The modern hull design has many advantages over a more traditional hull shape. The large flat section towards the stern of the boat makes it ideal for planing downwind. The wide beam of the boat gives the boat great stability both upwind and downwind. With the crew positioned further from the centerline they create more righting moment which reduces the number of crew required and the amount of hiking needed. An unusual characteristic of this hull shape is that when sailing upwind it is fastest while heeling 12-18 degrees. This can take a little getting used to as a lot of boats are fastest when sailed flat. The heel basically minimizes the wetted surface which in turn reduces drag. Also while heeling the leeward rudder will be near vertical where it is most efficient.

The mast is a straight section of anodized Aluminum which is both light and strong. The section is wing shaped and mounted on a ball so that it can be rotated while sailing. With a conventional non-rotating mast, the mast creates turbulence on the mainsail, reducing the effectiveness of the first third of the sail. The deep notch between the mainsail and the mast disturbs the laminar flow of air across the sail and causes the smooth air flow to separate from the sail and disintegrate into a vast field of turbulence. With a wing mast the turbulance is dramatically reduced as the notch is much smaller and basically the mast becomes part of the sail. On the Open 5.70 not only does the mast add 12 square feet of sail area it also makes the other 150 square feet more efficient. Some experts suggest that having a rotating mast will boost the efficiency of a mainsail by 10-15%.

The mast on the Open 5.70 is not tapered in order to minimize cost and to provide better strength at the top allowing the boat to sail in heavy breeze without needing a backstay. Not having a backstay means once less control line to worry about ensuring that sailing the boat is kept simple. Of course if the mast were tapered it would reduce the amount of weight aloft, however, the amount of weight saved is minimal considering the mast is only 28 feet. Also, because the Open 5.70 is wide with a lot of righting moment it is very easy to counter balance any extra weight aloft.

The Open 5.70 has a fibreglass foil with a lead torpedo shaped bulb on the end. Drafting 5 feet and 9 inches and weighing in at 405lbs the keel on the Open 5.70 provides a good deal of righting moment. Combined this with the beam of the boat and you get a a very stable platform that is easy to sail in all conditions.

The keel is secured by sliding bolts through the top of the foil and bulls eyes on either side. These bulls eyes are mounted to the deck, however, in the event of a grounding the bulls eyes are designed to fail like a fuse allowing the keel to move up inside the boat preventing serious damage to the foil and the keel box. The keel bolts remain in the foil keeping it with the boat allowing the sailor to safely secure the keel before returning to the dock.

The Open 5.70 borrows some interesting design cues from some of the most modern boats in the world of sailing, such as the Open 60. One of these features is the twin rudder setup which offers several potential advantages over a traditional single rudder. Firstly, the rudder blades can be smaller which reduces drag upwind when the boat is heeled and only one rudder is in the water. The rudders are also angled so that upwind the leeward rudder is close to vertical, maximizing efficiency. Having two rudders makes the boat very maneuverable both upwind and downwind. It also provides a remarkable level of control even in the more extreeme conditions as one of the rudders is always in the water keeping you out of trouble.

The main and the jib are both made out of mylar which combines excellent performance with good durability.

The main has a square top with six full battens. The square top sail provides significant advantages in nearly all sailing conditions with practically no compromises. The most noticeable difference of the square top sail is the additional sail area up high. In light winds the benefit is simple - more sail area means more power. In strong or gusty winds the square top causes the sail to twist, flattening the sail and de-powering it making the boat more stable and more forgiving. The full-length battens also have advantages including better shape holding ability, longer life and easier handling.

The jib is batten-less to ensure that it can be cleanly furled. It is a fairly small jib without a lot of overlap making it very quick and easy for a single crew member to tack and furl.

The spinnaker is half way between a runner and a reacher. In light air, i.e. non-planing conditions, the sail can be rotated to windward in order to allow the boat to sail deep. Once the breeze gets to 12+ knots the spinnaker provides plenty of horse power to get the boat on a plane. In heavy air the spinnaker will carry the boat to 18 knots of boat speed and beyond while remaining extremely controllable.

Since the Open 5.70 is a One Design Boat every single boat is delivered with the same main, jib and asymmetrical spinnaker. All the sails are currently made by Sails Innovation who are based in La Rochelle, France.

All of the hardware on the boat is provided by the well known company Harken. The quality has proven to be outstanding ensuring that equipment failure is the last thing on your mind while sailing the Open 5.70.

All the lines on the boat are of good quality and are pleasant to handle with or without gloves. All the control lines are different colors in order to minimize confusion. The main sheet, the jib sheets and the spinnaker sheets are all continuous which greatly reduces the number of lines resulting in a clean and simple cockpit.

The hull of the Open 5.70 is made out of fiberglass and polyester resin. The hull is strengthened using a foam core counter molded structure which makes the boat more rigid as well as ensuring that it is technically unsinkable. The deck is also fiberglass reinforced with foam core. This combination of materials ensures that the boat is strong, stiff and durable.

The Open 5.70 has also passed some of the most stringent European standards for safety, including self-righting.

Whether the Open 5.70 is launched from a ramp or from a yacht club hoist very little additional equipment is required and the process is very simple and quick. You'll be ready to cast off after only 30-45 minutes (assuming the boat is partially rigged on it's trailer).

Launching from a ramp only requires one additional accessory - the keel hoist. The keel hoist simply lifts the keel while the boat is on the water allowing it float on and off the trailer. The anodized aluminum trailer is designed to be corrosion resistant in both salt water and fresh water. Also, since the trailering lights are separate from the trailer they won't be immersed in the water and will be more reliable over time.

Launching using a hoist also only requires one additional accessory - the lifting straps. These straps lift the boat from four different points - the chain plates, the keel and the mast. This ensures that the boat remains level both side to side and bow to stern as it is lowered into the water. Since a strap is attached to the keel the hoist is also used to lower the keel effortlessly into place.

