At Last You Can Enjoy the Flat-Out Fun of Water and Sun, Without the Technical Mumbo-Jumbo That Makes Sailing Seem Like a Private Club!
I'd always thought sailing looked like fun. And when a friend took me out on Lake Winnipesaukee, I fell in love with the speed and power of the wind, and with the tranquility of an August afternoon -- unspoiled by annoying engine noise. When heavy chop forced all the powerboaters to throttle back or risk kidney failure, we rode up and over each wave, without slamming the hull. Even the spray over the bow was a cooling respite from the blazing sun. Then my host started talking about "outhaul", "downhaul", "shrouds", and "stays". And "sheets" that looked a lot more like ropes (oops, "lines", sorry). Finally my head spinning ("spinnaker"?) with jargon, I began to feel intimidated and a bit incompetent to enter the mysterious world of sailing. And there I left it until I met Gary Hoyt and the folks at the innovative Escape Sailboat Co.
The Great Escape -- Gary Hoyt was World Champion in the Sunfish Class back in 1970. He's also a naval architect without peer, who happened to design the landmark Freedom sailboat in the 1980's -- a midsize cruiser with a freestanding mast unfettered with traditional support wires (oops, "stays"). His challenge: design a sailboat that's devoid of technical complexity, that's just plain simple to sail, and that sets new standards for safety and stability. The 6'9" Cha Cha, and 12'9" Rumba are the resut -- and are they ever fun!
Cha-Cha -- The solo Cha Cha makes sailing as simple as riding a bike. The seamless, molded polyethylene hull weighs a mere 45 lbs., so you can easily carry it to the water's edge. 2-section, 14' aluminum mast goes up in seconds. Settle into the deep, comfortable bucket seat facing forward -- much like a kayak, but roomier! 4' wide, flared StableformTM hull removes your natural fear of tipping, once and for all. Only two controls are required -- the tiller for steering, and the mainsheet (rope!) for setting the sail — and both are right in front of you. The rudder’s up front, not at the stern, so you don’t need a centerboard. And two molded-in 8" fins give you terrific stability. Unlike the skittish Sunfish you may have tried, you never have to shift from side-to-side in Cha Cha -- you always sit directly over the center line. You never have to shift hands behind you to grab the controls. And you never have to duck under a treacherous boom as it flies across from port to starboard -- Cha Cha’s SimpleRigTM has no boom to threaten your head! The transparent, 42 sq. ft. North Sails Mylar sail lets you see where you’re going. And the ingeniously simple AutoSailTM guidance system lets you teach yourself how to sail, while you sail! A color-coded pie chart at the base of the mast works in unison with a similar color-coded wind vane on the bow. Match the colors under the arrows by tightening or loosening the sail, and just like that, you’re a sailor!
#B210 Escape Cha Cha (45 lbs.) -- $699.00
Add an additional $59 S&H
Copied from the April 1999 Harrington catalog