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Experience with the H2 |
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H2 
Really should get out more 
Joined: 26 Jul 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 750 |
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 Topic: Experience with the H2Posted: 01 May 18 at 1:07pm |
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Hey Mozzy - thanks for asking! It was weird being back at Itchenor, as a newly married man I was a member of that club and tried to teach my wife how to sail on a Laser 4000 which with hindsight was a terribly bad idea and very unfair.
We had seven boats out which was fewer than I was hoping to see but the racing was still great fun. Three races back to back in a 8-10 knot breeze with the event being won by Alistair Glen who a Google search would indicate is no slouch in a range of boats including Solos and Merlins. I came in second in the first two races and third but within yards of first on the last race (!). Jims advice was invaluable in making the boat go but on the day Alistair was better than me and at 12 kg lighter had the edge off wind. Next open is at Warsash over two days so I am hoping for some stronger winds and bigger waves so see if I cannot bring fitness and brawn to bear on the results. Like most new fleets - I suspect that the top three or four boats were pretty evenly matched with the lead swapping hands on most legs and good close racing but then the mid and tail end there was quite a difference in boat speed from the front but hopefully Jim's words when shared as a set up guide will help address some of that!
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H2
Really should get out more
Joined: 26 Jul 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 750 |
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Posted: 04 Jun 18 at 12:38pm |
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Been good to see the steady stream of new boats rolling out of Keith & Simon's workshop - always interesting to see the colour scheme people plum for; a bit like what people say about the dog you own...tends to look like the person!
At South Cerney the fleet of H2s has also been growing and by the end of our first anniversary of my boat showing up at the club we will have a fleet of six boats with two of the clubs better sailors coming over from the Solo's - the latest is Andy Miles - which will give us all something to chase! Interestingly the RYA EN of 1037 was not accepted by SCSC and we sail off 1022 which is the same as a d-zero but even with this tweak to the handicap the H2s are still winning races / series in the handicap fleet. If we keep up the growth in numbers we will soon have our own fleet start!
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H2 #115 (sold)
H2 145 OK 2082 |
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H2
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Joined: 26 Jul 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 750 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 8:10am |
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Just back from our Nationals at Herne Bay - what a lovely club - it was so well run and the team there were by far the friendliest I have ever found at a sailing club. Over the three days they turned out 57 volunteers to help run the event!! The racing was run by David Henshall (Dougie) which was amazing also with courses that were well laid for the conditions and no waiting around between races. The racing was held over three days with seven races of around 45 minutes each in winds from 10 to 20 knots mostly wind against tide so a decent chop as well.
The event continued to shine a light on how versatile the H2 is to sail. For example, the top three helms covered a weight range of 82kg to 100kg but there was one guy who was under 75kg who still finished in the top 8 boats even though he was at a significant disadvantage in the prevaling conditions. The top three also hailed from clubs that sail on open sea, estuary and gravel pond. What was most striking though was that whilst the boat is clearly very comfortable to sail - the eldest competitor is over 70 years old and he completed all seven races coming home 14th out of 18 boats entered. I cannot think of many other classes where that would be possible in force three and four over three days? However - it is not an old mans boat - two of the top three were in their mid 40s and one is late 50s; it is a boat that can be sailed by the older helms all day long but it is also a boat that can be sailed hard and fast by the younger helms and I reckon this is an area that the class will continue to attract new helms as people get to see the boat in action. Personally - I finished third overall. On balance I had good speed upwind but suffered with a lack of experience in the waves off wind especially at the start of the event so all my hard won gains upwind were rapidly undone on the way back down! By the end of the weekend I was at least keeping up with the majority but clearly an area for practice and further improvement. The thing that I most enjoyed though was the banter in the fleet both ashore and whilst racing. It was good tough racing without any cheating and a genuine care for one another mixed with a lot of laughter - something that is increasingly rare at too many of these events!
Edited by H2 - 10 Sep 18 at 8:12am |
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H2 #115 (sold)
H2 145 OK 2082 |
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iGRF
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Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 8:36am |
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Just been discussing that with Dougie over on Facebook, I was supposed to be there on the friday but traffic delays on the way to dropping a daughter at Gatwick and leaving my phone behind meant I couldn't co-ordinate a visit with my pal Barry to see you all. He did however make it and liked the look of the boat, he wasn't however impressed with the number of you chucking yourselves in.
Pond sailors said I, probably he agreed, but it still looks a bit iffy. They probably haven't got to grips with the way they position themselves on the tunnel to react quickly enough in a rock and roll dead run in a cross chop, how wavy was it? said I, it's Herne bay FFS you can play billiards on their water. The guys in front seem to handle it OK, but it was the same ones, in the lead all the time. Pro jocks probably said I, they normally show up to pot hunt at nationals in new classes... But what did you think of it.. Need a go in one first, it looks dodgy said he. Edited by iGRF - 10 Sep 18 at 8:39am |
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423zero
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Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3420 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 9:11am |
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Well done H2 with your 3rd place.
Glad your Nationals went well. |
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turnturtle
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Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 9:11am |
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57 volunteers for 18 competitors.... I hope you guys spent a lot at the bar.
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H2
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Joined: 26 Jul 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 750 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 9:19am |
Well 18 boats at the nationals out of 35 boats made is not too bad and not too bad compared to a number of classes that are supposed to be mainstream. But yes I was amazed at the number of volunteers that HBSC mobilised for us. It is not one of the "mega clubs" in a prime location but as a result they were really happy to host us and it was great to see the club members and H2 fleet all socialising and having fun! The way that HBSC ran it was really stunning and it was a major factor in the fun we all had.
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H2 #115 (sold)
H2 145 OK 2082 |
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H2
Really should get out more
Joined: 26 Jul 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 750 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 9:28am |
Would have been great to see you there Graeme but glad Barry made it. The breeze was South West so it felt calm standing at the club but was a good Force 4 with gusts out where we were racing and with wind against tide for the majority of the races there were plenty of waves too. I went for a swim on the first race which was a result of trying too hard down the first run in an attempt to stay at the front and hold off Ian and Alistair who were bloody fast downwind. I think there were one or two other swimmers but mostly people who were out for a demo sail and had never sailed the boat before - one of whom was a 70 year old ex-Hornet Nat champ. We did not seem to get any pot hunters this year, all the top boats are long term owners. Ian Sanderson who won it has some good results in the Blaze (top 5 I think) and Alistair Glen who came second has sailed most things fairly well over the years. It can be sailed by 70 year olds as a stable boat all day long - just crank the kicker on and its stable but if you want to be at the front you have to get brave and be physical with the boat. Something for everyone!
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H2 #115 (sold)
H2 145 OK 2082 |
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Dougaldog
Far too distracted from work 
Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356 |
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 11:58am |
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I've gone from one event straight on to my next - and over the course of 3 days we're probably using up 40+ duties. We had a dozen people out afloat each day and that is before you've had your first cup of coffee, bacon buttie, drink in the bar, lunch, on floors that have been cleaned and loo paper changed. That same number could do 20 boats or probably 40..... which is why it is important for clubs to ensure that visiting fleets bring a critical mass. There could have been more entries, a couple of helms were injured but there shouldn't have been much of a wind guru effect as there was something for everyone. But it does make you wonder about some people when the organisers put on a very good event, only for some helms to not turn up, even after entering and paying, for the most bizarre of reasons! As to the conditions, we all know that iGRF has to sail in conditions off the south Kent coast that resemble the back end of Cape Horn (funnily enough I've raced all along that coast, from Downs to Hastings and don't recall conditions any worse than at Lancing, Worthing, Eastborne, Pevensey or any of the other great dinghy spots in the SE) but HAD HE BEEN THERE - rather than just relying on hearsay - he would have seen the Committee Boat, a heavy, deep keeled trawler yacht, being thrown around by a sea state that made standing up to sight the line a two handed task - holding on was an essential part of the whole day. I've been RO for many of the single hander fleets at some point - Phantoms, Bytes, Lasers, Vareos to name just a few, and now the H2s and I didn't see any gratuitous capsizing. The ex-Hornet sailor who had been loaned a boat and, having never set foot in one before set out in those conditions had more than a few swims, but the rest seemed to enjoy their time afloat. I'd also very happy to also report that the rule observance in the fleet was first class - turns being done were spotted with respect for each other - and the sport very evident. I'm not a Herne Bay member (was asked to guest at this event) but I too thought that the club put on a superb event in the best of traditions - had I not been in the frame for RO for this I too would have been looking for a boat to borrow! Dougal
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Dougal H
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Posted: 10 Sep 18 at 12:29pm |
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Well done H2 and Dougal, sounds like a good event. Hopefully the class can go back in 5-10 years with 50+ boats to drink the bar dry in repayment to the volunteers!
...and that's the thanks you get for inviting someone to try your class!
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