Legs of Mann IV/VSD

After Nick Keig sold Three Legs of Mann III in 1983 he embarked on a pure racing catamaran. In this design Derek effectively changed the trimaran concept by enlarging the floats and the main hull became a suspended nacelle in the middle. Derek felt that the boat that was completed with French sponsorship was one of his best designs because it was so fast. Sadly she never realised the potential. Dismasted on the eve of the Transat En Double sailed by Keig and Gilles GAHINET. She was bought by VSD and extensively modified to shorten her to be eligible for the OSTAR sailed by French star Michel Malinovski. En route to Plymouth she capsized. Used as a charter boat she was lost in 1993 after a collision in a gale. In many ways this was a design that like GB III and William Saurin was ahead of its time.  A brilliant concept.