© Walter Cooper

MustoSkiff

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The Musto Performance Skiff could possibly be the coolest dinghy
we've tested over the past few years. It's so aesthetically pleasing
that just seeing it on land stops you in your tracks, and it's a
relatively simple boat to sail, enabling the helmsman to concentrate on
its all-out speed, which requires some finesse to get.

I first saw the Musto Skiff at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis last
fall. There was quite a crowd of interested sailors in the parking lot
outside Fawcett's Boat Supplies, eyeing the MPS, which was fully rigged
on its trailer. The boat is 15 feet long and has a beam of 4'5", which
becomes 7'8" when its hiking racks are extended. When you first look
into the cockpit and see all the colored-coded rope, it looks a bit
overwhelming, but once you look it over and hear more about the boat,
it all makes sense. Control lines are double-ended and led to the racks
for quick adjustment on the fly. I remember asking myself whether I
could sail this thing. I got the chance to find out a few days later
during the boat test phase of SW's 2006 Boat of the Year contest.

The Musto Skiff was originally conceived by Joachim Harpprecht, a
German designer, in 1999. It went to Victor Boats for prototyping, and
to Ovington Boats for finishing and production. All these groups have
had success in the past, assuring top-of-the-line quality. Musto came
on board as a backer, and that, coupled with strict class rules, helps
protect the one-design aspect, which will help promote the growth of
the class worldwide. In 2000 the boat was brought to the International
Sailing Federation for consideration as an Olympic Class, and it was
the fastest monohull at ISAF's singlehanded dinghy selection trials.

A great feature of the MPS is its quick rig and de-rig time. In 30
minutes, or less with practice, the boat is ready to sail. Victor
Boat's Ron Radko, who imports the skiffs into North America, walked me
through the set up, and it was as easy as rigging my Laser. One
important tip was about hoisting the main; you have to make sure all
the battens are on the same tack (bent the same way), or you'll have
one hell of a time pulling it up. A supply of dry lubricant would be
necessary for this boat, especially in and around the spinnaker tube.
I'd also encourage Sailkoting the spinnaker because it will be wet most
of the time.

The mainsail, which is made by Hyde Sails, is similar to a Mylar
windsurfing sail. Tears can be fixed with Mylar or Dacron tape, or in a
pinch, even duct tape. The batten ends, especially the inboard ends,
will see some wear after a few events, but that's typical and they can
be easily repaired. The main also has a storage pocket near the tack
for stashing extra lines and halyards. The vang bar on the MPS is
mounted above the boom, and it allows for plenty of de-powering when
necessary, and plenty of power for acceleration, such as when starting.

Sailing the boat is, in a word, incredible. I've only sailed a few
skiffs in my time, and the Musto Skiff is one of the most balanced I've
ever sailed. A newcomer will need a quick lesson to understand the
basics, and it does take a while to find your bearings because you'll
initially lbe sailing with your "head in the boat," when you'll need to
be watching forward for pitch and balance issues. One false move and
you're in the drink. But, after practice, the sail controls become
second nature. Upwind sailing is fun and I was able to find a nice
groove. When I felt underpowered, all I had to do was bear off just a
click and the boat accelerated. The key is to always have the mainsheet
in your hand-it's tied to the trap handle so it's close. It's also all
too easy to dip the weather rack if you're not careful, and flipping to
weather is not what you want to do, especially with the kite up.
Tacking the boat takes practice because the boom is lower than you
think, and you're coming off the wire and the rack, making a bee line
to the opposite wire and rack.

After dialing into the basics-like tacking and sailing balanced-you'll
graduate to things like reaching in from the trapeze to adjust luff
tension, but you'll need to take it one step at a time. Downwind is
sensational sailing. The kite is large for a boat this size and weight.
On my first set, I pretended I'd just rounded a weather mark to get the
sequence down properly. It goes something like this. First, head down a
bit, bringing weight in towards the spinnaker halyard. Then, cleat the
main, grab the spinnaker halyard and hump that baby to the top (it's on
a purchase system, so it doesn't take long), let the kite luff for a
second until you snag the spinnaker sheet, then pull in slowly, and off
you go. Weight needs to be well aft on the rack so you can better see
if the spinnaker needs any trim and to keep the bow up. I learned to
set the main in order to concentrate on driving and spinnaker trim. The
boat sails into the high teens with ease and just rips right over and
through waves-they're no match for this dinghy-unless you forget to put
your foot in the footstrap.

Jibing is tricky; I left the main set, bore off while easing the kite,
came in, unclipped, and made haste for the opposite side. In the jibe,
you need to make sure the battens tack, locate the new sheet, sheet in,
and go. With a little practice, sailing the MPS will be non-stop fun.

In photographs from Musto Skiff events, you'll see guys wearing
protective gear like kneepads and shin protectors. I highly recommend
doing the same, as you're guaranteed to get some shin bruises. I think
a full-length, thin wetsuit would be perfect for sailing the MPS, along
with some thin kneepads. A lifejacket is a must when sailing this boat,
or any other dinghy for that matter, and don't forget some water,
you'll need
it.               
 

LOA     14'11"
Beam     4'4" (7'9" w/racks)
Weight     176 lbs.
SA (u/d)     123 sq. ft./289 sq. ft.
Design     Dr. Joachim Happrecht
Price     $11,500
www.mustoskiff.com