Duffing

So let's have some sailing duffering....

Today, apart from telling my RS200 crew 'that's the five minute gun ... why is everyone starting' and then getting all the control lines on the Laser intermingled, I came up with a new high in duffing.

I have one of those new metal clew sleeves on my Laser and every month or so, spray it with PFTE lubricant to allow it to move freely; however yesterday when I sprayed it, I did it over the deck.

BIG mistake in a gusty, swingy Force 4-6. I had no grip on the nice slippy boat deck and fell in whenever I needed to tack in a hurry.

Luckily the block fitting at the end of the boom broke and put me out of my misery as I ahd to retire

Any other sailing duffers out there?

hmmm, which tale from my first few outings in a 600 is least embarassing?

i think the one on the day of the topper open meeting. i was rigged and ready to go when all these toppers were hanging about waiting and it was a perfect day, sunny, wind SE 10-15 knots, perfect. i was itching to go sailin even though there wasn't really enough water. oh well sod that, who needs water? so i wiggle my way through in between all these toppers to the slip way go down the sip and have to beat out the haven. okay this shouldn't be too hard. ive had usual escort of about 3 people to get me off the slip way, set off out the have, get to the far side, tack, clear the wave screen think okay ive just about got enough speed to t.. CRUNCH! daggerboard on the bottom, run in to the boat, luff up, uncleat the rudder, pull up some dagger board and the boat promptly capsizes. please remember at this point the audience, about 30 topper sailors and associated parents, siblings and dogs all lined up along the wall, sniggering. thinking oh well this isnt too bad, ill just walk the boat upwind a bit, right it and go away. so i get to the bow, im only waist deep in water and start walking, at which point everyone has given up any pretence of discreetness and are outright laughing. oh well i think, ive beensailing a 600, ive lost all sense of dignity what with my 50 000 odd capsizes in the last 2 weekends.

lesson to be learnt: if an open meeting's on let everyone else lanch first, that way your only entertainment for the parents.

I sailed two races at a 600 open, when we launched it was really windy so I raked the rig back, but the wind dropped to almost nothing for the third race. I tried to adjust the rake on the water by using the trapeze as a temporary shroud, something I have done a few times before in worse conditions, but for some reason I slipped and lost the rig over the side!

Luckily it was recovered and there was no damage to the boat other than a few nicks in the progrip, but the rest of the races were abandoned so no discard! And to add insult to injury I was done for speeding on the way home....