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purchased 10 Weta 4.4 trimarans for
training purposes aimed at their International
14 sailors. Families with very young children
have found the relatively modest sail area
manageable and the general cruising
platform, enjoyable and safe, while previous
high performance multihull owners, have
downsized to the Weta in search of an all-
weather conditions sports boat and thus a
‘more rounded sailing experience.’
Construction
Manufacture of the Weta 4.4 is
subcontracted. The boats are made in
China, where design development and
further refinements to production quality
have been ongoing.
At present, all the underwater areas - the
main hull and floats, are a solid fiberglass
laminate. The deck of the main hull is
made from foam sandwich laminate and all
components are vacuum bagged to get an
excellent laminate bond and eliminate any
Stage 1 – Arrive
excess resin. This ensures a fine tolerance
on the weight of all boats. Vinyl-ester resin
is used for added strength and rigidity.
Epoxy glue is used in all hull/frame/beam
joins. The 2 piece mast, akas (beams), bow
sprit and tiller extension are all carbon, the
centerboard and rudder fiberglass.
Rigging
‘Twelve minutes!’ claims one Weta owner.
‘Twenty minutes!’ says the UK distributor,
on the time it takes to rig the Weta ready to
sail. The boat comes with a fitted case for
the foils which has a pocket for the lines.
With colour coded halyards and a sock
which goes over the removable bow sprit
(the asymmetric sail still on its dinky Harken
furler), really the setup couldn’t be simpler.
For £8,500 the package includes everything
but a road trailer, from sails to foils to
launching dolly it even comes with a safety
harness recommended for wear in open
water or in the absence of a safety boat.
Stage 2 - Set up outriggers, bowsprit and nets.
Launching
While still on the slip, the main and jib are
hoisted. The main has a bolt rope luff which
is pulled up a plastic tube track glued
externally to the carbon mast post and from
there, the halyard is locked off at the top by
tugging vertically downwards into a metal
keyhole clip. The boom-less mainsail is
best left to flap, with the sheet on max feed
ready to hook to the clew. The jib has twist-
on plastic hanks and after cleating off the
halyard which runs from a small pulley block
at the top down to a cleat on the mast, a
velcro flap clasps all halyard tails in place.
Just like any other dinghy, the Weta
launches from the beach. One person is
required to hold the boat while the dolly is
removed and depending on the gradient
of the slope, this may involve getting wet
up to the waist. In England, thankfully a
lightweight drysuit or wetsuit gets round this
unpleasantness!
Stage 3 – Drop in mast, set up jib and sheets
14  MULTIHULL REVIEW : MAY 2009
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