DESIGN

Design

Because Guppy is mainly intended for young and young-at-heart ‘Guppy sailors’, it was critical that the construction of the entire boat was simple, intuitive and fast. Therefore, the Guppy has a completely new technical solution in the design to meet these requirements. The result is a record low weight and speed of assembly, creating a new class of portable sail boat.

FRAME & DECK

The main element of the Guppy frame is the back-bone centre frame of light-weight aluminium which is fastened by pins to the cross-section part of the floats. They are permanently attached to the floats and define their position. The trampoline is produced from high-strength woven plastic fabric and is permanently attached to the floats for speed of assembly.

The trampoline fabric sections fill the frame and are tightly secured by a threaded line. As the trampoline is taut and the frame is tight there is no need for any additional fixings.

To the rear of the frame the rudder is mounted. All parts of the frame are made of aluminum and are powder coated.

FLOATS

The Guppy is equipped with two inflatable floats 3.0 m in length and 39 cm diameter. The floats are made of reinforced Heytex 5509, highly resistant it abrasion and very hard wearing. This material is produced in Germany and production technology was adopted from the production of white-water rafts. The floats are single-chamber with a combined load capacity of 240 kg.

Both floats are fitted with three grab-handles for easy handling of the boat in and out of the water. Permanently affixed to the floats is a trampoline.

KEEL FIN

To fully enjoy sailing your Guppy you must confidently control your boat. It is imperative to minimize 'side-sail', especially when sailing against the wind. To achieve this detachable keel fins were designed from UV stabilised polypropylene to attach under each float. Their design and shape gives excellent performance yet still allows the boat to be sailed in very shallow water without the risk of damage. The principle of the keel fins runs across the range of MiniCat models and is a key factor in the handling characteristics of MiniCat.

MAST

The new GUPPY is featuring 3-piece flexible composite mast slotted together with no anchoring lines. The length of the assembled mast is 4,15 m. This construction ensures high flexibility and strength for ultimate safety, performance and enjoyment.

SAIL

Guppy is equipped with a single sail, without a boom for easy use. The total area of the sail is 4.5 m2. The sail material ‘Dimension Polyant ' is used with a surface density of 175-210g/m. The sail is ' all-spire ' construction, i.e. without a yardarm. The sail also has a window to ensure better visibility while sailing.

RUDDER

Guppy has an aluminium rudder attached to the centre of the frame. The design of the rudder allows it to be raised at a 90 degree angle, sat at the shore or in very shallow water there is no danger of damage. The rudder can be locked in both positions, raised or lowered. Thanks to the locking device the rudder can be easily arranged at the helm in two extreme positions. A tiller extension increases comfort and convenience while sailing. The tiller arm is jointed allowing full 360 degree movement.