SETKA A - Cagarro - where it all began

 In March 2020  - I saw on the internet what I thought was a great idea (at the time), something that I would like to do, a small reasonably affordable "racing" sailboat, in the spirit of the original mini Transat. Self built, not overloaded with technology, not having laminated hi tech sails, no carbon fibre, no great big winches etc etc.

I sent off 300 euros for the plans and then as I learned more about the class, one design mast$$$ one design sails $$$, lots of hardware and fittings, stainless steel fittings that have to be purchased from the Class,  lots of  construction rules, inflexible imo class rules. entry fees for races, registration fees for sails & for boat -  it seemed like a $$$  idea -

 I decided it was NOT for me. 

INSTEAD - I decided to build the boat 

that inspired the CG580 -  

the SETKA A

Setka A is a 5m yacht designed by Janusz Maderski, a boat that is well proven, having had 3 races across the Atlantic, 2012, 2016, 2021 and the next 2025  and over 16 boats having completed the transatlantic race, some even doing double Atlantic. The Setka design was the inspiration of the CG580 (also designed by Janusz Maderski) and the Setka Atlantic Challenge inspired the Class Globe Transat.

 The Setka is not that slow in comparison to the CG580, and in my opinion it is a great well designed boat that sails very, very well according to previous owners, light on the helm, fast and gives the skipper a reassuring safe, feeling. What more is needed from a boat?

The next edition of the Setka Atlantic Challenge starts on 11/11/2025. 

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" Already around 1200, despite a small wind of 10-12kt, an impressive dead wave of about 2 meters started to scare me, I calculated that we would receive a strong wind on the entire foresail and the second reef of the mainsail, I saw a chain of small cumulus clouds approaching us and I expected that stronger ones would arrive with them conditions. As I expected, it dissipated within 5 minutes to about 30 kt, a hundred under such a set of sails flew, leaving water splashes on both sides, the highest instantaneous speed recorded by GPS is 10.7 kt. After about an hour, the wind eased to 25 kt, while the waves built up to regular 3 m, sometimes I had the impression that a lot more  With her stabilizing fins down, the yacht just slid off one wave and onto the next, and so on. Waves like houses appeared behind the yacht and above my head, looking like they were about to fall on me, but each one ended up gliding smoothly under the hull. . After midnight, when the wind dropped to 18-20 kt, I set the Alczento self-steering using the sheet to tiller method and warmed up in the cabin. " *

* A quote from https://alczentosac.wordpress.com/ by Jurand Setka Alczento translated from Polish

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I again sent off for the plans - I already had all the plywood for the CG580  Epoxy resin, Glasscloth, fillers, peelply and wood so it was really great that the Setka used the same materials just a bit less of them. 

So it is the beginning of a new build

This will be boat number 4
- previous boats have been a Flamenca 26, designed by Oswald Burckemeyer,
- next was a Wharram Tiki 26 that my wife and I built from a pile of plywood and wood and sailed on for a few years, even living on it, and
- the next boat was a Van der Stadt Spirit 28, 

so 25ft 26ft 28ft and now 5m -  16 and a bit ft.

 Other boats that I had considered were a John Welsford Penguin and his Pathfinder, but the Setka with its Setka Przez Atlantyk - Setka Atlantic Challenge is the final choice - I am hoping that the boat can inspire some local interest as well and can show that you dont need a 42ft beneteau to race here and have fun here. My aim is to inspire young people that can realise that dreams are attainable.

So far my boat has been lofted onto a big piece of melamine  - as I said all the plywood,stringer wood. epoxy, glasscloth,  west fillers are purchased the mast has been found the rigging has been purchased, fittings and sails have been ordered, keel plate purchased  and my keel bulb has been poured - 

This is post number 2 and I will keep you updated as the build progresses, I have given myself a 6 month time frame to build the hull, and even though it is tight I am going to do my best to get it done, at the moment there are 2 jobs in my shop that need to get completed but as of today 14 feb 2023 I hope to start in the next week

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