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Why get one?

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Why choose a Streaker ?

Because it’s such a great boat, of course!

Light and responsive, it performs really well. It’s great for club racing but did you know the class boasts one of the best open meeting fixtures lists? In 2016 a total of 29 clubs are hosting open meetings in the two travellers’ circuits, the Northern and Southern Paddle series, and on top of that there are the National, Scottish and Inland Championships.

At first sight the boat and rig look really simple. The single loose-footed sail is hoisted on a stayed mast with the usual controls of kicker, cunningham and outhaul which can be led back to the side decks near the helmsman’s hiking position. The dagger (rather than centre) board means you don’t have to worry about slot gaskets on the outside of the hull and the rudder has a lifting blade.

The hull itself is light and easy to manage both on and off the water. The cockpit is deep enough to give comfortable and efficient sitting and hiking positions, helped by the angled side-decks.
The boat is really quick to rig and launch, maximising your sailing time.

At the same time, the Streaker offers a lot of choices and options to help you find the boat that suits you best.
You can have a hull that’s professionally built in FRP or wood. Perhaps you like the look of a wooden boat but would prefer the hull to be FRP? No problem, you can have a composite – that’s a FRP hull with wooden decks.
There are currently two licensed builders; The Boatyard at Beer sell FRP boats while Butler Boats can supply FRP, composite and all-wood boats.
The class celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015. Originally it was available only in wood, either as a complete hull or as a kit for amateur home-building. The chance of building your own boat still exists. In fact it’s probably easier than ever as you can buy a kit from Butler Boats that features a hull that’s already started for you to help ensure there’ll be no problems with measurement. Alternatively, you can buy plans from the class so that you can do the complete job yourself.
Over the years the class association has made gradual changes to the rules and the modern Streaker reflects this. It is not just light but stiff and robust and you can fit your boat with a variety of options relating to mainsheet systems, toe-straps, and self-bailers. Older boats can also be upgraded to keep them competitive, e.g. by adding stiffening panels to the floor of a wooden boat.

Similarly, there are different rig options. You can have a sail from the sail-maker of your choice and it can be cut to suit the mast you’re using (nowadays that’s the Superspars Rigel section or the Selden Lambda), your own weight and the conditions in your sailing venues.
This means the Streaker can be a great choice for sailors weighing from about 60 to 85 kilos.

The top 10 in the 2016 National Championships used the following gear:

 
Posn Helm/weight Hull Mast Sail Daggerboard Rudder Boom
1 Tom Gillard 76kg Butler FRP Selden North Sails Synergy Marine Synergy Marine Selden
2 Isaac Marsh 62kg Boatyard at Beer  P&B fit out Super Spars Pinnell & Bax DEM DEM Super Spars
3 Ian Jones  Rooster / Boatyard at Beer Super Spars Rooster DEM DEM Selden
4 Mark Lunn 82kg Rooster / Boatyard at Beer Super Spars Rooster Milanes Milanes Super Spars
5 Doug Horner 69kg Boatyard at Beer Selden HD Sails DEM DEM Selden
6 Alan Gillard 78kg Butler Boats Super Spars North Sails Butler Boats Butler Boats Super Spars
7 Graeme Bristow 73kg Rooster / Boatyard at Beer Selden Sail Register Rooster Rooster Super Spars
8 Steve Blackburn 65kg Butler Boats Super Spars Sail Register Butler Boats Butler Boats Super Spars
9 Brenda Hoult 58kg Boatyard at Beer Super Spars North Sails Rooster  Rooster  Super Spars
10 Veronica Falat 70kg Rooster / Boatyard at Beer Super Spars Pinnell & Bax Rooster  Rooster Super Spars

For a report and the results of the 2016 Nationals click here. 

Good competition is really important in the class. The two Paddle Series provide open meetings from March to October and they attract a wide range of sailors in terms of ability and age. We are also developing smaller regional circuits and currently have a South East Area series and an East Anglian one.

In recent years the class has grown in Scotland and there is now the annual Scottish Streaker Championship. East Lothian Yacht Club at North Berwick hosts this and the event provides some excellent full-on sea sailing.

You are bound to find some excellent racing and it can become quite addictive! 
There are fleets of Streakers at lots of clubs. Some can offer fleet racing but many can’t. However, the Streaker is a great boat for racing in club handicap fleets, performing well in a wide range of conditions.

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Streakers - great in wild conditions at Grafham 2012 . . . .
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. . . and in light conditions at Carsington 2014

 
If all this sounds appealing, make sure you have a go in a Streaker. Contact the Class Association via this website. Let us know where you are and we’ll do our best to help you try Streaker sailing.

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