Kiel Day 2

Okay I shouldn't have mentioned about using up discards! Doh! Broke part of my kingpost today in the first race whilst leading and limped home with no kicker on to get a result. Painful watching the fleet cruise by, and an interesting exercise on how low you can point upwind when you don't have any kicker on!

I sat out the next one to get it all sorted. All repaired now and I live to fight another day.

But all in all it was a good day. Pace is very good in the marginal stuff. I'm first to foil, and can foil for longer. Still plenty of little tweaks to do, but happy to be quick out of the box.

Our first race of the day was actually abandoned in the end because the breeze died completely, but I lead round the top mark being the only one to manage to foil up the beat, with the Skippy 'All the Way May' in second. The Skippy got into the lead on the lowriding reach, and Mark Robinson got me on the second one. (Note to self - get some more peel ply to finish deck grip so I can sit fwd in the light stuff!) But I foiled through to leeward of him on the second beat. Prompting a bit of mainfoil tweaking with the rubber mallet later on!

Gary peaked early again taking a win in the first counting race, and then struggling in the second of the day. Alex Adams decided to try his standard rig again, but still couldn't find speed and control from his boat, so came in to ponder life, the universe, and german sausage.

The Moths have been a big hit here with lots of interest from the organisers and spectator boats, and I heard this evening that although this was meant to be a single invite event, we might be invited back next year.

Whilst we were packing up, and most of the other fleets were sailing home a huge thunderstorm came over, with loads of breeze under it! Almost everything still on the water capsized, and tents ended up in the marina! Ten minutes later it was sunny again!

That'll be Kiel! But its growing on me, now I know it is always like this.

Big breeze forecast for Monday so we might do some sitting around.....

Kiel Day 1

Well I guess that counts as a successful launch. The boat hit the water for the first time this morning, and then I managed to win all three races today. Quite happy with that really.

It was a windy day here in Keil, but the sun was out. Off the land it was gusty and shifty. Not exactly what I wanted for launch day. And to make matters worse we had three races scheduled as the forecast for Mon and Tues is really bad. So much for a chilled first day possibly using up my discards while I got sorted.

The first race was breezy with gusts in the high 20's on the committee boat apparently but some pretty light patches thrown in for fun. The average pressure slowly dropped during the day and the last race was almost marginal foiling.

Race one: Mark Robinson and I tried to port tack the fleet - Mark made it, I took a few transoms, but I got round him to lead round the first mark. He then managed to rip his rudder foil off his Bladerider, and had great fun trying to sail back to collect it! Gary Ireson then took up the challenge for the lead. He got passed me for a lap or so before pitchpoling on the top reach to hand me the gun.

Race two: I'd tweaked a few settings and was happier with my set-up for this one, with just a little bit on the main cable she was much happier upwind, and we launched off the start to lead round the top again and sail away from the fleet. I'm afraid I don't know what happened behind, as we managed to extended quite early and then lost sight of most people amongst the Europes and lapped boats.

Race three: Mr Robinson was back out and we thought we'd play at the Port end again. Not so pretty this time and we ducked the fleet and sailed into the right while the leaders came out of the left. I got round in third and chased down the two German Bladeriders ahead. I took out the first on the top reach, and halved the distance to the leader on the bottom reach, to then get passed up the second beat. I managed to extend nicely on the run and get away to a nice little lead. Sven Kloppenburg came through the fleet well to get passed Mark for second, which puts him in second overall.

All in all pretty happy with day one in the new ship.

In other news here, Alex Knight almost managed a great foiling tack but seemed to be ejected from the boat mid turn, which unfortunately his tiller didn't survive. Team Estonia didn't have a great day in their new Bladerider either, with a broken main foil. I think another has been sourced though as I spotted a bit of evening training going on.

Better dash, and catch up with sleep following a tiring build followed by drive.

With swift German efficiency the results are on: http://www.kielerwoche.de/onlineergebnisse/result_details.php?results=2008-06-21_Moth_Wettfahrt_3_Extra.xml

Velociraptor 'Envy'

Finished! New boat all complete and about too be put on the trailer to head off to Kiel. Very happy with it. Definately the best Moth I've had. Dave did a great job getting the primary structure done for me, and its been in my workshop for the last few weeks being finished off. Blowing a gale here for the last two days so looks like I'll be launching straight into the first race of Kiel week. Oh well it will all be good practice and nice to be sailing again. Funny that the Aussies have already sent their boats over here, and I'm about to launch - great prep again! At least this time I've had my test pilot busy on his secret test lake, and Katherine has progressed to pro Moth builder in record time to help me get this far.

Should have good internet access in Kiel so will get up to date with my blogging.

(Lets just hope it doesn't rain like it normally does in Kiel....)

