THE EDITOR TAKES A TURN

Sailing World Editor John Burnham, who sailed the PIXEL with Lightning champ Jim Crane wrote, "Considering that the wind was light, maybe 4 to 8 knots, and that we were 100 pounds over the target weight, we had a fun sail. The helm balanced easily, and the boat accelerated well in the puffs, moving nicely through the chop."

Although adults seem very happy with the boat, the initial thrust has been for youngsters from 90 to 130 pounds (40 to 60 kg.) The first time we saw the boat sailed by kids in really heavy air the test pilots weighed 70 and 120 pounds (32 and 55 kg). They put the new dinghy through its paces in spectacular fashion, able to keep her flat upwind and zipping with stability and perfect control through jibes on a full plane.

The super light carbon fiber mast bent to the puffs and absorbed the shock of hitting waves. It was our first experience with a carbon rig in a small boat and all the good stuff that's been said about the material proved to be true.

Through those early sessions we picked up some great quotes from our young and adult sailors. Bill Crane, Lightening, Sonar and 420 racer, after an outing in 20 to 25 knots of wind - "we planed downwind and we planed upwind. We never stopped planing."

A 115 pound sailor from Riverside, Ct. YC after walking around the mast to rig the jib - "we couldn't walk forward like that on the boat we've been sailing or we'd be swimming. This boat should replace both the (bleep) and the (bleep) (other two-man dinghies.)

A 15-year-old from Stamford, Ct. YC - "I love it. The (bleep) is a truck compared to this boat."

Youngster at Milford YC, sailing in very light air - "I just love this boat. I can't imagine how it can move so well in no wind."

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Kirby Designs A-Z

Of the 60 + designs turned out since 1958, when Bruce Kirby was a working newspaperman designing boats in the evenings and weekends, a complete list has never been compiled until now. The purpose of the list to to help owners of these boats to know when and why their vessels came into being, and where possible, to tell where information on them can be found. As more designs are being turned out each year the list will continue to be a work in progress. To view the current list, please use the drop down menu above.

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