Where is it written that in order to point high and go fast, in order to surf and plane, in order to make the very best of light and shifty winds, you have to be bruised, battered and racked with pain? The Sonar answers the question; you can have sparkling performance with reasonable comfort.

This 23-foot day racer has a beautifully contoured sit-in cockpit that would suit a 35-foot cruising boat, and when the wind gets up and you're sitting on the side deck you will find that there is no tendency to fall forward into the boat unless she takes a real knock-down, and that's a rare event in a Sonar. There's no turning backwards and dangling your legs over the side. You face into the boat, and whether you're up on the deck or sitting down on the seats your butt is always higher than your feet.

This is a boat conceived by scores of day racing enthusiasts from four sailing clubs who answered a questionnaire designed to find out what they thought was important in a day racer. When compiled, their answers clearly spelled out a particular type of boat. The answers to the survey eliminated many classes as being unsuitable for a broad range of sailors, and the Sonar was created as an entirely unique boat designed around the questionnaire's parameters.

With its spacious cockpit, sit-in safety and inherent stability the Sonar is used by many learn to sail and learn to race schools. It has become the club racer of choice for, among other organizations, the prestigious Island Sailing Club in Cowes, England, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, NY, St.Petersburg Yacht Club in St.Petersburg, FL and The New York Yacht Club's magnificent facility in Newport, R.I. All of these clubs use the boat for weekend racing as well a the highest level of international team racing.

The Sonar was adopted years ago by the world's disabled sailors as their premier boat for national, world and Paralympic racing. The disabled sailors find the boat's crew-friendly configuration allows them to sail efficiently and safely while at the same time giving them the performance and excitement enjoyed by their able-bodied friends.

Designed in the late 1900s, the Sonar is fast becoming the racing boat of the new millennium and its rapid growth and ISAF Recognized status assures its longevity and value for many years to come.

Mainsheet Bridle
Upgrading to a bridle can make your system self-tacking in 10-20 knots and downwind while reducing the adjustments needed in other wind ranges. Simply add a second low-friction Harken 2731 car and use Spectra® strops about 28 inches long. The length of the bridle straps is key so you can sheet in hard to center the boom without closing off the leach.

Jib Sheet Coarse/Fine-Tune
This hand-trimmed 6:1 system has a gross-trim for speed in quick tacks and a fine-tune for precise, fingertip control in any breeze.

Jib Halyard Fine-Tune
This high-power jib halyard fine-tune allows you to tension the luff as the wind cranks up. When you need headstay sag to power up the jib in chop and light air, the fine-tune allows quick control over headstay tension, making it easier to insert mast chocks.