A boat quickly rigged
The Kaori 550 is a transportable boat. This is part of its charm. It is thus possible to choose its water surface. For our tests, it is in Pornic that the manufacturer Flavien Gaulard had given us an appointment. Accompanied by the architect Gildas Plessis, we found them hard at work preparing the boat on its trailer. The simplicity of the deck plan without carts and the pushpit rig, without backstays or runners, make the operation quite simple. The two standard rudders find their place in 2 minutes on the transom. A simple nut connects them to the tiller. If it takes us 45 minutes while discussing, the builder indicates that the preparation of the boat to 2 people used to it takes about 30 minutes.
Beware of the anti-drift plan!
Pure sailboat, this first Kaori 550 does not have an outboard engine. Nevertheless, the manufacturer thinks about an optional chair. We leave the hold equipped with our sails and 2 paddles. The little water does not allow us to lower our daggerboard immediately. With more than 15 knots established, the punishment is immediate, the wind slams us to the dock. With only 20 centimeters of draft, the boat is like a bar of soap, uncontrollable with the paddle. Once the daggerboard was down, we finally left under jib only, while remaining perfectly maneuverable. We left the old port of Pornic to reach the bay.
Good average speeds upwind in the chop
We decide to go up towards the bottom of the bay to test the boat's performance upwind. The chop is short, with an onshore wind of 15 to 18 knots. Our scow bow slaps a bit in the sea but protects us well, in conditions where many boats of the same size would have been quite wet.
For the builder, it is the first time to sail in such conditions, the previous outings having been rather squally. The average speeds reached are pleasant, around 6 knots, without stopping too much in the chop. Some defects on the positioning of the fittings, which will be corrected on the next units, do not facilitate the tacking and the adjustments of the mainsail.
The position is very comfortable, with the helm in one hand and a mainsheet cleat always close by. Once the right heel is found, it is a matter of keeping it to maintain a constant speed.
A hull that just wants to glide
It's time to test the downwind sailing. The absence of the asymmetric spinnaker on the bowsprit, planned as an option but not yet built, is cruelly felt. The boat just wants to accelerate, pushed by the small chop of the Bourgneuf Bay. By moving the weight of the crew back as much as possible and by making sure that the jib is not too tight on the nose of the boat, we manage to take a few surfs. Unfortunately, the boat does not exceed 8.5 knots. No doubt that with a downwind sail, double-digit speeds can be achieved by the Kaori 550 which weighs only 450 kg. The planned improvements on the downhaul setting should also allow to gain in performance.
The pleasure of beaching
If long tacks are a pleasure, maneuvering under sail is another one on this type of small boat. So we go up the channel of the port of Pornic and confirm the capabilities of this small sailboat which is maneuvered "like a mobilette". It is time to approach the beach for a short stopover. We reduce the speed by lowering the mainsail. The rudders go up like on a smaller dinghy. The Kaori 550 simply runs aground, reminding us of its vocation as a raid sailboat, for a break on the beach which has nothing to envy to the previous long tacks!
