Garda

Looks fabulous  - Early in the morning by any chance?

To anyone who's worrying about the Ramp, the Tolls, the long drive, how good the campsite is, etc etc - Don't - Just get there and you will not regret it.

Launching at Riva.  The problem is the wind is straight onto the end of a ramp with only a couple of boat legths to leeward on the right is the harbour wall made from 2m diameter rocks and to the left is a bay but a wall all the way round.  So there is nowhere to go and if you get it wrong you are going to be on a lee shore made of very hard stuff.

Having said that we managed every time OK in a Laser 4000.  Oh I forgot to mention the ramp is 2 boat lengths in width and goes about ankle deep into the water and then it drops away to 30m. 

For a 4000 the technique is this.  You need at least 2 helpers.  You tie a rope to the trolly axles because you are going to sail off the trolley and the trolley has to be retrieved by a helper - without the rope it will sink to 30m.  You point the boat down the ramp, head to wind and with sails and rudder rigged and poke the dagger into the slot.  The crew gets onto the boat.  The helm stands beside the boat on what will be the windward side (often port side).  You push the boat - with help into the water - off the end of the slip - on its trolley.  The trolley sinks under the boat as the helm jumps aboard and kicks the rudder down a bit with his foot as the crew shoves the board down a bit and sheets the jib.  The helm grabs the fall of the mainsheet to apply a bit of power and you make some progress away from the rocky harbour wall.  When you are far enough to windward to feel safe you can luff and get the rudder and board properly down and the sails sheeted in and off you go.  Meanwhile your helpers are retrieving your trolley with the help of the rope.  Remember it can be blowing quite a bit during all these manuovers.  If you get it wrong you are washed up against the harbour wall and no chance of sailing off.  I helped a couple of 5000s who got it wrong and they were surprisingly lightly damaged by the experience.  Everybody knows its difficult so everybody helps everbody else a great deal.

Coming back is equally daunting because be then the wind can be very strong and there's quite a chop.  You round up in a bay to the west about 800m away which is a little sheltered and drop the mainsail.  You need to tidy it up well and get the balance of the boat nicely under control (a 4000 is a tippy boat with no main and later no board).  Release the rudder and head for the ramp - you are going to sail dead downwind straight up it.  It is covered with carpet.  Make sure you don't get too close to the boat in front, stay upright at all cost and just at the last minute whip out the board and jump over the side.  There'll be loads of people to help you grab the boat and get it up the ramp onto a trolley before the next boat arrives.  There is no turning back and don't jump out to early - its 30m deep.

All part of the fun.