Almost There!

New boat almost done. Manic few weeks but I might just launch before driving to Kiel!

Pics when the rain stops!

Weymouth

Whilst out in a rib checking out 2.4 sails yesterday I got to see Alex Adams new Moth close up for the first time.

Enough people have seen it now, and it got a DailySail mention recently as well, so I think I can chat about the wingmast. Linton developed this mast for a Merlin Rocket many years ago with my old National 12 helm Kevin Driver. We'd always talked about how it would be interesting to try on the Moth so a few years ago I got hold of one of the masts from Kevin and brought it back down to Linton's. We rigged it up on my Mistress 1, and thought it had potential, but general Moth development takes time and it always got sidelined. Linton got hold of another one ready for testing, but they sat outside the workshop for a while. I found an old photo of us looking at it rigged up for the first time exactly 3 years ago! - Oh my god how time flies!

By winter 06, Alex Adams had taken the most interest in it, and did a few mods to his boat to fit it. We'd talked of it being the 'Garda project' but new foil development came first.

So it was then 2007, and I was out of the loop playing with America's Cup boats in Valencia. Alex and Linton had clearly decided to continue to pursue it, and ideas for Alex's new boat this year evolved around the use of the mast.

Would be great if it does work, I love to see development like this going on but I think there is still a lot of development to do yet.

Also out yesterday was Simon Hiscocks in his Foiling 600. Still battling with set up in it though, and getting slowly drawn towards the Moths...

Oh and Linton's latest foiler - a more of a foiler for the masses was also out yesterday evening. I didn't get any pics of it foiling, and few details are known about it yet so I'll save that for another post if I can find the time.

Three different foilers out in Foilertown in a beautiful 15k breeze and sunshine. [Will surely rain for the Worlds now!]

Paul goodison was also out 'training' with his model Laser, and Helena decided to take him on!

Update

Okay quick update:

Stupidly busy. Should have always predicted as much it is an Olympic and Paralympic year. Doh! Oh well, the 2.4 coaching is going well, and the GBR team as a whole were top nation at our unofficial test event in China. We've got Helena's new boat on the water, and have been getting that up to speed. As a result I've got a fair bit of 2.4 sailing in. Did another open in Poole the other weekend, in which I finished second to Megan Pascoe from our squad.

Moth wise, I've got out a bit in the protoype Velociraptor, so we are happy with the platform, and I know Dave has logged a lot of hours in it. Foil testing has also gone well, and we might have just about cured the ventilation issue...

I collected my new boat from Dave the other week, who'd moulded the prepreg hull, and assembled the foredeck, and wings. I then brought it down to my workshop to finish off, after we had an amazing thunderstorm in the early hours of the morning!

The boat is looking good. Weight is very good, and its very stiff. Aimed to get it done for the nationals, but I've got coaching commitments this week, and it looks like I'll be measuring boats for most of Friday so I won't rush it, I'll get all the nice details right and launch next week.

So the M3v gets back on the water if I can find all the bits! Will be good to catch up with everyone as its looking like a good turnout.

China

Okay, spoke too soon. Access to any blog whilst in China is impossible. I was able to update mine twice, but couldn't read any others. So now back in the UK and slightly jetlagged I'm catching up with all the Moth blogging news I've missed.

Good to read all the Worlds form guides that are now out. Always funny to read what people think. I suppose I'd better get on with my new boat though!

More importantly though is that my latest issue of Seahorse was in with my post pile, so I'll be stuck with my head in that for most of the day. 100 knot landyachts - how cool is that! Just one of many interesting articles.

Better catch up with my washing, emails, and some interesting little Moth projects in my workshop....

China

Okay connection to my blog is tricky.

Just moved into the Olympic village and it is very flash! Basically a 5 star hotel! Should be a good regatta.....

Out in China again

China is starting to feel like familiar territory now. Just got back out here again today ready for the 2008 IFDS Qingdao International Regatta - unnofficially a Paralympic Games test regatta in the Olympic & Paralympic sailing site.

Just battling the jet lag at the moment, so thought I'd check if I could blog from here, as last time I seemed to be blocked.

Freaky Foiler

Great to see more foiling boats, or should it be craft in this case? Not the prettiest of foilers, but great to see more development going on.

Check out the end of the video, for what happens to the tempory hulls when she crashes slightly!

Good article on the DailySail about it.

Poole Moth / Windsurfing Squadron

I caught up with the Poole Mothing & Windsurfing Squadron the other night. After a very windy day windsurfing was throught to be the best option, but the breeze quickly died, and we rapidly rigged Tom and Rod's Moths.

