The 1st Hawaiian Sailing Canoe to sail in the Indian Ocean, the "Kona" took flight off Mandurah in Western Australia last weekend. We had a ball until we lost both bailers and ended up swamped!

Always good having a support boat when learning how to play with these babies. Lessons for next time, better fitting covers, venturi in the hull and more wind please!!!!

The KONA will fly again.

Enjoy, we did!

Barts

Hi SandS

The KONA has no rudder, she's steered with a large steering paddle, you can see me swap sides now and again and "poke".

These sailing canoes are designed for one direction racing, so you rig the large outrigger on the prevailing wind side. The usual races in Hawaii are from one island to another and average about 100nm each.

Because they have no keel or centre board they don't go up wind very well, they were designed for downwind or across wind one direction races.

6 crew is best but 7 is good if it's really windy.

The KONA is 45 feet long or 13.75m and the sail area is 150sq feet or 14sqm

We got her up to 16 knots on this trip and I've had her over 20 knots before.

And she's totally lashed together with rope so she talks to you while you're sailing along.

She's great fun.

cheers

Barts

A friend and I built her, all the rigging is oregon and the hull and amas are fibreglass.

Cheers

Barts