No sailing this week. I took my dad model flying instead.
Also since they a say you are only as good as your last race, I thought I would have one more week of glory.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
2008 NSW Championship
You can read a more unbiased account elswhere but here you can read what I was doing.
Results were somewhat better than expected (understatement):
Friday: 3 (Inv), 7, Saturday: 14, 13, 1, 1, Sunday: 3, 3, 1.
= 3rd overall and first master (over 40)
Results are here
Friday was drizzle 20kts and big waves reminisent of Black Rock 2005. There was some damage to a few boats and some retirements, even some good boats who did not get wet at all.
My Tiger was foilng quite well upwind and I sailed conservatively downwind with only one swim in each race. Getting past the big rollers was a challenge, I remembered Rohan's advise from 2005 about following the crests and only bearing away when there was flat water ahead. I spent a lot of time slowing the boat down rather than going over a cliff into oblivion. My back ended up sore form the repeated body movements needed to trim the boat bow up and bow down.
3rd in the inv race just behind Matt Belcher was encouraging. He was faster but had many swims both upwind and down. Scott was a leg ahead aparently comfortable in the conditions. Les Thorpe and Dave Lister both broke gantries, three scows lost masts.
For Heat one a few more hot boats ventured out, I sailed a similar race and gained a 7th, well back but a good number to start the regatta. Prowler Zeros were 1, 2, 3 and a long way in front of me.
That evening at the RSL there was a lot of talk about downwind sailing in big waves. One idea canvassed was to heal the boat and pull away hard as you crest the wave, this drives the bow down and prevents an over the falls breakout (you have to have done it to understand what that means, but it usually means the foils find air, the bow finds deep water, your shoulder finds the shroud, and you go looking for the centreboard to climb back on to). The bear away is followed by a strong luff up which raises the bow (if the boat is still healed) so it rides over the next crest.
I practiced this on Saturday morning, whenthe wind had moderated slightly, but the waves seemed the same. It is certainly faster to be passing waves downwind that waiting for a flat patch to go ahead. When I got it right I also gained lots of ground to leward and was at times able to gain on some boats which I would have expected to be losing out to.
But the wind gradually lightened, and combined with the fleet filling out further with over night replacements, and repairs to boats and egos, my places dropped to about where my seedingd from last week predicted, 14th and 13th, generally losing several places on the last downwind.
My observations of the boat and foils were that the wand was working very well in flexing the top skin hing upward, so my ride height was well controlled and I had few over height problems, (upwind the ride was quite bumpy as the wand bounced over the waves and the flap responded quickly) but also that the wand and bungee were not good at pushing in down flap when the boat was too low, requireing a lot of work on my part to roll body weight aft and trim for speed to maintain ride height. This was OK when it was windy enough but as the breeze slackened to maybe only 12 kts iwas sailing wider angles than most people just to stay up, and consequently losing places. So I have to improve the hing or linkages to get more down flap.
Back to the regatta:
Saturday afternoon the wind died to about 5kts, still steady from the south but the waves vanished. Prestart the boat felt great.
I trimmed a little bow down in the rudder foil to help trim the boat without sitting a long way forward. This also presents the two foils at a couple degrees +ve incidence which is here min drag is for these cambered foil sections. Its important not to move too far forward and trim the boat bow down as this brings the foils into a high drag area.
The P&B sail looked good with a little cunningham and virtually no vang. The lower luff curve reduction for the stiff mast seemed to make achieving a suitable shape for light winds much easier. I suspect the KA sails were needing so much load on the mast to flatten, that the stresses in the sails were preventing freeing of the leach. If the sail is too full it can not be squared out downwind enough in the light either.
So Heat 4 ended up a one lapper with a close battle between Matt and I. He understood the top mark and his two extra tacks were about the difference at the end. Ht 5 was similar except he lead all of the way, and even opened up a bit with a short foiling burst downwind on lap one. Then he forgot the middle mark of the second lap and slipped back allowing 4 boat through.
