The Flèche is a recreational sailing craft designed to allow family members to sail together. It is a hybrid between sailboard and racing skiff. The Flèche is light, car-toppable (no need for a trailer), can be kit-built to reduce cost, is forgiving to sail, and yet will be capable of high performance in skilled hands. It has stylish good-looks that will appeal to the young – the arrow-shape suggests speed. The innovative rig can take on different configurations according to need, and folds away readily when not in use.

The Flèche has sufficient buoyancy to carry two adults, or a parent with child(ren) and dog! It has a wide, uncluttered deck that is gently hollowed, with side tubes for handholds and security. The underwater shape is a shallow V with a midline, downwards-directed ridge in place of a fin. This well-tried shape gives low drag, good directional stability, structural stiffness, and reduced impact risk in shallow waters.

The unique sailing rig consists of a sloping spar attached to the hull in front and to an A-frame at the back. This arrangement provides maximum stability and reliability in use, and allows for different configurations. For example, the spar can be lowered by sliding the feet of the A-frame forwards in the guides provided by the side tubes. This can be done when using the sail in a reefed form in high winds, or when folding the rig for transport. The sail is double-skinned so that it can be reefed in a simple yet effective way, and also opened out like a spinnaker for downwind sailing. The large centreboard and efficient rig design allow a good upwind performance. The Flèche could be developed as a racing class.

Due to its width and buoyancy, the Flèche provides a stable platform for boarding and for crew movements when sailing. Course-changes can be achieved by weight-shifting and changes in sheeting of the sail, but an optional rudder may be readily fitted for those who prefer to steer with one.

For a single-page overview, click here

For illustrations of the prototype showing dimensions, click here

For progress with the full-size prototype, click here