Laurent Giles 'Jolly Boat' Exeter |
J24 (Sail No. 4239) Dartmouth |
29er GBR 074 Tynemouth |
List classes of boat for sale |
Defeat at the hands of Europe! |
Post Reply | Page 123 6> |
Author | |
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options
Quote Reply
Topic: Defeat at the hands of Europe! Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 9:13am |
Followers of the Breezy spanking thread may recall my recent humiliation at the hands of Topper Girl, well this week they flew in her sister to administer similar punishment in light wind, this time using a similar small boat with a tiny sail, called a Europe (although it looks like OK on its sail logo).
I had lined up on time almost felt sorry for the young lass who was being a pain being on the line at exactly the right spot at the right time (turned out to be her daughter)as I had to sail over her as I got clear and a great start that should have seen me at the windward mark 1st, but no.. heading out of the slightly favoured port end into a mild header, this little blue rocket ship stormed off the line, in very similar fashion to the time Dan Holman came out from under me in his Punk up at Broxbourne. Only in a much smaller boat with a smaller sail and she banged every shift on the nose and rounded ahead, then was gone, 'I'll nail her off wind thought I', but it wasn't to be for some reason as yet still unknown,(probably kicker abuse or lack of it) I'm sailing like the proverbial slug and as the race progresses she pulls further and further away, nobody catches her, not even Rooster man. Inspirational sailing, watching somebody that good, turns out she was second to somebody called Shirley Robinson in the Europe trials back in the day who went on to win a Gold medal, but has since had twins and no longer sails. Unfortunately she's just visiting, Karen Maine she's called, sails down at Warsash normally so not going to be much help going forward, save to indicate just how useless a single handed helm I still am and how much work there still is. Or the other time honoured alternative for the incompetent - the cheque book and the dinghy show Edited by iGRF - 17 Feb 14 at 9:15am |
|
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 9:47am |
A picture of the offender mid tack, by this time I'm now back in 4th having been over taken by the rooster and my Hythe club mate in his Laser, but neither of them caught her she was that quick
|
|
Punky
Groupie Joined: 11 Feb 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 90 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 9:56am |
Nice boat the Europe. We have one at Chew and it is generally about Solo speed but in a more petite package. K253 is a pretty old one though, she must be good!
|
|
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 10:03am |
She is good, so is her daughter that pic doesn't show here style but check out the girl in the topper below, that style, absolutely exactly what I want to try and achieve it's identical to the way we sail long boards. That's what she looked like most of the time. Head and shoulders forward leaning in the direction she's going, totally focussed... No ropes wrapped round her feet, helmet fallen over her eyes, dry suit wedged up cracks, boots not fitting into toe straps, kicker things coming undone, bent rudder arm getting in the way, cramp getting at your calf... Edited by iGRF - 17 Feb 14 at 10:07am |
|
getafix
Really should get out more Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2143 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 11:00am |
Ah, time on the water.....never miss-spent (or almost never in my case!).
A lot of negativity on this forum about 'squads' and the RYA's performance system, but when you see the results - someone who probably hasn't campaigned for ~10 years, kicking ar$e in an old Europe (no disrespect intended) you realise there's a lot of good being done, and passed on.
I have learnt as much from sailing with and against people in my teens in classes like Toppers, Mirrors, Lasers and 420's as I have learned in the 20+ years since. Probably a lot more if I really thought about it. ~8 years ago, I went to a Solo training day, at one point we did follow the leader behind the rescue boat. Afterwards, the guy doing to training asked me about how long I'd sailed Lasers for, I asked why and he said he could tell from the way I sat in the boat and used heel to steer as much as the rudder. Sometime after I went to Mr Rooster's talk and saw the theory explained, turns out sailing those Lasers and dealing with that awful rudder for many years gave me skills I didn't even know I had! |
|
laser193713
Really should get out more Joined: 13 May 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 889 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 11:05am |
Leaning forward shows a lack of fitness and can cause trouble in the knees. Do not copy this! In toppers it may be necessary to keep the weight in the right place but generally it is not a good technique, at all!
|
|
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 11:16am |
Well it looks cool and that's all that is important and all the time she not only looks cool but she's in front of me, then that's what I'm going to aspire to. You butt hanging over the side straining on the toilet style muppets can stick your technique where the sun doesn't shine, those girls do it for me..
|
|
Alan Gillard
Newbie Joined: 29 Jun 07 Location: Sheffield Online Status: Offline Posts: 35 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 2:29pm |
Topper girls style is spot on for the wind (well done her), weight forward slightly heeled, its not exactly blowing? Even though there is some breeze Toppers sail fastest at about 10 degree to upright. I suppose that she could do with a little more sheet tension just to flatten the sail at the front through bending the mast a bit more. Then put a little downhaul on just to take out the speed ripples coming off the luff. Looks to me if that is a Sails East Topper sail (replica sail), which are not quite the same as the class legal ones as its slightly heavier cloth? But then I am used to the original Hyde sails from some years back.
|
|
getafix
Really should get out more Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2143 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 5:20pm |
+1 ... Toppers, are IMO, a great boat for youngsters, really popular at our club (and others nearby) and still fab as a boat to handle a right pounding but still deliver decent racing in a wide wind range. Long way from the days of praddles, leaky bailers and dodgy transom sheeting....
|
|
Do Different
Really should get out more Joined: 26 Jan 12 Location: North Online Status: Offline Posts: 1312 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 14 at 5:51pm |
Hats off to you GRF for owning up to taking a lesson from the puppies.
Be it squad coaching or simply having lots of free fun hours. It goes to show the benefit of getting in the hours young, I'm sure it builds a feel that can never be taught to a mature adult. I messed about day after day after school from about ten years old helping to exercise and school ponies at my local yard and kept it up into horses until grown up life took over. I was always puzzled quite how the adults learners never seemed to quite "get it". Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm a mature dinghy racer. I don't hit people, stuff it in often, come last or generally make myself a liability but I can always tell when I'm up against someone who has those valuable hours from their childhood in the bank. I am sure they wonder why I can't "get it". |
|
Post Reply | Page 123 6> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |