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rb_stretch View Drop Down
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Posts: 742 		Post Options Post Options   Quote rb_stretch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 19 at 8:33pm
Originally posted by Sam.Spoons

There was a lot of debate in windsurfing circles about the effect of sailor weight vs board weight. Consensus, purely empirically, was that once you were powered up the extra power bigger guys could harness worked in their favour but board weight was always a bad thing. When displacement sailing lightweights have a big advantage but big guys can still do well if they have good pumping technique (pumping is legal on Raceboards).


I think the board weight effect in planing boards is amplified, because nearly all the sailor weight is dynamic weight that can serve to increase power through pumping, ooching etc. I know that I could tell by feel, the difference of @1 kg (which was the difference in weight between two versions of a Mistral Electron that I tested before buying the lighter one).
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maxibuddah View Drop Down
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Posts: 1758 		Post Options Post Options   Quote maxibuddah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 19 at 9:02pm
Crew weight will at least be normally in the right place on the boat whereas boat is normally distributed in the wrong places, unless of course it's correctors.

Edited by maxibuddah - 16 Oct 19 at 9:03pm
Everything I say is my opinion, honest
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giraffe View Drop Down
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Posts: 148 		Post Options Post Options   Quote giraffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 19 at 9:04pm
If you want your class to be successful it needs to steadily be building boats. There needs to be a trickle down of kit, boatbuilders will always strive to build a better product. Rules need to move with the time. In a class like a solo it should be slow and steady. Sails wear out and need replacing. Hulls become less stiff, although in recent years this is less of an issue. To sell boats there needs to be an incentive for people to want to buy boats. The risk is that if there is no development investment goes into ever increasing spend on control systems. I don’t get the carbon rig, the carbon boom can be made at home so I think that is a good idea. I would probably reduce weight over a period of time. You cannot ignore the Aero which is changing the game.

You can hit the top 10 at a national level in a wooden boat. But you have to be good, and fit and practiced.
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Posts: 6491 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 19 at 9:39pm
Originally posted by Sam.Spoons


There was a lot of debate in windsurfing circles about the effect of sailor weight vs board weight. Consensus, purely empirically, was that once you were powered up the extra power bigger guys could harness worked in their favour but board weight was always a bad thing. When displacement sailing lightweights have a big advantage but big guys can still do well if they have good pumping technique (pumping is legal on Raceboards).

In div2 times I'd always back volume over weight, better 290 litres at 18 kilos than say 260 lites at 16 kilos because predominantly it was displacement sailing. There must be some sort of equation for this stuff by now at naval architect school.

As to pumping, I could always out pump most all thetime the sail size was manageable, 6.3 in div 2, 7.5 raceboard even 8.5 at a push, but once it went to 9.5sq mtr and as is the case now 9.8, the heavyweights pretty much took over.

I guess the extra size brought the threshold for being powered up further down the wind scale. Lots of folk used to think that the 8.5 the Solo boasts was more of a heavier sailors rig, which I guess back when we were sailing 6.3 and 7.5 maybe it was, but it felt relatively easier to me compared to say the Solution or the EPS, being a lighter person and more susceptible to sail size with the rigs being as fixed as they are in Solo's without the benefit of a carbon mast and half decent depower methods.

Edited by iGRF - 16 Oct 19 at 9:41pm
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3362 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 19 at 10:14pm
For me the 7.5 RB was the ideal compromise between power and manageability, suitable for older or less fit club sailors and ladies. Beyond that brute force started to become an issue*. Being from a dinghy sailing background I always enjoyed the finesse element at least as much as the HiHo part. FW with it's 12m sails (which prompted the move to 9.5m Raceboard sails) totally killed it for me, I didn't do many nationals but, after the demise of the 7.5 class it became a contest of how long you could pump a big scil for (then FW and it's min wind speed totally buggered it for us normal racers), I completely lost interest.

*IMHO, the UKWA should have replaced the UL class with the International 9.5 class and retain the 7.5 class, many more grass roots sailors had invested in 7.5 kit and, at club and regional level in the NW it is still the most (only) active RB rig.


Edited by Sam.Spoons - 16 Oct 19 at 10:18pm
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ian.r.mcdonald View Drop Down
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Posts: 440 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ian.r.mcdonald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 19 at 2:45pm
The Association have just published an update. None of the proposed changes will be put to a vote and the Solo will continue in its existing popular form.

I think our builders phones will be busy on Monday with enquiries about orders!

I disagreed with the proposals, but well done the Committee in giving up their time to work for the class.
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zeon View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Post Options Post Options   Quote zeon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 19 at 3:26pm
Oh well that’s  a shame but not surprising. Changes will only be proposed and passed  when sales of new boats slows . 
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3362 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 19 at 4:17pm
I think it's a sensible move. From a purely selfish POV introducing the changes would have made me less likely to consider a Solo in the future.
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zeon View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Post Options Post Options   Quote zeon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 19 at 4:38pm
Originally posted by Sam.Spoons

I think it's a sensible move. From a purely selfish POV introducing the changes would have made me less likely to consider a Solo in the future.

With me , it’s the exact opposite. The thought of a solo without a coffee table, with carbon boon and 3kg less weight sounded a very good place to spend my retirement money . 
Oh well its probably for the best . At least I can retain some self respect lol  LOL LOL
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3362 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 19 at 6:02pm
Since I won't be buying a new boat, the changes would have made buying something uncompetitive less attractive.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 25 Oct 19 at 6:03pm
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