[2] The cockpit includes a double bottom (or false floor) which extends through almost to the bow, with deep, self-bailer equipped footwells each side of the centreline; a detachable foredeck was developed but has not been a feature of production boats.

Her round bilged hull, designed with glass fibre in mind, has a double bottom, self-draining through transom flaps and wells for helmsman and crew equipped with self bailers.

In overall performance terms, the Portsmouth Yardstick in 1970 was 88, which compared to 85 for the Fireball and 88 for the Hornet (at the time in its original form with jib rather than genoa, and a small spinnaker).

Some 32 examples were built by Jack Holt Limited, moulded by Lakeland Plastics before the design was passed to a chandlery which tried fitting 505 rigs to the hulls, resulting in a very fast (talk at the time was of speeds approaching those of an A-Class catamaran) but presumably over-canvassed boat, bearing in mind the narrow overall beam.

Of current designs, the closest in terms of dimensions, cockpit layout, performance, ideal crew weight and sailing qualities is the 3000.