By the thinnest of margins the Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) has chosen the Viper 640 over the VX One as the new boat to sail in its historic inter-club Capdevielle Championship series. The decision is a big boost to the boat many Arizona Yacht Club members sail.
The GYA has used the Flying Scot for almost 50 of the nearly 100 years the series has been run and has spent the last several years choosing a replacement, starting with a list of 50 candidates. They wanted something seriously sporty, but not so difficult to sail that older or less athletic sailors would be unable to use it.
AYC member Tony Chapman says he’s been helping promote the boat for about six months as a member of the class executive committee and as the accountant for Rondar Raceboats, the constructor of Vipers. He says, “It’s difficult to predict how many boats will be involved but since there were 27 clubs that voted, we assume that each voting club plus possibly two or three members from most of the clubs will be buying Vipers over the next two years.”
Needless to say, the class will benefit from that many more boats on the water and it will float the used boat market for quite a while.
AYC’s Viper 640 population is growing this fall, with several new entrants, including Dave Evans, John Riddell, Mike Hester, and Mike Parker.
The Gulf Yachting Association rings the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Houston. It was organized to promote the sport on the Gulf Coast and nearby areas. Founded in 1901 and reorganized in 1920, the GYA has grown from the original six clubs to over 30 member organizations.