It doesn't take a large powerful car or SUV to trailer an Open 5.70. Since the total weight of the trailer with the boat, the sails and some gear is only about 1400 lbs even a VW Beetle is up to the task.

Taking the Open 5.70 on the road is an adventure not a chore. Preparing the boat for the road or even rigging the boat after traveling can be done by one person if necessary. The biggest challenge is putting up or taking down the mast. At about 45 lbs the mast is not heavy but the fact that it is long makes it a little awkward to move around. However, it is still relatively straight forward to safely put up the mast or take it down singlehanded. Of course having more people makes everything even easier. With two experience people it's possible to go from sailing on the bay to driving on the freeway in less than 2 hours.

The Open 5.70 is designed to be simple to sail ensuring the action happens on the race course rather than on the boat. The Open 5.70 can be sailed single handed although flying the spinnaker alone is challenging it is possible except in the heaviest conditions. In terms of being competitive the Open 5.70 needs at least two people on the boat to handle the sails efficiently. As the breeze picks up a third person on the boat will help de-power the boat upwind and the extra pair of hands is always useful when flying the spinnaker.

The main and traveler are controlled using a single continuous sheet. With a 12:1 purchase on the main sheet trimming doesn't require too much effort. In fact it is very common for the driver to trim his own main. The traveller is 2:1 but carries a lot less load than the main sheet and so adjustments are quite easy.

The jib sheets are also continuous and the purchase when trimming is 2:1. The Harken blocks can be adjusted so that the cleating/uncleating angle can be fine tuned to fit the crew. Tacking the jib is easily accomplished by a single crew member and is quite manageable when singlehanded.

Flying the spinnaker is a breeze on the Open 5.70. Since the spinnaker is asymmetrical there is no work to be done on the bow - all of the spinnaker handling is done from safety of the cockpit. The spinnaker only requires two lines for launching:

• The tack line - which is rigged in such a way that it also extends the bow sprit.
• The spinnaker halyard - which is 1:1 and only requires three good pulls to get the kite all the way up to the spinnaker hounds.

The spinnaker sheets are continuous and are run through 50:1 ratchet blocks. Even in breezy conditions the loads on the spinnaker sheets are relatively light and can be handled easily by any enthusiastic crew member regardless of their strength. The long sprit and continuous sheets make gybing fast and easy giving your team plenty of options when racing downwind. Dousing the spinnaker can be done on either gybe and one crew member can easily collect the sail and store it in the bag at the front the cockpit.

The Open 5.70 has one of the most spacious cockpits in it's class. The boat can be comfortably sailed with four large adults on board. There is also plenty of storage for gear, lunch and an outboard in the V-berth accessible through the water tight hatch.

The cockpit is also well laid out. All the control lines are easily within reach and there are plenty of places to hold on to. The ridges down the cockpit provide the ideal location for your feet and enable you to maximize leverage when trimming. The non-skid keeps you sure footed as you move around the cockpit whilst sailing. The foot straps are designed to be loose so that when the crew are sitting on the rail they can hike comfortably.

In the world of competitive sailing there is nothing quite like one-design racing for determining who is the best sailor. The more strict the rules are the more accurate the result. In 2009 the Open 5.70 will become ISAF certified marking a considerable landmark in the history of the boat and the progression of the class.

As with many one design classes all the boats are built to exact specifications with very small tolerances to ensure every boat is the same. However, the class also has a few rules that differ from the norm:

• There is only one sail maker - Sails Innovation in France.
• There is no weight limit only a requirement to have at least 2 and no more than 4 people on the boat.

The European Class Association is already one of the most active and friendly one-design associations there is. The hospitality and friendliness of the European Association is something that the newer North American Class Association aspires to.

The North American Class Association already has a strong presence on the West coast and 2008 saw the first Pacific Coast Championships held in Long Beach, CA. The class is building momentum and small fleets are growing in many areas including San Francisco and Rhode Island.

In 2009 the Open 5.70 should become ISAF certified marking a considerable landmark in the history of the boat and the progression of the class.

The North American Class Associations has a great website providing invaluable resources including news, events, photos, videos, and even forums for discussing how to get the most out of your Open 5.70.

In the five years since the launch of the Open 5.70 more than 300 boats have been built in France. All the boats have aged well with minimal maintenance costs even for the most actively raced boats. At the 2008 Europeans the successful sail numbers ranged from 44 to 250 - a true testament to the fact that the boats remain competitive over time.

Here are a few factors to consider that keep the cost of ownership low.

• Minimal Crew - since the Open 5.70 only requires 1 or 2 crew to race with the skipper the cost of feeding and clothing your crew is kept low.
• Dry Sailing - by dry sailing the Open 5.70 there are no expensive slip fees to pay and there is no need to have a diver clean the bottom of your boat once a week in order to keep it slick and fast.
• Quality Covers - covering the boat while it is being stored protects the gel coat and all the hardware and lines from the damaging sun and weather.
• New Sails - to be competitive on the race course it helps to have good sails. The Open 5.70 sails have proven themselves to durable over time and if well looked after can be competitive for years. The price of a replacement set of sails is quite reasonable and on a par with other boats in it's class. The one-design rules also prohibit the purchase of more than one set of sails per season.
• Time - the Open 5.70 is easy to launch and easy to rig ensuring you spend more time on the water sailing.
• Traveling - the Open 5.70 is easy to trailer opening the door to new sailing opportunities without the headache of figuring out how to get your boat to a venue. Since the boat only takes a couple of hours to unrig it's almost always faster to drive than to try and sail or deliver using an outboard.

To give prospective owners some idea of the costs involved in campaigning an Open 5.70 for a season we have put together an example budget.