Optimists and Sprit Secrets?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085
Printed Date: 08 Jul 25 at 4:21pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Optimists and Sprit Secrets?
Posted By: Do Different
Subject: Optimists and Sprit Secrets?
Date Posted: 19 Jul 15 at 8:50am
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Optimists. Without giving them fair attention I have always been "what's that, a box with an old square sail". Now though having seen them more closely and often performing very impressively in big winds I have recently been "alright, what is going on here" . Yesterday genuine measured mean mid 20s with 30knot gusts. The rig seemed to make sense to me, top was twisting off, nicely flat, power low down. What do those with the "knowledge" think, is it so old hat after all? |
Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 19 Jul 15 at 11:31am
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Any rig that is 'different' will have a different performance profile to the conventional, even if it's just unbelievably awful in light conditions and merely dreadful in strong. Similar variations will occur on different points of sailing.
Marchaj' observations of the crab claw style's behaviour have sent a few people down a funny path. It's worth being aware that the way we in the West race our sailboats puts a very big premium on upwind performance which would not be emphasised so much in sail craft used for other tasks. |
Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 19 Jul 15 at 1:43pm
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I take it there is no secret and you're not a fan then, any plus points? Along with gaffs best suited to Norfolk Wherrys, Humber Keels and Thames Barges? |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 19 Jul 15 at 1:52pm
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It may well be the best rig for a shapeless vegetable crate sailed by small children. But, you know, so what. For whatever my opinion is worth the Optimist suffers from needless complexity, excess expense, too high an age limit and far too great an emphasis on national and international competition.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 19 Jul 15 at 5:09pm
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Forgetting the expense the boat now incurs, the main advantage of the sail is that the centre of effort is very low, while keeping a reasonable area of cloth. The sail does twist off, but controlling that twist is tricky, which might explain he expense of racing sails. A tiny bit of it, anyway.
The shape is pretty good for blowing back down hill again, but the short luff not so good going the other way. Same could be said for the hull, mind, so maybe a good match! ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 20 Jul 15 at 8:40am
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The optimist is a fantastic little boat for getting young kids out on the water to purely muck about. For the racing side there is way too much complexity and measurement required. A friend of mine (former international measurer) said it takes 4 hours to measure an Optimist hull properly. Let alone the spars, sails and foils. Then once you buy new stuff you have to get it measured and then logged to the boat. When you sell it you have to get it removed from the log and the new owner get is logged to their boat. Far too much admin IMO. My daughter just loves to sail hers round the lake with her friends. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 20 Jul 15 at 11:21am
  ( just an excuse for posting pics of my boy :-) when he was little ) There is a lot of guff talked about Oppies, mostly from sail and hull makers, the parents buy it. Just like any other area in life, advertising feeds on personal paranoia. If you step outside of that you see that an old Oppie bought for £250 with a training sail pointed in the right direction wins races. Well in Sliver fleet at least. 2060 winning and placing second. ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 20 Jul 15 at 11:27am
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I actually think the sail (rig) is quite clever with good amounts of control with few controls. The biggest speed trick ( tricky bit ) is getting the right tension on the sail lashings for the conditions. IMV. ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 21 Jul 15 at 11:02am
I think you've hit the nail on the head there, Rupert. The low-aspect ratio, low lift/drag rig is fine on a boat like the Oppie that has a very low boatspeed-windspeed ratio. I don't see it catching on in America's Cup circles, though, where high-aspect, high lift/drag ratio sails are de rigeur. For those of us in between the two, we need (and mostly use) aspect ratios between the two. How best to adjust the sprit on an Oppie is, however, an art I've never delved into; interesting. ------------- http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class |