Practical Boat Owner - January 2016

more sprightly than the former and more traditional in style than the latter.Don’t, however, be deceived

by the gaff rig, single-chine hull, spruce bowsprit and mahogany and teak trim, because there’s a lot of tech behind the trad. For a

start, building a 21-footer weighing just 750kg (1,650lb) in epoxy ply is one thing, but building the same boat to the same weight in

GRP is quite another, especially given the flwith a single chine. at panels inevitable

come in. Resin-infused laminates incorporating vinylester resin, multi-axial glassfi bre and a foam This is where Demon Yachts

core might be ambitious for some but are hardly pushing the boundaries for a yard like this.

Strings for a KiteAll too often when stepping aboard a production cruising boat – recently-launched or

otherwise – you fi nd aspects of the hardware and cordage that just aren’t right and that

compromise effi ciency to the detriment of sailing pleasure. Not so with the Kite. She’s rigged and fi tted out in a way that’s simple

and effi cient, reflunderstanding of what makes a boat tick and the directors’ experience with performance ecting Demon’s

yachts and racing dinghies.extensively, though the mainsheet blocks are from Allen. Most of the Barton hardware is used

cordage is in a golden colour that goes nicely with the off-white hull (Flaxen is the offi cial name

able to jump into your car and drive down the road to speak to the guys building your boat, perhaps about raising one of the
backrests by an inch because that’s how you want it. This isn’t to say there aren’t some super little cruisers, dayboats and

weekenders being built on the near continent by knowledgeable people who speak perfect English, because there are – and we’ve

tested some – but there’s still little to beat home-grown if you can fi nd what you’re looking for.Whether more new small-boat

builders will emerge in the UK to join the two featured in these pages, we will have to see. But there’s no doubt that the

economic climate since 2008 has led more people to appreciate what small boats can offer. Sailors are choosing to move down in

size for reasons other than economic necessity. At the same time, some builders who have experienced the diffi culties of

managing production and maintaining quality at an overseas yard have come to appreciate the practicalities of setting up

shop in the UK. Common differencesSignifi cantly, both boats featured

here are built by yards that are well established in their own fi elds but not known to the sailing public for production boatbuilding.

Yachts, specialises in several areas, building record-breaking ocean rowing boats, making The builder of the Kite, Demon

rudders for Oysters and being a leading light in the rarefi ed world of optimising metre yachts to the extent that an International 8 Metre

was recently shipped over specially from the USA. Demon do CAD design, CNC plug and mould

work, vacuum-bagging of composite laminates and design-and-build projects, restorations, refurbishments

and optimisations employing everything from traditional shipwright skills to precision engineering in carbon fi bre.

who build the RTC 22, work principally in the commercial sector producing boats and Composite Mouldings (CML),

mouldings for harbour and port authorities, the police and the MOD among other clients. They build industrial mouldings, RIBs

for the navy, components for superyachts and scale models of container vessels as well as undertaking repairs on anything

from lifeboats to cruise ships. They have been contracted to build motor-cruisers for well-known names and, having

taken over 12 years ago from Blondecell – a name some readers will remember – have been producing the Hawk

dayboats for Reid Marine.of in-house design skills, and director Warwick Buckley is one CML too have a full range

half of Buckley Yacht design with his son, Jami, who drew the lines for the RTC 22.

RTC 22

Kite interestingThe Kite is far from being the only modern trailable sailer to incorporate elements of traditional
appeal. Others include the Cornish Shrimpers – the 19 and now the 21 – and, of course, Swallow Yachts’ BayRaiders and
BayCruisers, which represent more of the modern-meets-classic hybrid approach. Although she will often be compared with both
the Shrimpers and the ‘BaySailers’, the Kite differs from both: she’s lighter and

Tested – Kite and RTC 22

➜

Tech spec: KitePRICE: £31,950 (trailer £2,200)

LOABeam:Draught (plus bowsprit): 6.40m (21ft 0in) 2.13m (7ft 0in) – centreplate up: 0.25m (0ft 10in)

(^) WeightBallast (dry): 750kg (1,654lb) – centreplate: 80kg (176lb)– centreplate down: 3.16m (3ft 10in)
Internal lead:Sail area:Builder: Demon Yachts 19.7sq m (212sq ft) 115kg (253lb)
http://www.demonyachts.co.uk
Colour-coordination: creamy deck and sails, white spars
and gold-coloured ropes