Face lift for the 1720

Popular sportsboat upgraded for 2004, with the introduction of a new 'club' class as distributors Key Yachting explain

The Key Yachting stand at the London Boat Show, number N1872, will be definitely worth a visit in order to have a fresh look at the 1720 Sportsboat. The 2004 boat will feature a new deck moulding designed to keep the model bang up-to-date and which will ensure that the much imitated 1720 remains at the very front of the sportsboat fleet.

Key Yachting and the Solent based designer of the 1720, Tony Castro, have listened to feedback from 1720 owners and crew and sought the advice of the Class Technical Committee; this highlighted a number of ways in which the boat could be made easier to manage without changing the performance or reducing the excitement, which is synonymous with 1720 sailing. There are absolutely no modifications to the hull, keel, rudder or rig and the 2004 model will be built to class minimum weight with correctors fitted as required.

But, from 2004 the 1720 Sportsboat will have a much more modern appearance: it will feature a clean and flush foredeck with an under-deck bowsprit system and a moulded toe rail. The non-slip has been improved and there will be a broader based rudder support post with an integral access hatch and a stainless steel transom bar.

Practical changes have also been introduced: there is now an easy access storage locker for the outboard and the control line centre has been redesigned. The sail controls have been refined too, with a 20:1 fine-tune on the main sheet and a 6:1 fine-tune on the jib. This is a move that will no doubt be welcomed by the vast majority of 1720 job trimmers and it should be noted that the Class rules permit owners of existing boats to upgrade them to the new specification.

Key Yachting will also be launching the ‘Club 1720’ at the London Boat Show. The ‘Club’ version of the boat is any 1720, old or new, fitted with three sails, smaller than those on the original version of the boat, and a Harken Roller Furler on the jib. The sails will be completely one-design and from a single sail-maker and will ensure that the Club boats are clearly distinguishable from the classics. The Club 1720 will have a lower crew weight limit and can be crewed easily and competitively by only four people. It will also have a lower IRC and Sportsboat rating.

The Club 1720 has been created as a direct result of owner demand. Whilst there are strong 1720 fleets racing as one-design all round the UK and Ireland, there are plenty of other regions where there are 1720’s sailing under IRC and Sportsboat handicap rules. It can sometimes be difficult to find enough crew and the Club version has been devised to overcome this problem and to get more boats out on the water sailing and competing. Old or new boats can be adapted to the Club specification for competing in a mixed sportsboat fleet at home and then back to the classic configuration for big events for the cost of a forestay and a suit of the larger sails.

If this tempts you then Key Yachting and the 1720 can be found on stand N1872 at the London Boat Show in January, now at Excel