By Andy Parr, Wales It was love at first sight - for years I have wanted a miniyacht and there, out on Ivanpah Drylake earlier this year, were two little Ludics - dear little miniature sandyachts, ever so pretty, joyously belting around - I simply had to have one. My thanks go to Mark Lloyd (SoC or K501) who got me one in June, at a cost of £720 delivered. I'm delighted, and thrilled to bits with it. My only regret is that it is French, but one simply must give credit where it's due and Jean-Philippe Krischer has produced an absolute little darling of a yacht. Not only is it pretty as in attractive, it's perfectly proportioned and somehow just looks right - it's almost beautiful, and it's beautifully simple to put together too. Forget roof racks and trailers, this little number fits snugly inside the car! Just drive onto Pendine Sands (South Wales), open the car boot, plonk the bidet-like seat on the beach, click the rear axles with their ready-mounted wheelbarrow wheels into place, slot the front wheel and steering head into position and twizzle up the hand-sized plastic nut on top of the steering head, slot together the ultralight 4-piece aluminium mast and pop it on its peg in front of the seat, slide on the 3.2 square metre sail, thread the rope through three pulleys and it's ready to sail - in two minutes flat. Fully assembled, the yacht measures 1.8m long by 1.36m wide. So how does it go? The answer is slowly, by comparison, in that it needs a decent breeze to get it going, or it does with 6 foot 5 inches (1.95 metres) and 15 stone (95.2kg) in it, but give it some stick once it's moving and you'll soon have an ear-to-ear grin. The beauty of the Ludic lies in the completeness of the package. It really is totally safe for anyone to sail. The seat is a design masterpiece that is perfectly comfortable for any size of person, tall or short, fat or thin, and the simplicity of the rig is a safety feature in its own right. The most timid novice can trundle along at walking pace without fear, because you have to pull surprisingly hard on the rope to sheet it in. Put some effort into it and you'll go quicker; really pull hard and you'll lift a wheel - but no novice is ever going to pull that hard soä it's safe! The ultra lightweight mast is also very whippy indeed - arguably too whippy when you're struggling to get it going - but when the wind picks up the top of the mast is quick to bend and spill any inconvenient gusts that might otherwise tip you over. If it's "wheel-waving" weather then the Ludic comes into it's own. It's beautifully balanced and slides beautifully too. One can chuck it around at will and enjoy the tight turning circle, safe in the knowledge that it is almost impossible to turn it over. Show it a gale and it remains impeccably behaved - it's almost slow on a broad reach - you're so busy keeping it on three wheels that it's almost impossible to get into trouble - but things can get decidedly tasty when tacking downwind at speed in a decent breeze. I've clocked a good 20 hours sailing in mine, with six or eight capsizes, and I've not broken it yet. It really is a little masterpiece - clearly a vast amount of thought has gone into its development and the result is as close to perfection as you'll get for a yacht of this size. It is also a very sociable little yacht. Because it is so safe you feel perfectly happy letting anyone have a go in it. Because you're not going so fast and probably not wearing a helmet, you can hear what people on the beach are saying and can stop for a chat if the urge takes you. Even the sullenly miserable fishermen out on the banks at Cefn Sidan (South Wales) have become sociable, and a miniyacht is the perfect vehicle for exploring those outer banks. The Ludic has no restriction on its steering lock and is wonderfully manoeuvrable - it feels as though it can stop in its own length, which is reassuring when out exploring the glorious undulating landscape revealed by the tide. When I first took the Ludic to Cefn Sidan I thought I might get bored by the lack of speed on such a big beach, but no chance. It's a totally absorbing and involving hands-on active experience sailing a Ludic - perhaps it is the direct nature of the steering, the lack of aerodynamic fairings, the feel of the wind in your hair, whatever - it feels so alive and what is probably 40mph (72kmp/h) flat out feels like 65mph (105kmp/h) in a Class 5. Whenever I borrow a Class 3 it always feels like sailing a sofa - a comfortable living room upholstered experience after the bare basics of a lively Class 5. In fact, sailing the Ludic is reminiscent of the old sit-up Class 5s of yesteryear. After a three-hour jolly out on the banks recently, I put the Ludic away and rigged my Class 5... and was dismayed to find it felt like a sofa - comfy, effortless, and just a bit detached from the raw exhilaration I'd just been experiencing. This autumn I've been sailing the Ludic all the time, only rigging the Class 5 if I'm sailing in company, and I've long lost count of all the people who have thoroughly enjoyed sailing the Ludic round the car park at Cefn Sidan. The Ludic - it's pretty, small, portable, safe, comfy and tremendous fun. It's also a comprehensive well-developed package with all teething troubles removed, which helps justify the price in my opinion. I gather a storm sail is also available, which would be worth having if you're planning on venturing out in anything over a Force 8.

imaclandyachts@xtra.co.nz

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