"Jeff Morris" wrote:
"Frank Maier" wrote:
I'm a fan of Garry Hoyt's Cat-sloop Freedom rig. The big, large-roach
main helps offset the limitations of the limited-size jib.

Freedom, although it doesn't seem that they're really "in production"
anymore. Don't some Island Packets use a Hoyt self-tending,
self-vanging jib?

They're certainly still in business, but all of their new designs are
powerboats. This seems to be the current trend.

Well, there's just so much more possibility for profit to be made from
powerboat sales. Plus, in the specific instance of Freedom, I'd hafta
guess that the concept just never caught on well enought to create a
solid market demand or niche. (I'm completely ignorant about business
and marketing; so forgive my naive conceptualizations.)

You can still order a boat from them. Their newest ("current")
designs, the Pedrick 35 and 40, are still nominally unstayed cat rigs;
but they're offered with running backs so you can skip the (small)
self-tending jib in favor of overlapping headsails. Harrumphf! Might
as well buy a Catalina.

Frank