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panel that is similar to a parasail. Thissail design has been under developmentfor a couple of years, and the advantagesare said to be usability in higher wind,stability, and better lift characteristics.The Park Avenue boom is a successorto the canvas “stack pack” accessorythat held lowered sails on the boom. Inthis case, fiberglass is molded to form acradle on either side of the boom. Unlikecanvas, which always seemed to getblown by the wind underneath the loweringsail, this will always keep its shapeas the sail fills it.Colligo Marine was showing itsSpectra (rope) standing rigging. The useof textile standing rigging is not new.Colligo Marine’s product line includesboth the material and the connectors andterminations for Spectra rigging availableas an integrated system. The thimbles,in particular, have a larger radius ofcurvature, and are strengthened to preservetheir shape under load so that thefibers of the Spectra are more equallyloaded under tension. The company evenoffers a kit to make an emergencyreplacement out of Spectra rigging, forthose who prefer steel.For sailors who intend to moor theirboats out, Colligo also sells a three-pointmooring kit. If you’re in the market for aheavy-duty, ready-made mooring setup,their product is worth a look.West Marine introduced a new “green” boat bottompaint that does not have toxins in it.Sailing Angles is familiar for its sailing clothes, but thisyear, the company came to Strictly Sail with somethingcompletely new: a rectangular duffle bag with a bolt ropeon one edge. That bolt rope slides into a holder that can bemounted almost anywhere in a boat’s interior. The hangingbed ends the clutter of duffle bags on the sole of the salon,galley or stateroom. This implementation is an intriguingone, especially if the plastic tracks hold up over time. If thisstorage system works reliably, it is likely to be used in a lotmore places than sailboats.In fairness to all the vendors at the show, the “stuff” aspecific viewer notices on the tables and the tents is so oftenOne of the more interesting and revolutionarynew sails, the Istec Parasailorspinnaker is supposed to do better inhigher winds, have greater stability andbetter lift characteristics.highly filtered by needs and habits. Thereis no better place than Strictly Sail to findnew gear, or get a good deal on familiar,but needed items. This is every bit asmuch a “stuff” show as it is a boat show.ServicesBoat financing is a big part of boat ownership.Money sources for this long-termdebt are becoming even more demandingnow than for home mortgages. Forboat loans, expect to pay higher interestrates relative to the prime rate thanbefore. Some contemporary loans scaleinterest rates incrementally. For example,the first $100,000 might be at thelowest interest rate, with the rateincreasing a tenth of a percent on eachadditional $50,000 borrowed. A substantialdown payment might be required,perhaps 20 percent. Although loans onused sailboats are available, don’t expectas favorable terms as in the past. Finally,many of the boat loans are adjustablerate loans after several years.The complexity of these new loanprograms will no doubt spread theFlorida real estate flu to the boat financingmarket. Why a loan plan that crippledhome mortgage lenders would beso appealing for boat financiers is a mystery,but at least be advised, and notecarefully the index to which the loanrate will be pegged.Fractional boat ownership offerings continue toexpand. Notably, Beneteau has entered the field, using itsfractional ownership program as a sales pitch. Its program isset up at the time of boat sale, with ownership shared amonga few owners, perhaps four. These four owners form a legalagreement similar to an LLC, and its management is turnedover to an independent Beneteau-designated firm. There is alist of other important details that an interested buyer canobtain through a Beneteau dealer. If Beneteau’s sponsoredfractional ownership plan is successful, expect other boatbuildersto follow suit.Even if only for the spectacle, Strictly Sail still bringspeople to the docks to begin a dream of sailing, or to makethat dream a reality.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS April 2008 45