Each to his own. I must say I am one of Matt's 'the public' in not 'getting' sailing canoes. In John McGregor's Rob Roy days, there may have been a logic in terms of relative light weight compared with what would then have been a heavy carvel or clinker hull (plus heavy gear) for sailing. Nowadays, with modern materials, I personally don't see the point. Canoes (kayaks) are for paddling, and when you have the faff of adding outriggers to keep the sailing canoe upright, what's the point? And you wouldn't think of paddling a dinghy. Two fundamentally different types of boat, and too many compromises involved in trying to combine their functions successfully.
I hope that doesn't sound gratuitously negative: not meant to be. It's just a point of view and, as I said already, each to his own! De gustibus non disputandum est. Clearly Brian, apparently Matt also, and plenty of others won't agree with me, and I'll respectfully salute any sailing canoeists I cross courses with. It doesn't happen very often, but I have sailed in 'mixed' fleets including sailing canoes, whose performance compared with all sorts of other boats didn't mightily impress.
I'll keep sailing (and, when necessary, rowing) in a craft designed for it.
Michael R (Trouper 12 Cavatina)
