Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Some wind, but less water.
Low tide and big winds at St George for Saturday.
The wind was good enough to make for challenging sailing and some fast rides. Unfortunately it also broke the primary strop for the vang leaving a longer secondary one which meant I could not pull on the vang fully for most of the race. This meant my upwind speed was off pace but did not affect the rides downwind.
I had two fast swims going over the falls when reacting slowly to over height at speed, but the biggest crash was from running aground at speed when sailing quite high. The low tide fooled me. That part of the river is normally deepe enough even for low riding.
At least it proved my new T joint is up to standard, no dammage, but the mounting pin for the CB was so bent it took quite an effort to extract it later when coming ashore.
A couple of reaching legs were at minimal control and scarey speeds, especially in close company with Grant and some of teh skiff fleet on reciprical course gojng upwind. Dave lapped us as usual but I had the normal close race with Grant which considering the vang position is encouraging. Finished 3rd but beat the other four young guys who DNFed.
Last race of the season next Friday. Might have to resurect the canoe for winter as the water is gettng chilly.
The wind was good enough to make for challenging sailing and some fast rides. Unfortunately it also broke the primary strop for the vang leaving a longer secondary one which meant I could not pull on the vang fully for most of the race. This meant my upwind speed was off pace but did not affect the rides downwind.
I had two fast swims going over the falls when reacting slowly to over height at speed, but the biggest crash was from running aground at speed when sailing quite high. The low tide fooled me. That part of the river is normally deepe enough even for low riding.
At least it proved my new T joint is up to standard, no dammage, but the mounting pin for the CB was so bent it took quite an effort to extract it later when coming ashore.
A couple of reaching legs were at minimal control and scarey speeds, especially in close company with Grant and some of teh skiff fleet on reciprical course gojng upwind. Dave lapped us as usual but I had the normal close race with Grant which considering the vang position is encouraging. Finished 3rd but beat the other four young guys who DNFed.
Last race of the season next Friday. Might have to resurect the canoe for winter as the water is gettng chilly.
Monday, April 14, 2008
St George sat 12th April
Another light day. Although I made more adjustments to the wand linkage, I did not get foiling at all. It tried a couple of times but mosly I disconnected the wand and sailed it in low drag mode.
After a tangle with some bigger boats in the mass start I got away from the other moths and close to the leading skiffs until we turned at the moth windward mark. From there on it got lonely, I had a big lead on Grant until he started to just foil. He gained a bit then I engaged the wand and did one work, with hopes of flying, but in reality sailing low with high drag from the wand and down flap. He gained enough to cross once. Then on the downwing leg I reverted to low drag and sailed square, while Grant reached off trying to fly. I gained heaps and in the end he gave up and joined the others and went home. I did too after a couple of legs as there was no point drifting around by myself.
OK I know my boat goes well in the light but it would be nice to have someone to race against, they might even learn how to do it as well if they spent some time practicing. It is disturbing to me that the new generation of moth sailors do not want to go sailing unless they can foil. Two or three did not bother to rig and several others did not even show at the club.
They will miss a lot of sailing at the ends of the season, and as seen at easter will have poor results at significant regattas if the weather turns light.
It would be bad for the class to only sail when there was enough wind to foil. I like the moth to be an all weather boat like it always was.
Maybe the designers need to look at more design allowance for light winds and not solely for foiling. Mostly we need to maintain an attitude that we race as soon as the committee can set a course, just like all other dinghy classes.
After a tangle with some bigger boats in the mass start I got away from the other moths and close to the leading skiffs until we turned at the moth windward mark. From there on it got lonely, I had a big lead on Grant until he started to just foil. He gained a bit then I engaged the wand and did one work, with hopes of flying, but in reality sailing low with high drag from the wand and down flap. He gained enough to cross once. Then on the downwing leg I reverted to low drag and sailed square, while Grant reached off trying to fly. I gained heaps and in the end he gave up and joined the others and went home. I did too after a couple of legs as there was no point drifting around by myself.
OK I know my boat goes well in the light but it would be nice to have someone to race against, they might even learn how to do it as well if they spent some time practicing. It is disturbing to me that the new generation of moth sailors do not want to go sailing unless they can foil. Two or three did not bother to rig and several others did not even show at the club.
They will miss a lot of sailing at the ends of the season, and as seen at easter will have poor results at significant regattas if the weather turns light.
I commented that the 5kts winds used to be really competitive in prefoiling days, there were a lot of fast boats nd it was close at the top.
It would be bad for the class to only sail when there was enough wind to foil. I like the moth to be an all weather boat like it always was.
Maybe the designers need to look at more design allowance for light winds and not solely for foiling. Mostly we need to maintain an attitude that we race as soon as the committee can set a course, just like all other dinghy classes.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Back to club racing and back to reality. A moderate 10 kt wind meant I was again well behind the fast foiling boats. I managed to stay in touch up wind but as soon as we go downhill I am so slow. I made some adjustments to the flap to get more down movement but did not have the wand mechanism working well enough.
But afterwards Dave sided up and offered me a ride on his boat. I did not hesitate, I had never had a go on one of the well sorted fast boats and wanted to find just how different they are.
It would be an understatement to say I was more impressed with his boat than he was with mine. I found his ride height so dominant with no body movements needed and when going quite a bumpy ride as the wand very powerfully controls the flap. By contrast Dave wondered if my wand was even connected!
But the speed was daunting, reaching it accellerated easilly and brings the apparent way forward so hiking and sheeting just make stil faster, requireing a strong bear away to keep the sail full. Fast and Low! I certainly have a lot of work to do. At least the rigs look similar.
Just a brief sail ina fading breaze, but well worth it. Adjustments next week.
But afterwards Dave sided up and offered me a ride on his boat. I did not hesitate, I had never had a go on one of the well sorted fast boats and wanted to find just how different they are.
It would be an understatement to say I was more impressed with his boat than he was with mine. I found his ride height so dominant with no body movements needed and when going quite a bumpy ride as the wand very powerfully controls the flap. By contrast Dave wondered if my wand was even connected!
But the speed was daunting, reaching it accellerated easilly and brings the apparent way forward so hiking and sheeting just make stil faster, requireing a strong bear away to keep the sail full. Fast and Low! I certainly have a lot of work to do. At least the rigs look similar.
Just a brief sail ina fading breaze, but well worth it. Adjustments next week.
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