2 guns. People wanted to look at my foils, some thought I had changed to centre board and rudder, not true.
Sunday, light again. I would have been happy to go, but in fairness, the wind was very light, switching and there were glassy patches. A lot of people did not even rig. The RC decided he could not set a course accurately enough and deferred for 3 hrs. Matt commented that it looked like better conditions than it will be at the Olympics.
By 2pm there was a light SE and a course was set. When we started the wind went lighter and tried to switch left. Matt rounded first, I was about 5th at the top. It faded downwind and the race was shortened, I slipped past two for a 3.
Ht 7. The wind went to NE and settled at about 5 still not quite enough for the fly weights to foil. I got covered a bit after the start and did not round well. Matts Belcher and Day plus Scott lead out and occasionally foiled. Alan G foiled past me at one point. Then on the secon lap Matt B had a relapse and forgot the middle mark again, Matt D followed him and I was back in the game. Ran past Alan to the finish and 3.
Last race was a match race most of the way with young Sam McKnight sailing what wouuld have been the ideal boat for the conditions, a Hungry Tiger without hydrofoils. He had speed but I managed to get around the first lap ahead and he stayed below me up the last time when he should have tacked for clear air. In theend he clipped a mark and his circle left me with a goodlead. He still finished 2nd.
I think the places of Les, Sam and myself show that the Hungry Tiger is still a top performer in sub foiling conditions. Also my sail and the new Truflos (used by Scott, Les, Sam and Ben Crocker) seem to have closed the gap on the KA dominance of the last several years. Maybe the slightly smaller luff curves make them better in the light.
I also think that my new foil with no hinge gap on top and minimal on the bottom must have helped. Maybe my foil mold also has a lower camber section which would be less drag in the light also.
A good weekend, Lovely place to sail and very well run by JBSC and Steve Lymbery.
Results were somewhat better than expected (understatement):
Friday: 3 (Inv), 7, Saturday: 14, 13, 1, 1, Sunday: 3, 3, 1.
= 3rd overall and first master (over 40)
Results are here
Friday was drizzle 20kts and big waves reminisent of Black Rock 2005. There was some damage to a few boats and some retirements, even some good boats who did not get wet at all.
My Tiger was foilng quite well upwind and I sailed conservatively downwind with only one swim in each race. Getting past the big rollers was a challenge, I remembered Rohan's advise from 2005 about following the crests and only bearing away when there was flat water ahead. I spent a lot of time slowing the boat down rather than going over a cliff into oblivion. My back ended up sore form the repeated body movements needed to trim the boat bow up and bow down.
3rd in the inv race just behind Matt Belcher was encouraging. He was faster but had many swims both upwind and down. Scott was a leg ahead aparently comfortable in the conditions. Les Thorpe and Dave Lister both broke gantries, three scows lost masts.
For Heat one a few more hot boats ventured out, I sailed a similar race and gained a 7th, well back but a good number to start the regatta. Prowler Zeros were 1, 2, 3 and a long way in front of me.
That evening at the RSL there was a lot of talk about downwind sailing in big waves. One idea canvassed was to heal the boat and pull away hard as you crest the wave, this drives the bow down and prevents an over the falls breakout (you have to have done it to understand what that means, but it usually means the foils find air, the bow finds deep water, your shoulder finds the shroud, and you go looking for the centreboard to climb back on to). The bear away is followed by a strong luff up which raises the bow (if the boat is still healed) so it rides over the next crest.
I practiced this on Saturday morning, whenthe wind had moderated slightly, but the waves seemed the same. It is certainly faster to be passing waves downwind that waiting for a flat patch to go ahead. When I got it right I also gained lots of ground to leward and was at times able to gain on some boats which I would have expected to be losing out to.
But the wind gradually lightened, and combined with the fleet filling out further with over night replacements, and repairs to boats and egos, my places dropped to about where my seedingd from last week predicted, 14th and 13th, generally losing several places on the last downwind.
