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The rise of the OK |
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Fatboi
Posting king Joined: 09 Aug 16 Location: Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 189 |
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Topic: The rise of the OK Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 9:02am |
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Quite common not to use kicker upwind. Like Kaz said, can be done in many boats. You would do this even in the RS100, RS200, Solo and Laser.
Talking specifically to a boat with a traveler, you set this for how outboard you want the boom to be and then you can control the leech twist with the mainsheet as this will pull the boom down and alter the leech shape. Much easier to control with small sheet movement over changing kicker constantly for the breeze changes. Plus it makes the mast bend more uniformally, rather than pushing the gooseneck forwards and putting a big kink in the mast. As soon as you are getting overpowered and need to ease mainsheet, then you start kickering so the sail profile doesn't change as you ease the sheet. I guess the responsiveness of the mast in an an OK (Like the Finn), means you just drop the traveler and rake back a bit on the mast.
Edited by Fatboi - 27 Nov 19 at 9:03am |
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Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 9:17am | |
In the Europe, and I assume the OK, mast rake was opposite to normal. A more upright mast means more bend before the boom hits the deck, so a more repowered sail.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 9:18am | |
The OK does look a nice boat, but in the UK what is the advantage over a Solo? Good international regattas, but for a club sailor?
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 10:05am | |
It does, thanks, hadn't spotted the traveller, so can Solo's be sailed in the same way? Oh and has it a carbon mast? Just heard Roger Tushingham has acquired a new Ovington, so maybe its for ex windsurfers waiting to die? (he's so much older than me ) |
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L123456
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Apr 12 Online Status: Offline Posts: 500 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 10:58am | |
Change the record ... The OK is popular because it is one of the few true international classes that offer the opportunity to sail in international fleet all over the world ... that is an attractive option for some. There is a Solo fleet in NED but not much beyond that as far as I know.
Edited by L123456 - 27 Nov 19 at 11:13am |
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KazRob
Far too distracted from work Joined: 22 Oct 16 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 245 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 11:20am | |
There’s no doubt the Solo and OK do both pretty serve the
same market (adult singlehander racing), one locally in the UK and one more
widely spread around the world. I did have a Solo at the same time as my first
OK and the idea was to get better fleet racing up here in Scotland. Unfortunately
I didn’t get on with the Solo. It seemed really cramped at the back with the
way the centreboard case extends far back in the boat especially with the
kicker on. I also hated that coffee table centreboard capping and ended up
getting badly bruised shins every time I sailed it. It also felt quite ’dead’
compared to the OK. Not sure if it was the fully battened main or whatever but
I found and still find the OK really engaging to sail. There’s lots of subtleties
to it and while I seem to go a tad better every year it’s really hard to say what I’m
doing better. In short I just find the OK fits me better, the sailing style
suits me better and it puts a smile on my face every time I sail it which is
something the Solo never did for me. Plus I’ve always loved sailing at events
with people from other counties (and not just Brits on tour to somewhere nice
like Garda). And to be clear that's not to knock the Solo in any way – it
just didn’t suit me and there’s room for both. If anybody’s interested the
class does have a demo boat which is currently at Stokes Bay but can move
around the country if anybody wants to borrow it. |
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OK 2249
D-1 138 |
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L123456
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Apr 12 Online Status: Offline Posts: 500 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 11:39am | |
Plus of course the OK has no stays so running gives loads more options.
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KazRob
Far too distracted from work Joined: 22 Oct 16 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 245 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 4:02pm | |
Yes they do have carbon rigs now and so much better for
it I think. They are quite conservatively built and could no doubt be a lot lighter
but they are absolutely bullet proof because of that which is a good thing for
many. I understand the class didn’t want to encourage the sort of arms race
seen in the Finn and Europe Olympic campaigns outside dimensions are controlled with
reasonable +/- tolerances, no ultra-high modulus carbon is allowed and the mast has weight and
C of G limitations. It’s the same with the sails – still limited to Dacron as
they wanted to avoid excessively expensive sails appearing (£1700 for a 3DL
Solo sail I seem to remember), Dacron doesn’t shrink like laminate sails do and
they last much longer for most sailors. |
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OK 2249
D-1 138 |
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jeffers
Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 4:39pm | |
I would beg to differ on that. I used to find Dacron sails would stretch after a couple of seasons use (if not much sooner for some classes). By contrast that class I sail now which has a nice laminate sail made by North the sails just keep going on and on. My original sail is still competitive after over 5 years of use with a club mate.
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Paul
---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
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KazRob
Far too distracted from work Joined: 22 Oct 16 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 245 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 19 at 5:07pm | |
We're probably talking about different cloths though. You're right that in the old days when F/A mast bends on rigs like the OK were much higher than they are now, sails made from stretchy 3.8oz 'finn cloth' would be noticably slower after a hard season (the original Laser sail was from very similar cloth and we all know how long they last). The newer carbon rigs have much less F/A curve and the cloth is much stiffer, especially for full radial cut sails. I have a North radial main that's seen 5 years of use and I'm still more than happy to use it at club level with little sign of being blown out. The full radial design no doubt helps as well I wasn't in the OK class when they chose to stay with Dacron but speaking to some of those involved, including several sailmakers, the reasons above is what they gave. I've certainly had several laminate sails on similar boats where they shrunk alarmingly - probably 4"-6" on the luff over a season or two.
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OK 2249
D-1 138 |
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