The result is stunning and well suited to the target market. The Blaze-Halo rig mast is taller and set more vertically on the boat. Halo sail area is 11.6m, powerful but still very manageable and refined if you are the right weight. We have also set the gooseneck a tad higher giving more room because you lot wanted it like that. Apart from mast and sail everything else is standard Blaze. In fact switching between versions only takes 10 minutes.

Halo is fast. In suitable wind it will plane upwind with ease and is very fast off-wind. The additional sail area allows Halo to go ‘deeper’ at speed if the course requires yet the single sail rig can easily cope with the tightest reach without compromise.

Class Weight rule

Halo is not an ‘equalised’ class but it does have a ‘minimum weight’ rule. Weighed hull (hull with centerboard in place, fully roped excluding rudder and rig) plus crew weight (in ‘normal’ sailing clothing) shall not be less than 160kg. ‘Hulls’ will be assumed to be at the class minimum weight of 72kg unless a class issued certificate showing actual hull weight is produced. If a hull is certified to be above the minimum class weight then the ‘excess’ weight may be taken into account rather than carrying further corrector weights if otherwise required.

The highly developed 11.6m sail is highly efficient and powerful. Coupled to the Cirrus wing system that can be set to 2.48m width Halo is capable in light winds, superb in medium breezes and yet is still highly enjoyable in real breeze when other classes may be thinking twice. However with Halo it really does pay to be a little larger than average !

Crew need to be relatively heavy to get the best out of Halo, particularly in any real breeze.  The purpose of the weight rule is to significantly reduce the natural advantage of a lightweight in light airs and to preserve and enhance the natural advantage of the heavier crew in stronger winds.

Anyone is very welcome and can join in and race Halo but many lighter crews will probably do better in Blaze.  In its first year 10% of all Blaze owners purchased the Halo rig - with many regularly racing with both versions.