Bristol Corinthian Moth Open

I couldn’t get back in time from the South of France to be able to get my boat packed up and sorted for me to compete in the Bristol Moth open myself, but having found myself a lovely Moth sailing girlfriend, I went up as trolley dolly with plans to cast the fleet off and watch the F1 Grand Prix!

Katherine is on a fast track route to foiling! She’s got an old Axeman that we’ve got sorted into a good little lowrider, with my Mistress 3V ‘The Weapon’ on standby for her to use in the Worlds if she feels ready enough for it.

The wind didn’t comply with my wishes early on and the fleet sat around in the sun and near calm conditions. (And there was no tele to watch the Grand Prix on….) Rod Harris lead the fleet into the water for a swim, only to lose his gps off his wrist, and prompt a bit of free diving to the bottom of the lake to retrieve it! It was a successful mission, but at the expense of Mr Whicher’s rash vest which was taken off in the diving attempts, and found not to float!



The breeze started to fill in and the lowriders were first onto the water to go for a sail, but it came in quite quickly and the fleet leapt into action. It felt a little funny watching a Moth race from the shore, but I kept myself busy with Rod’s camera, and my fancy new image stabilised binoculars to keep an eye on proceedings. Mike Cooke showed the fleet the way round in impressive style.

Katherine decided to sit the next race out, and let me take out the funky purple Axeman for race 2. I think she’d just seen the rain cloud coming though as the heavens opened on us, making for a marked contrast to the sunbathing earlier in the day.

I got off the line well, but those evil foilers just flew past me! (Apologies to all those lowriders I’ve buzzed in the last few years!) Tom, Mike and Rod shot off to leeward, but not before I’d dug out my camera and got a quick shot of them! There were still some light patches so I played the right hand side, delighted to see the foilers struggling to remain in the air out on the left! Oh we might have a race on… With torrential rain by now it was hard to see where the pressure was, and it was funny watching foilers zig zagging around in search of something. I think I rounded the top in 4th or 5th, just ahead of Rod, so I had to get a photo of him! With a light run next I managed to pull away from him and started to chase down Mr Whicher. We had a great little tussle with many lead changes, and if it wasn’t for a slight navigational error on my behalf at the club finish line I’d have got him, but it was a beep, beep finish, for 4th and 5th with Tom deciding to wrap himself around the committee boat anchor line for a while!

I think I’ll retire from lowriding now though, and recommend anybody considering the change to foils to do it early. As long as you can handle the low speed handling of a lowrider, you’ll be able to sail a foiler. I think lowriders are harder in many conditions.

Special mention of the day must got to Alan Watson. Alan ripped his tramp on the Saturday, and stayed up until 3am stitching it up again (then rumoured to go out clubbing until 5am…) It unfortunately ripped again during the first race on Sunday. Not to be deterred though he returned ashore, and covered the ripped area with a towel! Lashed the corners to the wingbars, and went back out to claim 3rd overall in the open!

GILL

Gill have signed up to sponsor me again for 2008. It is great to be able to continue my association with them. I’ve been a product tester for them since I was a very small little National 12 crew (and Mike Cooke was even smaller!), and have worn their kit for my personal sailing for almost 15 years now. Not the same kit though you’ll be please to read!

Moths in Hyeres

In vague Moth news Mark Robinson, and Gary Ireson are both out here in Hyeres.

Had an unofficial Moth class executive meeting today as I caught up with Mark Robinson, while Gary was in trouble with the French Police! He wasn't able to chat up some young policewoman this time like his speeding down to Poole incident, instead it was two very grumpy Frenchmen!

He''d set up his Zhik trailer on the main road in Hyeres marina, and the local shops had complained that he was selling kit from it! Displaying of his passport, taking down of details, and a prompt removal of the trailer later all seemed okay, although I haven't seem him again since.....

He's in serious training though. His Moth is out here with him, after his Palma training camp, and I caught him out running this morning! He spied me drinking tea as he ran past the British base camp!

New Top Speed

Okay so I haven't beaten my top Moth speed, but I have managed a new personal best in a 2.4m. Surfing in big waves yesterday I managed to get to 11.4 knots! which was pretty good considering the hull speed of a 2.4m is 3.8knots!

We are sure Helena got up to nearer 15k when she got surfing towards Richard Langdon who was doing a photo shoot, and she got caught in his rib wake as well, and had a near miss with the outboard. It is a great video! Surely to appear on a Volvo Sailing podcast soon.

My view from onboard.

Helena Lucas mid surf, digging a big hole in the water.

Launching off a wave!

KiteWing

Okay this looks very cool... Possibly something to play with if Portland harbour ever froze over!

Worlds Poll

Rohan has put up a poll for people to vote on who they think will be in the top 5 at the Worlds.

http://www.moth.asn.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1766

I'll leave my form guide for a little while.

