About the Blaze

Designers lan Howlett and John Caig in 1996

 

 

Blaze Specification

 

• Boat Builders - White Formula (Mk1 and Mk2) Cirrus Raceboats Limited (Mk3 and Mk3a) Hartley Boats (Mk4) 

• Length - 4.20m

• Beam - Max 2.48m

• Hull - 72kg

• Sails:

  • 10.4m² Blaze - North / Hartley Sails

  • 8.8m² Fire -  North / Hartley Sails

  • 11.5m Halo - North / Hartley Sails

• Mast - 6.5m Superspars M7 or carbon

• Outer Racks and Boom - Carbon composite or Alloy

• Hull Construction - Mk1 & 2 Polyester - Mk3 & 4 Epoxy Sandwich 

• Foils - Epoxy Sandwich 

• Current PY 1033. Great Lakes 1033

 

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Details

The Blaze offers significantly high performance while at the same time remaining simple to sail.

The boat brings together high speed and crisp handling in a powerful, easily driven hull; a fine entry flares into wide planing sections aft for maximum stability and blistering off-wind performance. And all from the security of a really comfortable cockpit.

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Superb Racing Machine​

The sitting-out racks provide almost armchair comfort while their 2.48m beam generates plenty of leverage to handle the modern, powerful rig. The blaze has a stayed SuperSpars M7 or carbon mast and the latest Hartley sail has been developed to offer a more tweakable and durable engine. This sophisticated, modern rig gives usable power across a wide range of conditions.

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Fingertip Adjustments​

All key control systems for the rig and the centreboard have been led out to the racks so you can carry on with fingertip adjustment even when you're screaming down a reach or rounding the windward mark. Conscious that a self-draining cockpit often means a shallow cockpit, suitable only for the very agile, designer lan Howlett achieved a comfortably deep area within the Blaze while retaining instant self-draining capability. With its sheeting arrangements and open transom, the Blaze has a huge area available for racing comfort. Both foils are lifting for stress-free sailing in shallow water as well as during launching and recovery.

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No Daggerboard Hassle​

The Blaze has re-invented the pivoting centreboard. Re-discover the luxury of launching without the hassle of looking after a daggerboard - and of throwing a quick gybe without having to check that the foil won't foul the boom! 

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High-Efficiency Power Sail

The Blaze now carries the latest ‘moderate square top' development of the 10.4 square metre semi-soft sail design. The result is superb-handling, high efficiency and controllable power. The sail design is a further refinement of the previous North sail after an extensive research and development programme conducted by the Class Association together with Hartley Boats, who now produce the sails in their own sail loft.

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Best of Both Worlds​

The refined rig enhances the upwind pointing ability yet still allows the sail to be 'feathered' upwind in high winds negating the brute force required with many fully battened single sailboats. By permitting a one-design class to periodically update we have the best of both worlds - a manufacturers class but with an active association that sees that there is a 'third way'. The whole idea of one design sailing is to keep costs moderate. As a result, all boats can remain competitive regardless of age.

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Competitive

All combinations of mast and sail are capable of featuring in the results at National level and even an older hull, when teamed with a good North or Hartley sail, can get in amongst the trophies

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