Blaze Class Association
The home of Hartley Blaze, Fire and Halo sailors
A class for youth and ladies
The introduction of the Fire sail from 2014 has given the Blaze accessibility to a new category of lighter-weight sailor. The rack design of the Blaze hull affords an easy righting-moment against the Fire's 8.8m² sail area, offering a much more manageable racing and cruising experience for lighter helms. The grin-factor, to which any Blaze sailor will attest, is still very much part of the package.
Adoption of the Fire sail has gained traction in the past few years, and as a Class, we are committed to promoting the boat as a high-performance, exciting alternative to more established classes at the lower helm-weight ranges. Many of the current Blaze fleet have seen success using the Fire over the standard 10.4m² Blaze sail, proving it's versatility and competitiveness.
At 2023's Burghfield Blaze Open, the Gold and Silver positions both went to Fire sailors, in a non-handicapped event.
2023 also saw the first Fire-Nationals open event, held at Paignton Open for Single Handers, with a fleet of 14 sailors. This provides a healthy springboard for the 'Fire' class in general, with more Fire-only events planned into next season. Of course, any Fire sail is welcome to race within any Blaze event, and results recorded accordingly. You'll always find the hearty Blaze reception and a competitive, but fun-loving community we all thrive on. We invite and encourage youths and ladies (and any other lighter helms) into the Class, and are now able to offer the same sailing excitement the heavier of us have enjoyed for decades.
...But it doesn't only have to be about the Fire - you always have the opportunity for a straight swap to the Blaze sail (same mast, same rigging) once you've got a feel for the boat, to keep you cruising and racing well into your Grand-Master/Mistress years...
