Subject: [harryproa] sailing Elementarry
From: "Rob Denney" <proa@iinet.net.au>
Date: 1/15/2006, 4:50 AM
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harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au

G'day,
 
Sailed Elementarry again today.  No experiments, just went for a sail.  About 12 knots, gusts a little more.  Took an hour and a bit to get ready as I had to extend the righting stick and rerun some lines after the nosedive incident.
 
Got out there and tweaked the sails for the first time.  As in see how it is going, pull a string and see what happens relative to the boats around me.  Max on luff and leech downhauls seemed to work best as they stiffened the masts appreciably.  May put on a bit more leverage and see what happens.  .  Managed to fly a hull non stop for about a minute, also played with 2 rudders vs one for upwind work and decided two is definitely better, as long as there is not so much wind that you have to play the sheets as well. 
 
The local tornado fleet was racing so I lined up well to leeward of their line and took off just after the gun went.  They were all 1-2 trapezing, I was occasionally flying a hull.  They were not a lot quicker, nor pointing much higher.  I was still in contention when they tacked.  I stuffed the shunt (couldn't handle the excitement) and they left me for dead.  I met them coming downwind, lifted the for'd board and amazingly held on to them, going just as fast, sometimes a little higher on the run.  They had spinnakers up and were sailing with one hull out of the water the whole leg.  Very impressive to watch.  I flew mine occasionally, but have a problem shifting my fat self around quickly so was not as good.  They gybed and left me while I messed about with lifting/lowering the rudders.
 
No way was this beating Tornados, but it was close enough, especially downwind, to let me think that with a bit more skill, a little less weight (the production boat will be about 30% lighter than mine), masts which have not been broken and (badly) repaired, and sails and gear  equivalent to theirs, we may be a chance, especially in long course races in moderate to fresh breeze.  Bring on Texel this summer!
 
Congratulating myself instead of concentrating while power reaching home and bore away when I should have luffed  to get round a mono.  Capsized.  The 4m fall onto the relatively unforgiving sail does not get any less painful, (must work out some steps to get down).  Hooked up the extended 4x2 pine righting stick, walked along it and nothing happened, needs to be still longer.  Fortunately there are power boats everywhere and one comes along and flips the masts up.  Gets to about 45 degrees and stops!  The booms were both pointing towards the centre of the boat and the bottom one would not go out far enough to let the top one out, the equivalent of sheeting on hard.  While I am wondering about this, there is a splash and Mr powerboater joins me on the stick and up it comes.  Nice guy, offered to take him sailing next week.  No damage (pride apart), sailed back in to check the gps.  Max speed for the day 16.2.  As always, felt faster but who cares, we can compete with a spinnaker flying Tornado down wind!  Feeling good enough that I may wet and dry the foils and hull this week.
 
Regards,
 
Rob


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