Boat Performance Index

Originally posted by Woodburner and even then body style will inevitably be the defining factor. Still you have to keep thinking maybe there's an answer..

You really have a problem with being short, don't you?

Lets take a look at the top 4 in the Lightning class championships this year: 1st place, maybe 5'10", 12 stone (not sure exactly, he might be offended by those figures...) sort of Laser sailor size. 2nd a bit over 5' tall and slight. Would not like to guess her weight, but kinda tiny. 3rd, over 6 feet tall, beanpole like. 4th, 5'5", 11 stone of belly flab. I really can't see a defining body type there. When the wind fills in more, the very light and the very unfit will drop a few places - of course they will, but I'm pretty sure you'll see that kind of spread in many classes around the country, even more so in 2 handed boats.

Once you start trying to win the worlds or get an Olympic medal, then the body type will become much more critical, as the skill levels will be so much closer and mistakes fewer, but even there is is mainly to do with trending towards an average so as not to be caught out in the light or the heavy. Why else would ideal Radial weights be different for men and women?

As for the answer - maybe you aren't really sure what the question is - better build a bigger computer...

Absolutely Rupert. Within certain parameters body types within a class vary. Fatter chaps do well in a blow, skinny chaps do better in the light. Good sailors always go well. 

Originally posted by Rupert Interestingly when looking up distances, it sems the records were set in the 80s, by drug fuelled nations. I know the Javelin has been altered to fly less far since, but does anyone know if the Hammer is still the same, and it is simply the Soviet drug programme which means it hasn't been beaten?

Edited by turnturtle - 18 Mar 15 at 2:11pm

Originally posted by craiggo Originally posted by Rupert Craiggo, have you seen the size of a Grad main these days? I certainly have given that I own Graduate 2928! While I agree the Grad has got a bit quicker thanks to the extra 1sqm of mainsail, I think it's fair to say that the new Miracles are also significantly quicker. Not only are they being made in super stiff FRP but they have adopted in-board jib sheeting. I'd certainly stuff them in with the Grad. It does seem however that the Miracle is superbly suited to open water and not so good on a very small inland lake, odd given where most of them are sailed.

And if true might explain why their PY is on the increase if the returns are coming from small waters.

Put it on a regular Blaze and that extra metre of sail and it now means -46 points      ..... got to be right has'nt it ?!  RYA says so ... and everyone else from clubs who have had Halo's for years to the very capable SJ series folk are plainly wrong.....