Tillerman has shown keen interest in the Aero and ordered one. He has blogged several times about it and it does seem to be a very attractive new boat.
A leading French boating magazine, Bateaux, has reviewed the Aero in its September issue and for those of you not subscribed to it, I thought a few excerpts might be interesting.
The review is summed up in the 2 photos above. The top one says "8 knots of wind, finesse is everything" and the bottom one says "18 knots of wind, fitness is everything."
The reviewer starts by saying he always preferred the more extreme "fun" sports like windsurfing, kitesurfing and sport catamarans and that Lasers hadn't convinced him to change. However, an opportunity to test the Aero seemed to him a good opportunity to reconsider and, after testing, he concluded that it is a good "toy" to add to his collection for satisfying his board sports desires.
In his "verdict" he lists the pluses
- lightweight which facilitates logistics and spices up the sailing
- intuitive, reactive and fun
- comfortable hiking position
- upwind performance in higher wind
- you will have to be patient for regattas to develop
He stresses how sensitive the boat is. At the slightest puff, there is impressive acceleration. Adjusting the mainsheet by one centimetre has a big impact and you must move around delicately. As in windsurfing, your body becomes a part of the rig and you must sheet in and out constantly. You must constantly adjust the boom-vang.
Close-hauled, the sail is quickly powered up and in a sustained wind progress is harder. You shouldn't hesitate to bear off a few degrees and he said he would trade his 9 m sail for a 7 m one better suited for his size.
He praises the ease of righting it after a capsize, but says it is so easy you have to be careful not to tip it over the other way.
Thanks very much for that. I hadn't seen it. Interesting points - although from the perspective of a someone who isn't an experienced Laser sailor by the sound of it.
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