The CII is designed to appeal to sailors in the 40-73kg (90-160lbs) range regardless of age or gender.

In the UK, Byte CII sailors range in age from teenagers to ladies and gentlemen in their sixties and seventies - all sailing on a level where age and gender don't count, only your weight.

The boat may be sailed equally well by men and women. The first World Championship held in 1999 was won by a man, Eric Holden from Canada, but 2 years later it was the women's turn and Silja Lehtinen from Finland took the honours.

Age is no barrier to sailing the Byte CII. The boat has been the single-hander of choice for the ISAF Youth World Championships on several occasions and is currently the Girls and Boys single-handed choice for the Youth Olympic Games.

The Byte was designed by Ian Bruce in 1990 and received a facelift in 2004 with the introduction of the CII rig.

The CII rig comprises a Mylar, fully-battened sail on a flexible carbon-fibre mast. It is this rig that allows the boat to be easily de-powered by lighter-weight helms in heavier weather while still retaining power for lighter winds.

Ian's aim in developing the Byte with the CII rig was to produce a single-handed dinghy that could be sailed by a wide range of sailors not just from Europe and North America but around the World.