Sport dinghyr

I always enjoy the Annapolis Boat Show. I've been going now for about 25 years and I still get a kick out of seeing my industry buddies. About five years ago, the Thursday night before the show opened I found a note on the boat I was staying on informing me that I had to be off the boat by Friday to make room for the owner's guests. Right, like I'm going to be able to find a hotel room in Annapolis the day the show opens.

I was depressed and homeless. So with my bags in tow I schlepped my way down the dock without a clue as to where I was headed. Passing a fellow washing down a Valiant 42 I said hello and introduced myself as the designer of his boat. After a brief chat he asked where I was going and I told him, "I have no idea." He replied, "I have a house right here next to the boatyard and an extra bedroom. Would you like to stay with us?" You bet I would.

I have stayed with Bob and Barb Schaefer each boat show since. It has made a huge difference. The accommodations have been great and the company has been even better. I Fed-Ex'ed in king salmon and Dungeness crabs this year and cooked dinner for them one night. I think the Annapolis Show is a "must do" for any sailor. Please put it on your calendar for next year.

Although it was tucked in a corner, one of the boats getting some attention at this year's show was the Raider Sport.

Raider Sailboats brings us this new 16-footer aimed at sailors who want to go fast without first acquiring expert level sailing skills. The Raider is available in two models, Raider and Raider Sport. The difference is that the Sport model offers higher tech detailing to further enhance performance.

You can sail this boat by yourself or with a friend for crew. For singlehanding it's a big boat at 16 feet, 2 inches with a 7-foot, 4-inch beam-a function of the wings. Beam at the waterline is quite narrow without being extreme. The bow is narrow and fine then the topsides flair out but not with the concave flair you might expect. The flair to this boat is convex and adds considerable form stability to the craft. It's also drag, and if you are looking for 49er-type thrills this is not the boat for you. But if you are more interested in sailing than swimming you might prefer the Raider.

The Raider also claims to be self-righting, although I'm confused as to what their definition of "self-righting" is.

Hull weight is 200 pounds. The Sport model has a deeper daggerboard with 4 inches more draft.

The deck looks very comfortable. There is a generous roll to the inboard deck edge so you can hike in comfort. The transom is not open, but it's not exactly closed either. There are two huge bailing tubes glassed in to help keep water from accumulating in the cockpit. If you get the Sport model you get a 6-inch longer tiller extension and upgraded Harken deck and sail handling gear.

Additionally, you get a two-piece carbon fiber mast with 18 square feet of extra sail area. The standard model has an aluminum stick. If we go sailing on a Sport model with a friend weighing 140 pounds, we get an all up crew weight of 325 pounds. Add to this the hull weight of 200 pounds, and another 20 pounds for miscellaneous gear, and we get a SA/D of 29.47. If that doesn't keep you moving you can bear off and hoist the big asymmetrical chute that almost doubles the sail area. This could be fun.