| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Colin Newman
Wet
277 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Feb 2010 : 1:47:54 PM
|
Yes, we were mad and it was cold! To do the second race was a relief after my 'adventure' in the morning. The daggerboard in the IC goes into a perfectly shaped slot in a box-shaped cassette that then fits snugly into the quite wide box 'slot' in the hull which is longer than the cassette. The idea is that if you hit ground with the daggerboard down the whole cassette kicks up preventing damage to the daggerboard or the hull of the boat.
In the morning I thought I had got the boat thawed out, all 16 cleats working, I launched heading out for the start line on a reach with the first six inches of the daggerboard below the hull. 'Huston, we have a problem', it would go no further even with me standing on it. I worked out ice must have formed between the cassette and the box which had expanded compressing the slot in the cassette which was now just too narrow to accept the board. No water normally sloshes round this tiny gap between the cassette box and the hull so it was not going to thaw out any time soon. After 18 years of Canoe sailing this was a new situation for me. I had never had this problem before.
With the board unable to go down far enough not to foul the boom,I was heading away from the launch area unable to tack or gybe. There was nothing to do but pull the board right out, desperately try not to drop it over board, and try to tack back for the bank. No way would the boat with no centreboard go through the eye of the wind. Nothing for it but gybe. I really did not want to capsize as with no way of getting the board down there would be no way of getting on the board to right the boat after a capsize. Still, nothing for it but go for a gybe with no board. A big wobble and it survived! The board was still in my hand! Success! The boom was now on the side of boat to get back to the launch area after I put the board back in the slot enough to go down six inches under the boat. Luckily it was a reach to the shore and back to the launching trolley. I was cold and frustrated at having to miss the race but pleased to have got back in without outside assistance. Thank goodness the wind was light.
It took half an hour with anti-freeze and hot water eventually to melt enough ice between the box and the hull to get the board down, so I missed the morning race, but just joined in the last lap. The lesson learnt from this episode:- test the board is going to go down the slot before leaving the bank in sub-zero conditions, not as easy as it sounds with a long daggerboard and a sailor with short legs! Take Moth out next time! Ventilation of the hydrofoils becomes a pain as the water temperature gets lower, but that is another story. There is always a Solution with a centreboard!
Colin
|
 |
|
|
robbersdog
Drenched
1427 Posts |
|
|
Colin Newman
Wet
277 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2010 : 11:16:32 PM
|
Chris,
I see you have posted the results of last week's racing when I took out the Solution. I was the only boat to sign on for the afternoon race. I started on my own and tried to see if I could hold station before the start, something you never even try to do in a Moth or an IC. I failed and was over the line at the start to the amusement of all observers! I went back and started again with the three Lasers so did get a finish. Do I get points in the fast handicap afternoon series simply for turning up? I think I signed off as I finished the course! I am not too bothered but in principle it seems a good thing to encourage bums in boats even when it is too cold and windless for more sensible people to go cycling.
Colin
|
|
|
|
chris
Poke It With A Stick
1847 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 08:08:19 AM
|
Hi Colin, yep I have posted results from 7th Feb (office was shut by the time i got back to the club last night so didnt manage to pick up yesterdays results unfortunately). I scored you a DNF as your name was on the sign on sheets but with no time so couldnt really do anything else I'm afraid.
I have had some discussions with the fleet captain over scoring, and especially scoring when there is only one competitor in the race. Along the lines of whether we consider it to be a race with only one entrant? As you say it does reward turning up. I'll let you know what the outcome is soon.
Chris
 425  720  "ERICSSON"
sailing pictures My pictures |
|
|
|
robbersdog
Drenched
1427 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 08:23:46 AM
|
I would strongly sugest that if one boat turns up and races they should get a first, and the relevant points in the series.
If this happens then it encourages attendance. It encourages people to make the effort. The thought that a series would take the only person on a day would could be bothered to get out of bed and make the effort and punish them by not giving them a result I think is terrible. To get a turn out you need to reward effort at least as much as you reward talent.
You need to turn the thought "Well, no-one else is going to bother so I won't" into "Well, no-one else is going to bother so I will".
Of course turnouts are going to be low this time of year, but that means it should be an opportunity for people to do well rather than just another excuse not to come sailing.
---------------------------
Chris Smith
Flying Fifteen 797
Sailing Photos
http://www.sushidesign.net/
http://www.gs-illustration.co.uk/ |
|
|
|
Mikey 14778
Poke It With A Stick
1631 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 09:19:36 AM
|
I agree with Chris. It's true that it's not a 'proper race' if it's just one person, but then it's not much of a race if it's only 2 or 3 people. Where do you draw the line ?
Personally I'd be voting with my feet if I was interested in competing for a series and found that I couldn't get a result because other people didn't fancy sailing that day. It could also lead to tactical nonsense where (say) people decide not to sail in light airs to ensure that the lightweight couldn't get the points.
