Building to optimise performance

There was also an Albacore builder (Kingsfield) who build some boats which were either very close to the tolerance or even outside it but there were so many build before they measured them that they got a special dispensation from the assoc to race. These boats also plane earlier and are very difficult to get hold of as the owners mostly keep hold of them!

 

Matt Allot of the kingsfield albacores didnt measure and had to be modified to measure, they are fast planing boats but still not as quick allround as the old woof design which is allot better all round and still the bench mark for the rest of the albacore fleet here and ovver the pond.kings fields are only hard to get hold of because there wasnt many made.  They do still come up for sale, but there is always very very few albacores available forsale.

 

I also seem to remeber when i owned a solo, the association inspecting speed boats through complaint's from other solo sailers about how the distributed the weight of there frp boats, this was proved incorrect but it makes you wonder, how far these builders push to the limits.

I really don't want to knock Cherubs but when I sailed on it was really poor in the lulls, slow and lots of leeway.  However a little puff got the crew out on the wire and it was fantastic, naturally it was faster but the real impression it made with me was that suddenly it pointed very well.

It was a similar problem to sailing an asymmetric downwind in gusty conditions.  If you get a gust you can sail deep and fast but in the lulls you might have to put a couple of extra gybes in.  The Cherub was like that upwind, sometime you were struggling to lay the mark and then you get a gust and you overstand!

Definitely optimised for wind.

JimC, I sure you're right about that.  Just a bit more important to keep the weight well forward in the light stuff.

I notice the 800 is quite capable of being beaten boat for boat by the 4000 when it gets really light.  They have flatter sterns but unfortunately they also collect water in the cockpit.  However having sailed one I know its the small centreboard that really kills it.  The 4000 has quite a big board for its size.

Mind you this is all academic since both boats are dogs at these low wind speeds and really the best place to be is in the bar.

Originally posted by redback if now, in retrospect would make the rear a little flatter?  I would have thought so.

Bearig in mind the 4 tonner is already pretty sticky in the light ore wetted surface at the transom might not be a good move!

All that being said. I've seen some guys sail very fast in what was concidered to be very slow at the time. In stressing one point of sail over another, you would tend to enhance performance in one area and degrade it in another. Now do you help your strong point of sail to be stronger or do you help out your weak points?

Time spent on the water vs. time spent pondering this question would be a better use of time. But then with temps < 0 C and snow on the ground, what other options are there?