My observations of the boat and foils were that the wand was working very well in flexing the top skin hing upward, so my ride height was well controlled and I had few over height problems, (upwind the ride was quite bumpy as the wand bounced over the waves and the flap responded quickly) but also that the wand and bungee were not good at pushing in down flap when the boat was too low, requireing a lot of work on my part to roll body weight aft and trim for speed to maintain ride height. This was OK when it was windy enough but as the breeze slackened to maybe only 12 kts iwas sailing wider angles than most people just to stay up, and consequently losing places. So I have to improve the hing or linkages to get more down flap.
Back to the regatta:
Saturday afternoon the wind died to about 5kts, still steady from the south but the waves vanished. Prestart the boat felt great.
I trimmed a little bow down in the rudder foil to help trim the boat without sitting a long way forward. This also presents the two foils at a couple degrees +ve incidence which is here min drag is for these cambered foil sections. Its important not to move too far forward and trim the boat bow down as this brings the foils into a high drag area.
The P&B sail looked good with a little cunningham and virtually no vang. The lower luff curve reduction for the stiff mast seemed to make achieving a suitable shape for light winds much easier. I suspect the KA sails were needing so much load on the mast to flatten, that the stresses in the sails were preventing freeing of the leach. If the sail is too full it can not be squared out downwind enough in the light either.
So Heat 4 ended up a one lapper with a close battle between Matt and I. He understood the top mark and his two extra tacks were about the difference at the end. Ht 5 was similar except he lead all of the way, and even opened up a bit with a short foiling burst downwind on lap one. Then he forgot the middle mark of the second lap and slipped back allowing 4 boat through.
2 guns. People wanted to look at my foils, some thought I had changed to centre board and rudder, not true.
Sunday, light again. I would have been happy to go, but in fairness, the wind was very light, switching and there were glassy patches. A lot of people did not even rig. The RC decided he could not set a course accurately enough and deferred for 3 hrs. Matt commented that it looked like better conditions than it will be at the Olympics.
By 2pm there was a light SE and a course was set. When we started the wind went lighter and tried to switch left. Matt rounded first, I was about 5th at the top. It faded downwind and the race was shortened, I slipped past two for a 3.
Ht 7. The wind went to NE and settled at about 5 still not quite enough for the fly weights to foil. I got covered a bit after the start and did not round well. Matts Belcher and Day plus Scott lead out and occasionally foiled. Alan G foiled past me at one point. Then on the secon lap Matt B had a relapse and forgot the middle mark again, Matt D followed him and I was back in the game. Ran past Alan to the finish and 3.
Last race was a match race most of the way with young Sam McKnight sailing what wouuld have been the ideal boat for the conditions, a Hungry Tiger without hydrofoils. He had speed but I managed to get around the first lap ahead and he stayed below me up the last time when he should have tacked for clear air. In theend he clipped a mark and his circle left me with a goodlead. He still finished 2nd.
I think the places of Les, Sam and myself show that the Hungry Tiger is still a top performer in sub foiling conditions. Also my sail and the new Truflos (used by Scott, Les, Sam and Ben Crocker) seem to have closed the gap on the KA dominance of the last several years. Maybe the slightly smaller luff curves make them better in the light.
I also think that my new foil with no hinge gap on top and minimal on the bottom must have helped. Maybe my foil mold also has a lower camber section which would be less drag in the light also.
A good weekend, Lovely place to sail and very well run by JBSC and Steve Lymbery.
Monday, March 17, 2008
St George race Sat 15/3/08 and States Preview.
At last everything worked and remained intact. A very nice day, wind, temperature and no repairs. The boat was flying easily and with full control. No bunny hops, no crashes, no swims. Smile.
Not fast enough yet especially downwind so I ended up behind Dave and Grant with Clive nearby after going back to round a mark the right way. They seem to get up a bit quicker and also ride at a more consistant height. But I think I can improve that.
