P&B at the B14 National Championships

by Ben McGrane, P&B 20 Jul 2014 13:48 BST 20 July 2014

NEW, DIFFERENT, BETTER!

Last week was my second major championship in the B14. It was a really enjoyable 4 days which ended in victory, proving that all the hard work had been worthwhile.

Last year with limited time to prepare we went to the world championships with untested sails and a borrowed boat. What was good was that the main and spinnaker proved effective right away. We derived the designs from the already successful I14 sails but with the B14 mast being so soft it was impossible to directly transfer the mould shape however through the information we had already gathered on the I14 rig and with the bend tests carried out on the B14 we knew what we had to adjust to achieve the desired flying shape. The jib last year wasn’t quite right, it was too flat and proved to be our achilles heel in the light wind and chop. We filled out the luff on the MK1 Jib at the end of last year with a positive result which then gave us the target for a MK2 jib. The new shape proved to be spot on! In fact the MK2 is so good I have asked for an I14 jib to be made off the same mould design, I think this will prove a really great sail for lighter winds and as the I14 always allows two jibs to be registered it has to be worth a try. I think this is an important part of sailing and development, recognising what has worked in one class may easily transfer to another class if sailed in a similar way and at similar speeds.

I’m really pleased that our B14 sails are on the pace and while our tactics were solid last week we always had the speed to get where we wanted on the race course. We had all the gears to sail the boat in difficult lanes when pressured by other boats. At a venue like Torbay where it is shifty, confidence to be able to sail for height or foot when needing to hold or create a lane is critical to staying on the lifted tack or to keep going towards the next pressure band. I’ve come away from the week pleased that I think we sailed 11 well thought out races but I think speed was our key strength. With more time this year I’ve been able to think about the boat and took the oppurtunity to work on the boat setup. Making sure the rig was square in the boat and other tuning basics should never be forgotten or ignored. Setting the heel position slightly further back in the boat with less rake proved effective, finding these small changes which makes a rig work best with the sail designs and your sailing style is vital to success.

The B14 sails development has, in a lot of ways had the same outcome as the I14, they are very easy to use allowing the kicker to be applied early to get the leech to stand up and then flattening and de-powering incredibly well when the cunningham is applied. Being able to change gears with basic controls is key to maximising speed around a course whilst still being able to focus on the racing itself. This is always my greatest goal when working on rigs and sails these days, not only is speed key but it has to be easy to use!

Most importantly from my perspective is knowing that the sails along with the finishing of the boat were P&B’s own work, not just a copy of what had already been done in the class by other suppliers. By using our knowledge and applying it to come up with a different solution we have produced a winning package. As in all the classes we service, was done with a view to innovate, not just the sails which are visibly different in profile, shape, panel layout and materials but also making toe straps, which are lighter so they stay in the air to help you can get your feet under them after a tack, and tramps made from WeatherMax cloth, which has good grip with rubber boots but you can slide in and out on with a neoprene wetsuit, subtle changes but they made all the difference to how the boat performed and how we could sail it compared with last year.

757 is 14 years old and the guys in the P&B South workshop did an excellent job of taking her from a tired boat to one which was finished to a winning standard and will now be good for years to come. Making the hull watertight, getting a good hull and foil finish and making the systems all work with new hardware and rope where required made for a stress free event. Looking back over the past year I’m pleased that we can say the workshop achieves what we originally set out to do, the work undertaken is consistently finished to the highest standard and as a result we are not only giving customers their boats back with fantastic results but also helping them achieve their sailing goals!

For more information on P&B Sails or for a workshop quote contact us via email or call 01489 577748.

Product of the week
Normally this is Adrian’s chance to tell you about something he has in store which is proving popular but this week I’m going to steel his thunder and make Zhik Power Pads product of the week. With my hikers having died after the Merlin Nationals last year and with Roz having been so pleased with her Power Pads I decided to give them a go, the spreading of the load on the back of the leg is very good and the pads don’t move around which is excellent, most impressive was how little they restricted my movement around the boat and I happily wore them on the lighter wind days without really noticing they were there except for when I needed to lean out!

15% off Zhik purchases in store at P&B South until the end of the month!

EPOXY REPAIR KIT

ONLY £37.55

The Epoxy Repair Kit is a handy self-contained kit which contains all materials to carry out quick structural and sealing repairs on GRP, wood and steel boats.

Buoyancy Aid 50N

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NEW for 2013 the P&B Buoyancy Aid is fully adjustable for comfort and a side entry zip to avoid snagging whilst moving around the boat.

PERFORMANCE DECKSHOE

£89.95
Normal Price: £100.00
You Save: £10.05 (10%)

The Musto Performance Deckshoe combine classic style with technical performance. Leather upper with mesh detail and a sturdy GripDeck Sole which won't slip.