If you turn up and race, you should get a place. If you're the only person there, then it's first place.
quote:
Of course turnouts are going to be low this time of year
Eight Fireballs and eight Solos yesterday, and personally I enjoyed my racing enormously. If you sail a popular boat then there's usually someone to race against to make it interesting even if the wind is a bit rubbish. |
|
|
|
robbersdog
Drenched
1427 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 2:39:51 PM
|
8 solos and 8 fireballs is a good turnout, but in the summer certainly the solo fleet can expect at least 12 boats on the water and the fireballs normally over 10. The fact that you got 8 in each fleet is testament to the strength of the fleets, and well done to them. FF numbers are low, but you know what the elderly are like in the cold...
---------------------------
Chris Smith
Flying Fifteen 797
Sailing Photos
http://www.sushidesign.net/
http://www.gs-illustration.co.uk/ |
|
|
|
Colin Newman
Wet
277 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 3:19:43 PM
|
Thanks Chris,
It is not a big issue, more of a joke if only one person races. To win a series where hardly anyone else enters is a bit pointless anyway but, if turnouts stay like they were throughout January there is a chance of me finishing twice in the top three of the series if I sail the Solution half the time and the IC in the rest of the races! I still hold the 'Mr Smug (Virtual) Trophy' from several years ago when I won a poorly supported series in the IC and came second in the same series in the Moth!
Mikey makes a good point, if we were near the end of a series and a race with one entrant did not count, a different competitor could in some circumstances stop someone winning the series by not turning up. With three more foiling Moths now at the club or about to be, I shall probably ruin my series score anyway by taking out the Moth again soon. I must admit total immersion on launching has not appealed to me lately!
Yesterday in light winds with two beats up to the sheltered far bank and then only very broad legs off the wind, when you get the times you will see I bagged last place on corrected time in the morning race. The afternoon race was a far better course, avoiding the doldrums, but wind was still too light for any IC to hold off the RS300s, 200s and Laser 2000s on handicap. Still, I enjoyed the race trying to catch as many Fireballs as possible. I just failed to catch the top two, Pete Badam and Mikey who I think won their pm race while having his Ball. I do like the present start sequence where the faster boats in the fast handicap fleet have a target of Fireballs to catch. I try not to mess up their fleet race if I can avoid it, but not at the cost of disadvantaging my own progress too much.
Fireballs are like the IC, they 'stick' a bit in light winds. Relative to other Canoes, I usually do well when it is light as I am one of the lightest IC sailors in the UK and I do a bit less well when it is windy, though (believe it or not!) often other ICs then fall over more than me, so even the big guys are beatable in a blow. In handicap racing the situation is reversed, the IC does not come into its own on PY till there is enough wind to stay hiked out off the end of the sliding seat. It then has an advantage over hiking singlehanders in particular, especially up wind till the wind gets into the 20mph range when the IC becomes a handful to all but a very few heavy weather experts. At national and international IC events the SIs set an average wind speed of 20 knots as the upper limit for racing to be held. There are days at Draycote when racing is held when were it an IC event it would be postponed or cancelled.
Cheers Colin
|
|
|
|
harry
Damp
135 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 4:03:31 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by robbersdog
FF numbers are low, but you know what the elderly are like in the cold...
To true Chris. To true.  It's called self preservation.
harry |
|
|
|
Mikey 14778
Poke It With A Stick
1631 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 5:06:39 PM
|
quote:
I just failed to catch the top two, Pete Badam and Mikey who I think won their pm race
Not me Colin, I'd got the course wrong and retired long before you got anywhere near. Top 2 yesterday PM were Colin Snowden & Karen followed by Pete and JR. |
|
|
|
chris
Poke It With A Stick
1847 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 11:13:08 PM
|
Results for 14th Feb now posted. Sorry for the delay. Any probs please let me know as usual.
Better turn out this week. I looked out of my window and didnt think there was any wind so went biking instead, it looked like a decent breeze in the end, oh well....
Chris
425 720 "ERICSSON"
sailing pictures My pictures |
|
|
|
chris
Poke It With A Stick
1847 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2010 : 7:28:57 PM
|
Apologies for the delay once again (normal service will be resumed as soon as some wind arrives and I start sailing again, I promise!). Thank you to Carla for emailing me the results for yesterday's (21-02-10) handicap races. Updated results in the usual place, any problems as usual please let me know. Colin, did you lend your solution out? Do you know the name of the person sailing it as I just have Jim down.
Chris
425 720 "ERICSSON"
sailing pictures My pictures |
|
|
|
davesailing
Completely dry
48 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 11:03:10 AM
|
i almost didn't come last  that's a first for me, i did actually manage to pass the B14 but for some reason they DNF. there is exciting racing going on at the back of the FH fleet.
-------
still swimming
 |
|
|
|
skifftim
Quite dry
72 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 11:08:26 AM
|
My complete ignorance of skiff sailing shone through. But it was great to join in and have a lot of people to sail with. Even Mike in his 'nova almost passed us by, hey ho one day (and with a lot of instruction from the foredeck) I might be half good.
Shame I wasn't finished again!
  |
|
|
|
davesailing
Completely dry
48 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 11:16:55 AM
|
i have been sailing the 600 for about 18 months now and i think i might finally be starting to get the hang of it, but when the boat picks up its such a thrill.
-------
still swimming
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Fast Handicap Winter Series 2010
