The plan for the day looked simple enough: a tidy list of boat chores waiting for us, always growing. But anyone who spends time on the water knows how quickly the weather can nudge you off whatever path you thought you were on.

The morning sky wasn’t in the mood to commit. The sun popped out, then ducked back behind the clouds, as if it couldn’t decide what kind of day it wanted to be. Not really warm, not really gloomy. Just somewhere in between.

And then the wind showed up. A real breeze at last, a steady 15 to 20 knots from the north. That was all the excuse we needed to forget the chores and see how Koko handled herself with a bit more oomph in the air.

Once the sails were up, we couldn’t help comparing Koko to our old boats. As much as we loved them, they never handled a good breeze with much dignity. Even with a reef in, they’d start bouncing around like kids who’d had way too much birthday cake. Bettina would latch onto the rail with both hands, giving the waves this look like she was trying to talk them into behaving.

But on Koko? Oh, sailing on Koko is very different. With the wind blowing a solid 18 knots, Koko sailed like a dream. Steady, smooth, and as relaxed as a cat lounging in a sunbeam. In these conditions, we truly began to appreciate Koko’s cutter rig. When we were in the market for our Island Packet, we initially thought that a solent rig would be the best choice, as its larger headsails promise better performance in light winds. However, today we realized the cutter rig’s true advantage—the smaller, self-tacking jib supported by the Hoyt jib boom allows for easy handling without the need to furl even in stronger winds. Ultimately, we favor the beverage-in-hand relaxed cruising style over the rails-in-the-water racing mode, and the cutter rig makes this possible even in sporty winds.

Bettina, usually the epitome of nerves in such conditions, was all smiles today. “This is how I enjoy sailing,” she announced gleefully. “Moving well, but stable and relaxed.” I could not help but chuckle. “You know we have 18 knots blowing, don’t you?” I said, half expecting her to clutch the rails in terror. Bettina looked at me in disbelief. “What? It feels like maybe 8-10 knots on our previous boat!”

And so, with the wind in our sails and smiles on our faces, we glided across the bay, chores forgotten, and totally excited about how well our Koko handles a little stronger winds.

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