British  Weta  Class Association

Optional furling jib (rigged a little too high perhaps?)

Optional storm mainsail

THE BOAT

Is it a bird? …………. Is it a plane?

The Weta is a small trimaran suitable for racing, recreational sailing and training by one to three people. It weighs about the same as a Phantom and is the same length as a 29er. It is thus quite a small boat although its tall rig gives it ‘presence’ on the water. It feels bigger. However, when making performance comparisons, particularly with the larger catamarans, it must be remembered that it is a 14 footer, not a 16 or 18 footer. It has no direct equivalent or competitor. It is, for instance, a much faster and more sophisticated boat than the Challenger and a much more conventional boat than the much heavier foot-steered Waverider, both of which are sailed facing forwards from a kayak-like position in the main hull.  Although it has more than one hull, it has sailing characteristics typical of a conventional high-performance monohull dinghy and can be thought of as more like ‘a Moth (or skiff) with stabilisers’ than a catamaran. Unlike (say) a Dart/Sprint 15 the Weta does not ‘fly’ the main hull.  The leeward float will submerge before the central hull will lift out of the water. In famous trimaran terms think of Kingfisher rather than Banque Populaire or BMW/Oracle. While the boat can capsize in extreme circumstances, it does not normally balance on edge like a catamaran. The deep daggerboard and jib facilitate quick tacking.

On its very light launching trolley the boat can easily be launched and recovered by one person. Sailed singlehanded the boat is lively and responsive. It is at its best in 12 - 20kts of wind when it can be driven rapidly to windward with the helmsman sitting comfortably on the edge of the trampoline or hiking from toestraps while sitting on the windward float. At the windward mark the reacher or gennaker is unfurled in the manner of an Extreme 40 or America’s Cup 45 and the boat is tacked downwind with the apparent wind more or less on the beam. Gybing is completely innocuous  - there is no crash as the boomless mainsail comes across, there is no tendency to heel and the helm remains neutral so there is no tendency to gripe or broach.  The fine bow of the main hull CAN be buried but bearing away onto a run completely de-powers the rig. Boatspeeds of 19 knots have been measured when ‘heated up’.

Two up, the boat feels much steadier - more like a small yacht. There is comfortable room for two plus, in light winds, an additional child or two. There is no need for anyone to change sides when tacking, except to get out of the spray.

DEVELOPMENT

Though marketed as a manufacturer’s one-design, the boat has had a number of significant modifications since its launch some four years ago.  There have been three rudders - a lifting rudder in a cassette, the Dotan automatically lifting and lowering rudder and the deeper and more sophisticated ‘spitfire wing’ spring strut operated rudder. There is a new deeper daggerboard with a sophisticated section. Sails have changed from white to transparent Mylar and the latest mainsails have a window in them. The Harken gennaker furling drum has been replaced with a KZ continuous line furler similar to those used on the AC45s.  The genneker sheets now pass through load-sensitive Ronstan ratchet blocks and there have been numerous minor modifications. A furling jib is an option as is a small training or heavy weather mainsail. There is a ‘resort’ version of the boat which has Dacron sails.                  

A Weta in family bath toy mode