Flying dutchman

[gigo07]

Hello friends
Do you think one person can sail a 2 sails sailboat like a flying Dutchman ? or 2 people is a must.
what about sailing it with just the main sail, just 1 sail ?? thanks !!

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by gigo07

Hello friends

Do you think one person can sail a 2 sails sailboat like a flying Dutchman ? or 2 people is a must.

what about sailing it with just the main sail, just 1 sail ?? thanks !!

Welcome to the forum gigo07, it’s helpful if you include a bit of background information to assist the forum to provide you with the answer to those questions.

[GordMay]

I suppose that "one person could sail a 2 sails sailboat like a Flying Dutchman", tho', certainly, not as intended, nor to it's full potential.
IMO, the FD would be a particularly bad choice, for a single-handing sailor.

A Classic Sailboats review [1] noted that:

The Flying Dutchman was designed in 1951 by the Dutchmen Uus van Essen and Conrad Gulcher. The “fastest double-handed dinghy in the world” made its Olympic debut in Naples in 1960. It was based on the new go-fast concept of a trapezing crew and a large spinnaker. The ideal crewman should be tall, heavy, nimble and smart – not a simple recipe to follow...”

[1] ➥ https://www.classicsailboats.info/new-page-93

[HankOnthewater]

As you can see from above post, Gord thought your referred to the beautiful FD, a beautiful dinghy to sail. And yes you can sail it single handedly, but not in boisterous conditions and you won't win any races, and I think you are not even allowed to race singe handedly.

But you may refer to another Flying Dutchman, the FD 12
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/flying-dutchman-12/

The large FD can be sailed singlehandedly, with an autopilot and correctly setup.

[ggray]

I've never sailed one but I expect the FD dinghy would be more than a handful singlehanded; perhaps you could w/o the genoa as you say, in lighter wind, but I'd expect she would be unbalanced. There may have even been a small jib that could replace the genoa.

The FD is a narrow boat so very dependent on crew weight for stability. I have a book somewhere that described her as a three man boat, but that the trapeze enabled two to sail her. You may be able to sail singlehanded with yourself in the trapeze, which I believe Paul Elvstrom did as the helmsman, and the crew using hiking straps.

If you are considering a FD to be sailed by two, but occasionally singlehanded, that could make sense. But if you are looking for a boat to singlehand exclusively, you can do better.

If you are looking for a high performance singlehander with trapeze, check out the Contender, but hard to find:

https://www.nacontender.com/store

[HankOnthewater]

I agree with above (ggray), a Contender is in the similar league to the FD dinghy but for singlehanded use. We use had the world championships here in West Oz earlier this year, and there is a very nice for sale after that, I have been drooling over it. Contender is the best boat I have ever sailed, or on par with the FD.
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/icaa/events/45262/
Just checking but that one has been sold now. Here are more more sale in Oz
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/icaa/for-sale/

[skipperpete]

There’s probably no upper limit to single handed sailing, Alain Colas single handed Enigma/ Club Med in ocean racing.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

There’s probably no upper limit to single handed sailing, Alain Colas single handed Enigma/ Club Med in ocean racing.

Phocea / Club Méditerranée was built for Alain Colas, a noted single-handed sailor.
But, I don’t believe he ever sailed the four masted schooner, ‘single-handed’.
I believe he died in 1978, single-handing “ Manureva”, in the ‘Route du Rhum’.
It could be said, he found the 'upper limit'.

[skipperpete]

Thanks for the correction Gord, I was under the impression that he did the barely imaginable solo race. I was interested in the boat when she was built and launched upside down and was later fortunate enough to be on board her (as phocea) 3 years ago.

[ggray]

Well, Colas sailed finished second (elapsed) in her in the 1976 OSTAR, which was single handed.

[Davo666]

Originally Posted by gigo07

Hello friends
Do you think one person can sail a 2 sails sailboat like a flying Dutchman ? or 2 people is a must.
what about sailing it with just the main sail, just 1 sail ?? thanks !!

Try a Contender, one main, one trapeze, one person, it's a scaled down FD hull shape (designed by Ben Lexcen, aka Bob Miller).

I used to sail a Rainbow (12' scow 2 crew dinghy) one-up, even fly a kite in light air and I was 11 stone in those days!
But an FD is just too big to reach stuff, unless you are part octopus.

[dfelsent]

I’ve sailed a contender. The longest hiking stick I’ve ever used. Lots of fun, lots of power.
I wouldn’t have ever tried an FD solo. Too much to do too far apart. Well I might have tried when in my 20s. I used to night sail the contender. A blast.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by ggray

Well, Colas sailed finished second (elapsed) in her in the 1976 OSTAR, which was single handed.

I stand corrected!
I hate being factually wrong. My apologies, Pete [& all].

OSTAR 1976
Bigger boats and bigger fleet, controversy and tragedy

“ Controversy exploded around the entry of Alain Colas’ gigantic monohull Club Mediterranée that measured in at 236ft (72m). Few believed that a boat this size could be sailed safely by one man without being a risk to himself and others at sea, and many saw the race as getting out of control.... Alain Colas’ Club Mediterranée stopped in Newfoundland for repairs to the rigging and then also had to take a penalty for accepting a tow that relegating him to 5th place overall, although he crossed the line in second...”

➥ https://rwyc.org/club-history/ostar-history/ostar-1976/

The OSTAR – the mother of all single-handed races

“... In the 1976 edition of the OSTAR there were 125 boats on the starting line. Among these is the incredible Club Mediterranee by Alain Colas which, with 236 feet in length,
... The RWYC tried to make some order and introduced a lower limit of 30 feet and a maximum limit of 80 feet...” ➥ https://globalsolochallenge.com/ostar-2/


BTW: Both of the above, are good reads.

[markiobe]

Yes, it’s totally possible to sail with one person, assuming you know what you’re doing! Also don’t try without the headsail, on any boat it will make it much harder, with an FD even more so as the genoa is so huge. Without it the boat will be seriously unbalanced.

You can even sail it it with no rudder if you’re really good ;-)

[mtrees]

Buy a Finn if you want to sail single handed.