Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Bladerider vs Freighter
With the lack of anything on the water I have resorted to racing the freighters that go by the club. It is interesting how much of a "lee bow" effect there is from the freighters. In light air days you get about a 2 knot boost in pressure, in breeze more like a 3-4 knot boost. Lined up one yesterday perfect angle to race. Got in the lee bow puff and went a couple hundred yards in front of the freighter square in his path. Started to run out of the puff while about to go into a lee of an island, said a little prayer and gybed away cleanly without coming off the foil. Freighter was probably doing about 14-15 knots definitely would have run my butt over if I came off the foil. Probably should not do that ever again. Don't think they even saw me because they did not even blow their horn, or they did and thought I had it under control.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Going once, going twice, sold to Zack
Sorry for the lack of an update but, life has been a little crazy.
First Zack Maxam has bought my boat enabling me to pick up my new boat in Australia. I am sure it is only a matter of weeks before he has the hang of it. Hopefully Zack will be able to organize some west coast events that the class can travel to. There is also the chance of bringing the Worlds to the US and I think the west coast would be the place to have them. With Zack's help we could get a couple test events going at different venues to see which places work for the moth and which places don't.
New Personal Best Speed Record
Hit 25.3 knots on a blustery day on the Detroit river. It was fully on guessing 25+ knot puffs. The scariest moment of the day had to be coming into the channel DDW doing 20knots with no options but just go straight and ride it out.
The wind has been awesome as it always is in the fall but, since I have sold the boat and not delivered it yet I don't think I should be sailing it, in the off chance I break something. Have to say though every day I go out the more impressed I am with the boat. Since getting new foils mid summer nothing and I mean nothing has gone wrong with the boat. I worked 5 times as hard trying to keep a 49er operating properly. If you think you might like sailing a moth just sack up and buy one! It will be the best thing you have ever done. On that note Rohan told me that Brad Funk has also bought a boat. I am sure he will love how rewarding the BR is to sail.
I also had my first go on a A-Cat a couple of weeks ago. Ian Lindal's custom boat is a piece of art, I did not get a chance to line up in the moth against him but my gut tells me the moth is definitely faster through the water, I am not sure about relative angles though.
That's it for now, just over a month and the boys(Bear and I) will be off to AUS for a month of sailing with team BR. Just need a way to pay for it all.
Almost forgot check out blocksail.com
First Zack Maxam has bought my boat enabling me to pick up my new boat in Australia. I am sure it is only a matter of weeks before he has the hang of it. Hopefully Zack will be able to organize some west coast events that the class can travel to. There is also the chance of bringing the Worlds to the US and I think the west coast would be the place to have them. With Zack's help we could get a couple test events going at different venues to see which places work for the moth and which places don't.
New Personal Best Speed Record
Hit 25.3 knots on a blustery day on the Detroit river. It was fully on guessing 25+ knot puffs. The scariest moment of the day had to be coming into the channel DDW doing 20knots with no options but just go straight and ride it out.
The wind has been awesome as it always is in the fall but, since I have sold the boat and not delivered it yet I don't think I should be sailing it, in the off chance I break something. Have to say though every day I go out the more impressed I am with the boat. Since getting new foils mid summer nothing and I mean nothing has gone wrong with the boat. I worked 5 times as hard trying to keep a 49er operating properly. If you think you might like sailing a moth just sack up and buy one! It will be the best thing you have ever done. On that note Rohan told me that Brad Funk has also bought a boat. I am sure he will love how rewarding the BR is to sail.
I also had my first go on a A-Cat a couple of weeks ago. Ian Lindal's custom boat is a piece of art, I did not get a chance to line up in the moth against him but my gut tells me the moth is definitely faster through the water, I am not sure about relative angles though.
That's it for now, just over a month and the boys(Bear and I) will be off to AUS for a month of sailing with team BR. Just need a way to pay for it all.
Almost forgot check out blocksail.com
Monday, October 1, 2007
Week Off
The Melges Nationals was a crazy regatta, Lake St. Clair did it best to throw large shifts and big holes our way. After the first day we were sitting in 27th and were able to claw our way back to 8th by the end of the regatta. We won the Corinthian division but I wished that we could have come out a little better during the first day. Then we could have been a threat to get on the real podium. We got some cool gear from Brian Hutchinson of Hutchinson sports for the Melges which I am excited to use.
The club was crazy last week because a young lady drowned on sat night, with all the police and reporters it was not a fun place to be so I tried to stay away.
On Friday I flew down to Charleston Sc, for Liz and Mike's wedding which I had to stand up in. At the rehearsal dinner I found a moth hanging up in the restaurant, it must be a sign!
I don't think I have had more fun at a wedding. Though I have never been to a wedding where I got to go kite boarding all day Saturday with friends Karl and Seth. 25knots side off shore breeze, big beach and spectators. It was awesome, I am still very sore.
Flew home Friday to find perfect mothing conditions on the river and worked on my tacks. A couple of people have asked about the "dog bones" that I am using to connect the cunningham to the sail and mast. These are great no longer have to untie anything. Evenutally I will splice up some continuous control lines that run a little better than the stock items. New parts should come in this week: dagger board, front horizontal, gantry and stainless spare parts kit. Christmas in October! When Bear shows up again we will have two working moths(been sharing one). He is getting better and though there is no video evidence yet, I have seen him pull a foiling gybe. We are definitely getting a lot of use out of our boats we have now gone through three main sheets in between the two of us.
Oh well back to work and getting ready for the Melges Fall Championship on Lake Geneva, home of Melges boats. Sailing there is awesome with huge shifts and flat water gonna be a good weekend if I can only make it through the week :)
The club was crazy last week because a young lady drowned on sat night, with all the police and reporters it was not a fun place to be so I tried to stay away.
On Friday I flew down to Charleston Sc, for Liz and Mike's wedding which I had to stand up in. At the rehearsal dinner I found a moth hanging up in the restaurant, it must be a sign!
I don't think I have had more fun at a wedding. Though I have never been to a wedding where I got to go kite boarding all day Saturday with friends Karl and Seth. 25knots side off shore breeze, big beach and spectators. It was awesome, I am still very sore.
Flew home Friday to find perfect mothing conditions on the river and worked on my tacks. A couple of people have asked about the "dog bones" that I am using to connect the cunningham to the sail and mast. These are great no longer have to untie anything. Evenutally I will splice up some continuous control lines that run a little better than the stock items. New parts should come in this week: dagger board, front horizontal, gantry and stainless spare parts kit. Christmas in October! When Bear shows up again we will have two working moths(been sharing one). He is getting better and though there is no video evidence yet, I have seen him pull a foiling gybe. We are definitely getting a lot of use out of our boats we have now gone through three main sheets in between the two of us.
Oh well back to work and getting ready for the Melges Fall Championship on Lake Geneva, home of Melges boats. Sailing there is awesome with huge shifts and flat water gonna be a good weekend if I can only make it through the week :)
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