My boat seems to have the max height control functioning, the wand is pulling up the flap when needed and in fact the ride over small chop feels decidedly bumpy as the wand moves the flap up and down with ease. So the top skin hinge and the linkage are working and friction is under control.
But I still have some issues when down low. I think my flap is not going down far enough or easilly enough to provide the extra lift needed at take off and when the hull gets slightly too low. I do not think its in the linkage, but rather that my gap sealing carbon flap is too stiff and is resisting the flap down movement. Its due for a trim tonight.
Then I have to do a thorough check of the whole boat before we are off to Jervis bay on Thursday for the three day NSW championships. 8 races. My body will need some recuperation after that, its too late for remedial maintence on me.
WRT the Moth champs we have 17 entries so far with about another 10 expected when we get there. All foiling except for 5 scows, including inerstate visitors. The weather looks like cooling off a bit but will be over 20 C so nothing to worry about. Winds look line starting out moderate and dying off, followed by a sea breeze. Typical easter on our coats as is the forecast rain on at least one day.
Should be a good weekend sailing in paradise. Looking at the expected turn up I seed myself between 10th and 15th, my normal top half target, I'll verify or have excuses next week.
Not fast enough yet especially downwind so I ended up behind Dave and Grant with Clive nearby after going back to round a mark the right way. They seem to get up a bit quicker and also ride at a more consistant height. But I think I can improve that.
My boat seems to have the max height control functioning, the wand is pulling up the flap when needed and in fact the ride over small chop feels decidedly bumpy as the wand moves the flap up and down with ease. So the top skin hinge and the linkage are working and friction is under control.
But I still have some issues when down low. I think my flap is not going down far enough or easilly enough to provide the extra lift needed at take off and when the hull gets slightly too low. I do not think its in the linkage, but rather that my gap sealing carbon flap is too stiff and is resisting the flap down movement. Its due for a trim tonight.
Then I have to do a thorough check of the whole boat before we are off to Jervis bay on Thursday for the three day NSW championships. 8 races. My body will need some recuperation after that, its too late for remedial maintence on me.
WRT the Moth champs we have 17 entries so far with about another 10 expected when we get there. All foiling except for 5 scows, including inerstate visitors. The weather looks like cooling off a bit but will be over 20 C so nothing to worry about. Winds look line starting out moderate and dying off, followed by a sea breeze. Typical easter on our coats as is the forecast rain on at least one day.
Should be a good weekend sailing in paradise. Looking at the expected turn up I seed myself between 10th and 15th, my normal top half target, I'll verify or have excuses next week.
Monday, March 10, 2008
St George club race on 8/3/08
I finally finished the new foil with the flexing top skin hinge and bottom gap seal flap. There was a nice 10 knot breeze with a little more sometimes and a little less near the windward shore.
The boat seemed to go well. It felt fast and high upwind and smooth downwind. The wand was not quite right and the flap was not going down enough, but at times I was pacing the fast boats only to lose heaps with my poor technique in gybing. I still can not move fast and smooth enough to stay airborne long enough round the corners.
It was certainly flying earlier and easier and in the light patches was also fast enough down low to lead at the first mark.
The bad news is that the foil detatched itself again, but at least Dave found it and with very litle damage and better security, it will be going again next week.
The boat seemed to go well. It felt fast and high upwind and smooth downwind. The wand was not quite right and the flap was not going down enough, but at times I was pacing the fast boats only to lose heaps with my poor technique in gybing. I still can not move fast and smooth enough to stay airborne long enough round the corners.
It was certainly flying earlier and easier and in the light patches was also fast enough down low to lead at the first mark.
The bad news is that the foil detatched itself again, but at least Dave found it and with very litle damage and better security, it will be going again next week.
Monday, March 3, 2008
St George Interclub on 1/3/08
We had 9 moths on the beach and a good onshore southerly of 20+kts.
Date Time Dir Knt Gust
01/04:30pm S 19 28
01/04:00pm S 20 27
01/03:30pm S 19 28
01/02:57pm S 19 30
01/02:37pm S 18 28
01/02:30pm S 17 23
(from BOM for Kurnell)
Like we get every time the NSW moth interclub comes to St George, but at least this time the sailng committee were going to run the race.
