I wish to reply to Edwin Dewhurst's comments in Bulletin 166, Spring 2000 regarding stability and stowage in the Cormorant. Has he actually sailed a Cormorant? If not, how can he say so categorically that the forward positioning of the rig "makes the boat seriously unstable when running downwind"? Presumably Roger Dongray took this into account when he designed the boat, for unstable she most certainly is NOT.

I have sailed the "Cormorant" for 2 years now and although at times I've been caught out in more wind than I like, I've never had worries about stability. Downwind she surfs splendidly. My one capsize was when trying to BEAT through congested moorings against a strong ebb tide and a rising wind. The ensuing snarl-up was my fault entirely. I don't blame the boat at all.

The Cormorant is extremely beamy for most of its length and I can dance a jig on the foredeck. Even stowing the outboard under there doesn't noticeably affect balance. Other heavy gear such as anchors and cooking equipment are stowed at the aft end of the foredeck which, as it is almost half the total length of the boat, is almost amidships. The bulky stuff stowed forward is mostly lightweight items like clothes and sleeping bag. Water is stowed aft.

As the centreboard is wooden, it is not excessively heavy. In my article I mentioned the metal centreplate because I believe one DCA member did install one against the advice of the builders. I don't want one; it will not prevent a capsize and, furthermore, will drop back into its slot if the boat turns turtle, making righting more difficult. I can adjust the plate with the tiller extension at full stretch.

If the boat has a disadvantage, it is its weight when handling ashore. I certainly don't wish to make it even heavier by adding ballast.

As I stated in my article in Bulletin 165, I regard heavy weather helm as a warning that it is time to reef, and reefing-down immediately eases the situation. If I'm going to be out in winds over F6 I'm likely to be in trouble whatever boat I'm sailing. Having seen the huge seas around the Orkney Islands, I certainly wouldn't want to take "Tessa" or any other dinghy across the Pentland Firth where Edwin sailed last summer! Is this what he has in mind when considering the Cormorant's stability? Liz Baker