Hartley Boats Streaker Complete with Sail £9995 incl VAT

When I received the phone call from Kevin at Beer Boatyard offering the tooling to build the new Streaker I was unsure about this boat and it’s future, coupled with the effect it might have on our very successful Supernova. My response to Kevin was ‘give me a few days to consider the boat and I will be back to you with a (no thank you) or I will make you an offer you cannot refuse’.

Next, a discussion regarding the Streaker was discussed at a board meeting and immediately Mark Hartley rose to convince all board members that we must buy the tooling and take the Streaker. He was so excited and determined to ensure the Streaker became part of the Hartley Boats family. As a result of this the board gave approval. Further to the meeting we made an offer Kevin could not refuse. I spent time talking to streaker sailors asking ‘why not a Supernova, Byte or a Blaze?’ the feedback was essential and made my decision easier now having a better understanding of the Streaker customers and their needs and why they had bought the boat.

Build and Planning

It was essential that we needed to fully understand the build techniques and ascertain if there were any problems with the boat or if any improvements should be made to the build. To achieve this Mark Hartley along with his over his 30 years laminating experience Manager John went off to Kevin’s workshop in Beer to build a new Streaker with Kevin. They took notes and footage of every junction of the build to check against the build plan and boat requirements in order to have a firm grip and good understanding of how the boat was being built in both construction terms and materials used. After working with Kevin, Mark and John were required to present at a later stage 3 important questions to be answered.

1. What can be improved in building the boat without infringing any copyright rules?
2. Can the build be streamlined and changed through good practice to improve boat processes to ensure we become more efficient with the boat build?
3. Hartley Boats are committed to a policy of a 4-year guarantee with every boat built. Will the design and build quality allow us to guarantee our new streaker for 4 years?

As a result of these questions we have made improvements to the construction including, stiffness throughout the hull and deck, improved the fitting of the forestay and shrouds to ensure we get no water ingress into the hull in later years, a new and improved daggerboard tooling introduced to stop water penetration into the hull in later years. As a result of all these changes we are now confident and will offer a 4-year guarantee on every boat sold.

Sails

With the introduction of our new sail loft and the investment in the very best cutting machines on the market along with the introduction of Stephen Graham our new loft manager we now are in a position to offer a full package when selling a new Streaker. Stephen, I am pleased to say, has worked hard and tirelessly to produce a winning championship sail and this has further improved the performance of our new Streaker. We are also delighted that a sail tuning guide will be available and given with very boat sold during the boat handover.

We now have a great package with an excellent down to weight boat which now includes a race winning sail and if required a beautiful new Hartley Boat covers (made in-house) to protect your new boat.  With your measured sail, your boat is ready to sail.

Testing the boat and new sail

When I invited my team of sailors to test our new boat I was pleased when our Chandlery Manager, Eden, stepped forward and wanted to do the job. He was the right man not only to test the boat but to put it through its paces and then report on his findings.

Eden’s test report

It is great news to be selected by Hartley’s to do the testing of the new Hartley Boats Streaker and put the boat and sail through its paces through various wind strengths including drifts to survival conditions.

Upwind, it was responsive and moved well through small choppy waves and also through the flat light calm water. The high boom makes tacking comfortable whilst still being able to give the boat a good roll and pump onto the new tack. The boat feels stiff and very responsive in all wind conditions and the sail worked efficiently and it was easy to read when using the mainsail controls.

Downwind it was noticeably effortlessly sailing by the lee with the chimed hull offering a stable ride and almost daring to see how far to push the boat down wind. The most enjoyable angle was on a reach where it accelerated quickly and gave an adrenaline rush watching the bow shoot up and plane away.

The final stages of testing was to take part against other Streakers at the Inland Championships at Grafham which provided spectacular boat on boat racing. The boat felt quick in both light and strong winds with it wining the event after 5 close races.

If anyone is looking to get into a single hander then this is a class to join.

Why buy a Streaker?

• Lightweight epoxy and foam construction
• Just 48 kilos
• Easy to handle on and off the water
• Spacious and comfortable cockpit
• Easy and quick to rig with continuous line controls
• Very easy to sail with a great turn of speed
• Choice of transom and centre sheeting with an adjustable mainsheet track if required
• Very stable, ideal for beginners, youth sailors and adults alike
• A very friendly and welcoming fleet with help and advice easily available plus a large calendar of open meetings and championships

Future

All the Hartley Boats team are delighted with our new Streaker, our goal for the future is to see over 100 Streakers sailing at the nationals, this will be achieved by working closely with the class, promoting the boat, sponsoring events and ensuring the boat is displayed at boat shows.

We are very proud of our latest addition to the Hartley Family.