Launching was difficult, a long wade out to assemmble the boat then another one after it drifted half way back again to the deep water, all in the waves and wind.
Doink broke his wand in the process and big Bruce did not make it out at all.
Then Luka had a big crash and destroyed his 2 year old Prowler centreboard and foil. Bad time with two weeks to the states.
Donosan was having great difficulty keeping his new Zero on the water and opted to bail out and change a few things.
So at the start was Dave, Peter, Alan, Grant and me. I had some hairy rides with very little height control so I figured something was disconnected and wound the tiller to keep the bow down and the boat in the water.
Dave got away well but at he first marke Grant, Pete and I were close together, then surprisingly I was still with Pete at the lee mark while grant headed off in another direction and got lost.
There was a lot of swimming. I saw Dave in at one time and Pete was having a few more than me, so we stayed in touch. Dave broke something and went home, Alan struggled and departed, leaving only Pete and me still racing, and since we were quite close it became a real race.
I figured I was less than a swim behind him so was determined to stay upright and rely on him having a dip. But for the last two laps we had only one each and although I got inside him on the last windward he was faster to the line and won by 50 seconds.
I was pleased that the sail mast combo worked well. The slight luff curve adjustment to the P&B have matched the old stiff Thorpe mast to a T and I am now happy with both light and heavy shape and control. The low drag head certainly makes tacking easier in the blow in comparison to my old sail.
Sailing low in those conditions was only a little slower than flying and the stability from the big foils make it much easier than the prefoil days. It meant I enjoyed the race and made the finish so it can not be all bad. I can see some advantage now in being able to disconnect the flap and wand in extreme conditions as well as in the very light. I have some ideas for a simple method to achieve that so stay tuned.
Date Time Dir Knt Gust
01/04:30pm S 19 28
01/04:00pm S 20 27
01/03:30pm S 19 28
01/02:57pm S 19 30
01/02:37pm S 18 28
01/02:30pm S 17 23
(from BOM for Kurnell)
Like we get every time the NSW moth interclub comes to St George, but at least this time the sailng committee were going to run the race.
Launching was difficult, a long wade out to assemmble the boat then another one after it drifted half way back again to the deep water, all in the waves and wind.
Doink broke his wand in the process and big Bruce did not make it out at all.
Then Luka had a big crash and destroyed his 2 year old Prowler centreboard and foil. Bad time with two weeks to the states.
Donosan was having great difficulty keeping his new Zero on the water and opted to bail out and change a few things.
So at the start was Dave, Peter, Alan, Grant and me. I had some hairy rides with very little height control so I figured something was disconnected and wound the tiller to keep the bow down and the boat in the water.
Dave got away well but at he first marke Grant, Pete and I were close together, then surprisingly I was still with Pete at the lee mark while grant headed off in another direction and got lost.
There was a lot of swimming. I saw Dave in at one time and Pete was having a few more than me, so we stayed in touch. Dave broke something and went home, Alan struggled and departed, leaving only Pete and me still racing, and since we were quite close it became a real race.
I figured I was less than a swim behind him so was determined to stay upright and rely on him having a dip. But for the last two laps we had only one each and although I got inside him on the last windward he was faster to the line and won by 50 seconds.
I was pleased that the sail mast combo worked well. The slight luff curve adjustment to the P&B have matched the old stiff Thorpe mast to a T and I am now happy with both light and heavy shape and control. The low drag head certainly makes tacking easier in the blow in comparison to my old sail.
Sailing low in those conditions was only a little slower than flying and the stability from the big foils make it much easier than the prefoil days. It meant I enjoyed the race and made the finish so it can not be all bad. I can see some advantage now in being able to disconnect the flap and wand in extreme conditions as well as in the very light. I have some ideas for a simple method to achieve that so stay tuned.
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