Sail flat, sail fast...
- Thread starter Greenheart
- Start date
Iain C
Well-Known Member
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
When overpowered in some boats it is actually quicker to have a little bit of heel to make use of the buoyancy change. I believe I read somewhere that the Olympian Laser sailors have found through boat on boat testing that around 8 degrees of heel give the most available power.
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
He hasn't got the boom centred enough. Most of the class boats sail pretty much using their travellers rather than the mainsheets.
The chase boat we were using was driven by the one of the class boat owners. He was despairing of some of the sailing going on. However some of the designs are much better light -airs boats than others.
The traveller track goes right across the aft-deck
The kickers are pretty light-weight affairs
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Greenheart
Well-Known Member
That's what I call service, thanks! Wouldn't like to 'pop' down to the boat for a riveting half-hour too, would you?
I found them at Force 4, but apparently only in a size too big. I'm not completely sure what size the hole is yet...probably 3mm.
So, I now have a box of 700 non-monel rivets, probably no use for anything on the dinghy.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
I thought this was a rather gratuitous opportunity to showoff a picture of myself demonstrating flat is fast
I was feeling fit that day and got my best open results, but then I could barely walk for two days afterwards. Fast doesn't come for free....
I was feeling fit that day and got my best open results, but then I could barely walk for two days afterwards. Fast doesn't come for free....
Iain C
Well-Known Member
Lakey what's going on in that kicker picture? There seems to be one blue dyneema kicker going down to the cockpit floor, and another wire cascade system going down through the mast gate?
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
It's a good question. I will ask my next door neighbour. He crews on one.
BTW I just fopund the pic before the one in which the boom is dipping in the water and his traveller is up in this shot. perhaps his traveller broke or uncleated itself?
BTW I just fopund the pic before the one in which the boom is dipping in the water and his traveller is up in this shot. perhaps his traveller broke or uncleated itself?
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Iain C
Well-Known Member
I'll see your...
...and I'll raise you my...:encouragement:
(OK I know it's downwind but that's a lot of lard a long way from the centreline!)
I thought this was a rather gratuitous opportunity to showoff a picture of myself demonstrating flat is fast
View attachment 39171
I was feeling fit that day and got my best open results, but then I could barely walk for two days afterwards. Fast doesn't come for free....
...and I'll raise you my...:encouragement:
(OK I know it's downwind but that's a lot of lard a long way from the centreline!)
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
View attachment 39171
Congrats on the win...but your photo reminds me why I bought a boat with a trapeze, even though I haven't used it yet. Weren't you tempted by the Contender, for less leg-ache?
Congrats on the win...but your photo reminds me why I bought a boat with a trapeze, even though I haven't used it yet. Weren't you tempted by the Contender, for less leg-ache?
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
I used to helm a twin trapeze dinghy and loved being on the trapeze. Unfortunately fast trapeze boats just don't work well inland, where my local club is.
The Contender is a lovely boat, but isn't really competitive until you get to force 4. Most inland sailing is in less than force 4, and I reckon my Phantom would be faster over the water in those conditions.
My other dinghy is an Albacore and that just doesn't need hiking to the same extent as the Phantom.
The Contender is a lovely boat, but isn't really competitive until you get to force 4. Most inland sailing is in less than force 4, and I reckon my Phantom would be faster over the water in those conditions.
My other dinghy is an Albacore and that just doesn't need hiking to the same extent as the Phantom.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
I'll see your...
...and I'll raise you my...:encouragement:
(OK I know it's downwind but that's a lot of lard a long way from the centreline!)
High trapezes, bent knees and dropped bums suggest more power is needed
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Fair enough. I realised from the start that trapezing would be vital to controlling the Osprey, but last year I was short of cash for a made-to-fit harness. I know it's not an option and with it, my boat-leveling ability should increase substantially by the time the season starts.
Leads me back to the thread about non-slip. I guess for singlehanding, it's best if side-decks are wholly ProGripped, because all the moveable ballast will go to windward if I slip. Does ProGrip wear-out the legs & ass of a wetsuit?
I thought about an Albacore for several years, as contributors will recall... :sleeping:
...but it looked like particularly hard work when beating, let alone singlehanded, plus the rounded hull-form encourages heeling...sorry, it was probably you telling me this, in 2012.
Iain C
Well-Known Member
RB Stretch...That's a light wind day...you can tell from the flat water and the fact that we are a long way forward with the kite up. I would always be higher that the sheethand, who is in turn higher than the trained gorilla, so we can see over each other and where we're going. You're also a long way back from the mast, so you need to sail "Elvis legged" to resist the forward pull of the trapeze, and to "lock legs". From the other angle in more breeze...(by the way that's a slightly more compact, stand-in sheethand...the other guy had injured himself in an alcohol fuelled crash into a tree on his bicycle mid-regatta...)
(By the way I seem to remember you are quite tall. Trying to squeeze under the boom of a Contender even for someone of modest height is a nightmare...so I think you made a good choice in the Phantom! I also agree that they are a bit dull until it's getting lively...but oh how I'd love a wooden Bonezzi one!)
'Scuse the thread drift people.
(By the way I seem to remember you are quite tall. Trying to squeeze under the boom of a Contender even for someone of modest height is a nightmare...so I think you made a good choice in the Phantom! I also agree that they are a bit dull until it's getting lively...but oh how I'd love a wooden Bonezzi one!)
'Scuse the thread drift people.
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Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this makes it any clearer. It's blown up from the original pic. There seems to be a further strop leading aft along the boom. Is it merely a device to stop the gooseneck pulling off?
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Hardly a drift, mate. And any discussion of the Bonezzi boats is justifiable, ad nauseum...
View attachment 39172
For several years I read about how the Contender could be tuned for a wide range of helm-weights. I know most designs (except the Finn) make that boast, but following forum-threads between Contender sailors, I got the distinct impression they agree that being on the tall, heavy side is the way to tame the beast in a breeze. Pity about the low boom.
I did see a very competent-looking lady-helm sailing a Contender at Bosham in the 'eighties...couldn't have been over 65kg. I wonder how she coped with 118'sq in a force 5.
lw395
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this makes it any clearer. It's blown up from the original pic. There seems to be a further strop leading aft along the boom. Is it merely a device to stop the gooseneck pulling off?
I think this is a way of avoiding the kicker attacking the coamings.
The wire kicker s used offwind, when the blue tackle needs to be eased to clear the coamings.
Upwind, the blue tackle has a much more favourable angle, and can exert some leech tension without putting extreme thrust on the gooseneck.
Downwind, less leech tension is needed, so the gooseneck thrust is acceptable.
flaming
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this makes it any clearer. It's blown up from the original pic. There seems to be a further strop leading aft along the boom. Is it merely a device to stop the gooseneck pulling off?
Could it be that the Dynema one is really needed upwind (has a better angle) but doesn't work once the sheet is eased out, so they have to switch to the wire one for offwind work? Angle for the wire one looks horrid, I imagine pulling that on to upwind settings could create some scary loads.
Damn - beaten by seconds!
Pinnacle
Well-Known Member
I thought this was a rather gratuitous opportunity to showoff a picture of myself demonstrating flat is fast
View attachment 39171
I was feeling fit that day and got my best open results, but then I could barely walk for two days afterwards. Fast doesn't come for free....
Is that a Vandercraft? Its a long time since I sailed a Phantom. Happy memories though!
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Yes. I bet that's it. You can see some scuffing on the inside of the coaming. The boats are masthead so sail directly downwind, goosewinged.
