Subject: Re: [harryproa] photos arriving now
From: "Rob Denney" <harryproa@gmail.com>
Date: 1/4/2009, 11:47 PM
To: harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au
Reply-to:
harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au

G'day,

Lack of will, as much as lack of practise.

A light weather kite could fly in less than 5 knots.  A helium assistyed kite (not an Outleader could 'fly' in 0 knots at sea level. 

The kite was 420 sq m vs 600 for the spi, so it would not have helped until we changed down to a smaller spi (not sure how small) at about 30 knots.  It would have been quicker, easier and safer at this wind speed. 

Rare Bird would have flown it from the start all the way to Storm Bay (40 odd miles before the finish) and should have finished with the leaders.  The record for the race is 15 knots average speed.  Pretty sure RB could maintain that with the weather we had.   The average for the winner ($10 million worth of 100' mono with canting keel, paid crew and motor running all the time to power the winches and the keel) was about 13.

Solitarry should have cleaned up, it was ideal (almost all broad reaching) weather for most of the race.

The hardest part of Outleaders is launching them with the main up on a stayed rig.  On a harry, the boom is left to align with the wind, the lauch should be very easy.  Unstayed masts are ideal for Outleaders.

Resin should be here on tomorrow morning.  Ring before you come, just to be sure.   Look forward to seeing how the mods work.

regards,

Rob

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 1:17 PM, Doug Haines <doha720@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Put t down to lack of practice then.
 
So what stops the kite used in lighter winds?
 
What could have been the performance on Brindabella if things went right?
 
Say it was Rare Bird tagging along with the race, would the kite be employed?\
How quick / well placed could that have been?
 
How about compared to solitarry?
 
 
I've cut my cabin top off and joing in a middle extension for greater headroom.
)SIdeCar).
Run out of resin - need another tub from FGI tropical hardener thanks.
 
 
Doug
--- On Thu, 1/1/09, Rob Denney <harryproa@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Rob Denney <harryproa@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [harryproa] photos arriving now
To: harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au
Date: Thursday, 1 January, 2009, 12:19 PM


G'day,

Nothing good to report. 

I arrived at 7 am, crew slowly appear until 10.  Safety inspection still happening.  22 crew, 8 of whom were "experts" who had sailed on the boat before and were working for the owner.   Crew meeting where we are told only the experts sail the boat, only the cooks go in the galley and only the navigators go in the nav station.  3 watches, 3 hours on, 6 off. 

Near last to leave the marina, hoist the main, then the jib and a winch lifts off the deck.  ("Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, don't use that one").  Then a spi sheet gets wrapped round the prop, stalling the engine.  We got a pretty good start, but got rolled by a couple of 52'ters by the Heads.  Up with the spi and head south.

Breeze up the bum, and slowly building, but not strong enough for first timers to fly the kite.  We were trucking along under the big (600 sq m) assymetric spinnaker a couple of hours after the start and the crew were not at all keen to try the kite (420 sq m).  Peter, (the charterer) getting increasingly irritated, then finally tells us there is a chopper coming out to take pictures in 30 minutes, get the kite up.    None of the crew move, I start setting up the lines, they start telling me why the lines can't go where I want them.  Eventually get their attention when Pete demands the spi be dropped, which it is, with the chopper now buzzing around us.   

We had agreed to drop the main to make the first kite fly easier, but the helmsman reckons he can handle the boat with the main sheeted amidships, so it stays up. 

No time for my customary spiel on who does what and why, so up goes the kite.  With a twist, which is unusual, but eventually it blows out.  We then have a discussion about what "main sheeted amidships" actually means, and it eventually is.    I call the kite trim, but the crew are not trying very hard (not helped by not being able to hear my calls), takes 10 minutes to get it half way out (usually takes about 2), and the retrieval line, which must remain slack, is not being eased so the kite is not flying properly.  Eventually the helmsman gets the boat not pointing dead down wind, the main fills, the vortex behind it rotates the kite which collapses and falls in the water.  Quick crew work and we get it out, and up goes the spi, accompanied by unbridled derision. 

I bite my tongue, explain to Pete why it didn't fly, and spend the next 2 days listening to tedious kite jokes.

Later on the breeze was plenty strong enough, but the guys were not interested, so the kite stayed in the bag.  2 am on the second night, the breeze gets up to 30-35 knots, our heroes drop the spinnaker and decide to "wait and see what the breeze does next".  As always when this is the call, the helmsman and main trimmer  stop racing.  Predictably,  the main flogs and rips in two.  We eventually get the pieces down, the heavies decide to wait a bit longer, eventually put the trisail up (takes over an hour) and we sail with this for 10 hours (breeze dropping and going aft all the time) at about 70% of the speed we should have.  Eventually shame the heavies into hoisting the cruising main (another hour+), speed picks up and we bash across Storm Bay (the only tacks since Sydney Harbour) to finish with the 40 footers.  19th out of 100, in the 5th biggest boat.  By far my worst performance in 7 Hobarts.   

Also, by far, the most benign Hobart I have done.  Shorts and bare feet until the last night, 35 knots max breeze, very little upwind, one gybe, small waves, one mild southerly change, which died almost immediately,  a dozen or so sail changes. 

I ss&s, jump on a plane and am back home 82 hours after leaving.  All my prejudices against monos (slow, tippy, cramped), stayed rigs (dangerous, expensive, difficult) and old maxis (accidents waiting to happen) are still intact. I had a few ideas on proa layouts and one of the non expert crew may end up with one, so not a total loss, but in terms of flying the kite, winning the race or having a fun time with like minded people, it was not very successful.

Top speed was 26 knots surfing down a largish wave, 40 degrees off course, which apparently cracked the deck near the mast.  Average speed under spinnaker was about 13 knots, with 15-30 knots of breeze on the quarter,  a knot of current going our way and easily surfed waves.  Requires a helmsman, and trimmers on both main and spin sheet, plus grinders to trim them for every wave.  Compares very poorly with Rare Bird in cruising mode doing 15 knots in 15 knots of breeze with sheets cleated. 

The motor had to be run one hour in 8 to provide electricity for the hydraulics, which control everything except the sheets and halyards.  Rig loads are measured in 10's of tonnes, crew and all sails have to be as far to windward as possible, at all times.  Not just uncomfortable, but unsafe, when the only thing keeping 80% of the crew on the boat is a 10 year old 4mm/0.15" thick stainless wire lifeline. 

The first boat to retire broke it's rudder shaft, filled with water and sank.  Says it all about in hull rudders, mono safety and the much vaunted safety rules in place for the race.

Lessons?  Same as always.  Don't fly kites for the first time in marginal conditions, don't let knockers trim them, don't fly them with the main up until the crew knows how to fly them.

regards,

Rob


On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 8:09 PM, Douglas Alexander Frank Haines <doha720@yahoo. co.uk> wrote:
some construction on harriette series
possible completion delayed a week since
sailing to Aususta on sidecar this coming week - round cape
Naturalist and Leeuwin.


brindabella nnot seem to be trying kite!
web site says doing 11 knots, leaders doing 18!
maybe Rob missed the boat? and they are not game enough to try it, or
something went amisswith the equipment?

Commentarry on TV and Web indicated possible Kite flying on Brindabelle
though no direct mention of Rob.

Doug




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