People seem to think it is going to be a light winds Worlds, but I think we'll get a bit of everything. Certainly not the 6k average somebody quoted! 10-15k would be my guess.

Although with 50k on the breakwater wall today, it might be all gone by the summer!

FBG Foiling

A worthy bit of foiling news is that the 'Fat Bottomed Girl' has been taken foiling by her owner and builder Emma! Who now understands what all the fuss is about!

Check out http://bristol-moths.blogspot.com/

Paralympic Team Announced

The official Skandia Team GBR Paralympic Team representatives were announced yesterday. We knew unofficially after Miami, but no announcement could be made until the British Paralympic Assiciation had approved the nominations.

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Six of Britain’s top disabled sailors have today been named as part of the Paralympics team for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Britain qualified and will be represented in all three Paralympic boat classes at the Games – the Sonar – a three-person keelboat, the SKUD – a two-person keelboat or and the 2.4mR single-handed keelboat.
The British Sonar crew in Beijing will be the same as Athens in 2004, with skipper John Robertson, aged 36 (Sunderland), again leading 22-year-old Hannah Stodel (West Mersea, Essex) and 31-year-old Stephen Thomas (Bridgend, South Wales). This team, which won world championship golds in 2005 and 2006, finished sixth at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004 so will be looking to better this placing at the Games this September.
Thomas, who now lives in Cardiff, is a talented multi-sport athlete who also represented Great Britain at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin as part of the Ice Sledge Hockey team that finished seventh.
In the 2.4mR one-person keelboat, Southampton’s Helena Lucas will represent Great Britain. Lucas, who turns 33 at the end of this month was a reserve for the Sonar crew in Athens 2004, however this will be her first Paralympics as a full competitor.
Lucas, who finished fourth in the selection regatta in January – the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta – won silver at the 2006 World Championship to secure Britain a place in this class in Beijing.
Finally, with the SKUD-18 class making its debut to the Paralympic Games in Beijing Paralympic newcomers Alexandra Rickham (Epsom, Surrey) and Niki Birrell (Knutsford, Cheshire) will be looking to make a mark for GB in this inaugural competition.
Twenty-one year-old Birrell previously sailed in the Olympic 470 class before starting his Paralympic sailing career in the 2.4mR single-handed keelboat. He joined forces with Epsom’s Rickham, who will celebrate her 27th birthday during the Beijing Paralympics, to vie for selection in the two-person SKUD class. The pair finished fifth in the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in January before taking bronze at the US Disabled Open Midwinters regatta in March to secure their berth in this boat class.
ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane, said: “It is fantastic to be able to name the British sailing squad for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
“With the SKUD class making its debut to the Games in September we are delighted to be taking a larger number of sailors to the Games to contend for more medals than ever before and we hope to see the squad live up to sailings reputation in Britain as one of the country’s most successful sports.
“To be selected for a Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career and an achievement that these athletes should be proud of. We wish them the best of luck over the next few months as they put in their final preparations for the Games.”
Sailing Team Manager Stephen Park said: “We’re pleased that the RYA’s nominated sailors have been accepted as part of ParalympicsGB for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
“These six sailors, although a mix of youth and experience when it comes to the Paralympic Games itself, are all proven performers at elite disabled sailing events on the world stage, and represent Great Britain’s strongest chance of success in Qingdao in 2008 while at the same time building towards a successful home Games at Weymouth and Portland in 2012.”
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on 6 September and closes on 17 September. The sailing events at the Games take place in Qingdao in East China at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre and will run from September 8 with finals scheduled for 13 September.

Update

I've been really poor on the blogging front recently. Loads is happening that I want to report, but don't seem to have time to write about it, and want to do it all justice so put it off until I have time, and then never do.

So in brief, we launched the prototype Velociraptor last week. It was a day of sitting around waiting for the breeze to drop.

I logged some more time in it yesterday, and I'm happy with the shape, the general feel and its stiffness. Did my little torsion test on it, and its stiffer than my last boat, which was already quite stiff. We've confirmed our tweaks for the more production version. So my Worlds boat is in production while I'm away in Hyeres, and China. Quite nice to have had a test boat to try some ideas out on.

Logging loads of time in the 2.4 at the moment, doing tuning runs against the girls in a new boat. Frustrating to not be in the Moth, but a very interesting way to get to know the breeze in Portland harbour. Travelling at 3.8 knots with a compass and a nice jib in front of you makes the shifts a bit easier to spot than flying along in the Moth!

In other news I heard the other day about an interesting rather classified hybrid hydrofoil big boat project, that sounds very cool. It goes public in the next Yachting Monthly. So hydrofoils in one way or another are taking over!