Please select your home edition
Edition
Typhoon X RNLI 200 Drysuit

A Class Cat combines cutting-edge design with humour to win 2019 Concours d'Elegance

by Mark Jardine 2 Mar 2019 17:56 GMT 2 March 2019

The 2019 Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy Show has been awarded to Pete Jary's foiling A Class Catamaran. The boat combined stunning looks, super high-tech features, great graphics and no small measure of humour.

Sarah Treseder, Chief Executive of the RYA, and Mark Jardine, Managing Editor of YachtsandYachting.com and Sail-World.com, once again browsed every boat and were completely overwhelmed by the quality on show.

Runner-up was Ben Archer's Merlin Rocket 'One Love' which is on display in the Palm Court of Alexandra Palace, complete with carbon decks and a black matt finish on the hull, a stunning example of a class which is renowned for some beautiful designs.

Other classes worthy of special commendation were the International Canoe, Osprey, Challenger, Flying Mantis, Solo, OK and Firefly. Of particular note was the Scorpion 'Tallulah' with superb mainsail graphic, but sadly the boat hadn't hit the water yet, so was ineligible for the Concours trophy.

As Sarah Treseder described, "There has been a great buzz at the show, and a sense of humour that has been brought into some of the designs on show, tiny details which have made us smile, decorations, little notices to the crew, but overall that sense that sailing is fun, and let's bring that to life."

"We had a tough field to choose from at both ends of the scale. Some 30-year-old boats, some nearly new boats, dinghies which have been campaigned really hard and those which have done their first event. The common denominator has been people adding that little bit extra it's not good enough to just be beautifully designed and beautifully made. The competition has become hotter."

The combination of new paint and vinyl wraps has brought an extra dimension to many boats, with sailors really utilising the technology to good effect. With new finishes and colour schemes for deck grips which felt velvety and really caught the eye.

It was also good to see the Cadet simulator, giving a truly interactive experience on their stand:

Mark Jardine said of the boats on show, "This is the best year yet. Quality in abundance and boats that don't just have the wow factor, they also make you smile, which is so important for sailing. We need to promote the fun factor as much as we can, and the graphics now being added do exactly that. Congratulations to all the exhibitors for giving the RYA Dinghy Show 2019 such a great buzz!"

Related Articles

Make me smile
Smiles and cash can always do amazing things. No cash, no splash, after all… Manly's pathway to progress looked at a way to attract and keep youth in sailing. Nice. Really nice. Now, what to do when you cannot replicate such a successful model? Posted on 15 Dec
Firefly dinghy videos from the 1980s and 90s
It's time to dig into the archives again, one year after our first ever video feature It's time to dig into the video archives a second time, a year after our first ever video feature, which happened to be on 1950s Firefly sailing. But this time all we can find is from the 1980s and 90s! Posted on 15 Dec
Vendée Globe Twists and Turns, Thrills and Spills
I need to start with an admission... I'm addicted to the Vendée Globe I need to start with an admission... I'm addicted to the Vendée Globe. When I wake in the morning, I look at the tracker, and at each sked (it updates every four hours) I take a look. Posted on 10 Dec
Ways Into Sailing: GJW Direct's Luke Marsh
From a phobia of water to sailor, an inspiring story from the marine industry When Luke Marsh joined GJW Direct to head up their Marketing Department he had no experience in sailing. In fact he had a phobia of water. Posted on 5 Dec
The Traditional Hobart
Interesting. You hear the term a bit, but what does it really mean? You hear the term a bit, but what does it really mean? One thing is for sure. It is not like we are hearing people saying they are buying up all the full-keelers to go to Hobart at six knots, no matter what direction the breeze is coming from. Posted on 1 Dec
New Products from Allen Brothers at METSTRADE 2024
Swivel Blocks, Tii-Bones and Travellers! New and innovative products to make sailors' lives easier Swivel Blocks, Tii-Bones and Travellers! Allen Brothers never disappoint, with new and innovative products to make sailors' lives easier. We spoke to Ben Harden at METSTRADE 2024 to find out about three new products in their range. Posted on 28 Nov
Manly's pathway to progress
A youth sailing success story in Australia The Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club is a success story against a background of dwindling support for youth sailing in Australia. Posted on 26 Nov
Gloves off! (Or is that actually gloves on?)
After last year's spectacular Hobart win, can LawConnect claim underdog status anymore? Well now... Isn't that actually a really good point. Normally, you'd say it was gloves off, time to get physical in a bare-knuckle street fighter sense. Posted on 17 Nov
So much more than tiller extensions
Charting the incredible rise of GOAT Marine If you were at the Dinghy Show a couple of years back you may well have seen Steve Badham selling tiller extensions on a small stand. Those that picked them up would have noticed they were really light and immensely strong whilst also being shatterproof. Posted on 14 Nov
Saving the best for last
2024 is being a veritable feast for big events in sailing 2024 is being a veritable feast for big events in sailing with SailGP giving us our hors d'oeuvre, Paris 2024 in Marseille as our starter, the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup the main course, and we're now enjoying the Vendée Globe for dessert. Posted on 13 Nov