X22 is back in Hamble after launching this week and a winter of alterations to systems, a raised cockpit floor and working with the sail loft team on the tweaks to the sails I’m pretty excited for the forthcoming season.
The XOD marked a real challenge for me last year, out of the dinghy sailing comfort zone and into a slow keelboat with very different demands. Ironically while the speeds are considerably different I drew greater comparisons to the I14 than the other boats I sail. Tactics become about the big picture, the long game and boat positioning, picking a bad lane or making extra manoeuvres come at a high premium and the focus is largely on executing a plan that will give you the ability to sail your race, as while you might find a speed edge in an XOD it won’t get you out of jail.
Last year was something of a learning year, from how to launch one, rig it and leave the pontoon right through to the racing and tuning. It was all new, I think we put a pretty good foundation in place to build on this year which will make for an exciting season as we look to give the old guard a hard time at Cowes Week.
P&B XOD sails, covers and spinnaker bags are available. For further information on our designs, services and pricing contact Ben McGrane via email
MY MUST HAVE LIST!
I sail in a lot of different classes and this week it was put to me is there ever a common factor, a piece of kit that I use in every boat and while I had never evaluated it in this way it made for an interesting list:
C2 Tiller Extension – I’ve been using these for the past 10 years, it doesn’t matter in which boat I have one. Tiller extensions are tricky and a lot comes down to personal preference but the C2 has various selling points, most notably it has a very good high grip finish and while it is a light weight carbon tube the laminate is seriously strong. In 10 years I have broken one and that was in an I14 where I wrapped it round the shroud and then landed on it, a seriously strong piece of kit which is never likely to let you down.
Grip Gloves – The sailing worlds best kept secret! I’ve never got on with sailing without gloves but whatever boat, helm or crew I use these. I think the extra grip goes a long way to allowing for the use of thinner lines as generally speaking ones choice of rope diameter is largely impacted by grip strength. Probably part of my love for these gloves is because I very rarely use a ratchet block on a mainsheet as I don’t like how it slows down the rate of mainsheet ease. I also think they go a long way to helping avoid fatigue.
Tacktick Compass – Doesn’t matter what boat or what the racing is I will always have a tack tick compass. A compass is a must have tactical tool and the Tactick Micro Compass is light weight and easy to read.
Liros Magic Pro – I use this rope on every boat, 6-8mm is great for sheets and 3-4mm works really well for control lines. SK78 low stretch core and I think the outer cover gives a great compromise of grip, flexibility and wear. I’ve also always found this line really easy to splice and taper.
Two hats – I’ve always carried a warm hat as the easiest and lightest item you can have on a boat to keep warm between races. Quite often I will start a race wearing one and it gets thrown into the boat on the first off-wind leg where it stays until the end of the race. I also like a cap or peak, I don’t like sunglasses as I find it harder to see wind on the water and they get blurred after the first wave. A cap is great for reducing glare especially when spinnaker trimming and if you are sailing in a wet boat it makes a big difference to the amount of water running down your face.
Sailing Watch – Whatever the boat I carry a watch, I tend to let the crew tell me time but I always like to have a back up even if I hardly look at it. I never use the tactick compass as a countdown as I like to be able to use the compass during the sequence but if for whatever reason my watch isn’t working it’s a great back up when sailing single handed.
So that’s the list, no matter the boat these are the 6 things I know I will always choose to have.
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