SHALL WE PONZI?

Gravity competes with buoyancy in this affordable class design

Story and Photos by Jan Hein

Like a line of dominoes, spring sailing events in the Caribbean fell one after another, ending the 2020 season far too soon. On the island of Antigua, race boats were becalmed; sailors wandered aimlessly, trying to find the nearest bar. All was lost until patches of color appeared in Falmouth Harbour, covering the water like a box of spilled crayons. Pond sized boats with mis-matched rigs tacked randomly about until someone shouted, Three, two, one, go; and off they raced, toward a cooler full of beer.

Meet the Ponzi Class, the fastest growing fleet in the world of Antigua.) The plan, which utilizes a couple sheets of plywood and a twisted imagination, is the scheme of Robbie Fabre. At only 7 1/2 feet long, with a beam of 27°, his dreamboat is small in size but big in value. Inspired by the simplicity of Falmouth working class boats and island two-bow dinghies, he wanted something affordable and figures the average cost to build one is 100. That estimate is supported by an unwritten rule: don’t intentionally spend money on materials. Scrounging is a Ponzi requisite.