I was visiting Devon last week and Pete Hill kindly treated me to a look around of Oryx and a chat and good mug of coffee.

She is looking excellent with a superb finish.  Pete thinks he is still a couple of weeks away from launching.  It will be a busy fortnight,  mainly deck gear, hatches etc still to be fitted to the hull together with masts installing and rig assembling.

The half wishbone - split -rig was explained and now understood.  On thinking about it later I have a couple of comments (if I dare to do so to such a seasoned sailor):

- The jiblet is attached to a its own half wishbone, which pivots on a bolt at the front with the main wishbone.  I did think this would be better as a more flexible joint (ie webbing) as there may be a significant twisting from the down haul.

- The sail is actually to one side of the mast,  a point I had not realised.  With the mast to windward of the sail, it will be more efficient than with the mast to leeward.  (When to leeward it is both where it disturbs the flow on the back of the sail, which is the most important,  and it also sits in the slot between jiblet and main.)  I did not ask Peter, but as it is a side, by side rig, each could have the half wishbone on the outboard side, such that the widward rig has the more efficient mast-sail handing. See sketch in photo album

I very much look forward to hearing how Oryx performs, with its unusual and unique sail and also the hulls which use winglets, and no centreboard / keel.

I have put a few photos of the visit in my profile - photograph album.  Unfortunely, with the tent still in place not easy to get a good shot.

Mark Thomasson