About

Appoximately 11 dinghies racing off Paignton.

The Supernova grew out of a collaboration between the then Lightning 368 Class Chairman, Frank Puranik, and Mark Giles the Lightning designer and builder. The desire was for a larger and faster single handed racing dinghy that would, like the Lightning before it, attract sailors into a new class offering a distinct combination of features not easily found in other existing designs. What evolved was a boat of similar and slightly larger vital statistics than an International Laser but with a completely different approach to the rig. A stayed, foredeck mounted, bendy mast supports an eight square metre fully battened mylar sail loose footed on a stiff alloy boom with track attachments for mainsheet blocks, kicker and clew outhaul. This results in a powerful rig that can be controlled by three lines, kicker, clew outhaul and cunningham, easily adjusted while sailing so that the rig can be altered to suit a wide range of crew weight (60 - 90 Kg) and depowered as wind strengths increase. The hull volume and shape contributes a stable platform for the rig and with little tendency to bury the bow or to gripe to windward, when allowed to heel, the overall sailing characteristics are safe and predictable. The initial design was launched in 1996 and favourably reviewed in the yachting press.