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Top end limit finally reached.. |
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G.R.F.
Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028 |
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Topic: Top end limit finally reached.. Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 2:27pm |
Thursday last we knew it was due to come up, but there was no immediate sign, clouds were n't exactly scudding along and it looked pretty light.
Time the course was laid and the gun sounded it was around 3-4 bft, certainly no more and as we set off it puffed up a tad but nothing other than to assure us a fun race was about to ensue and my new crew would get some fast three sail action in a reasonable breeze for the first time. He's not that much heavier than me, probably 75 kgs so we're around 145 all up and were happy to be showing our rivals in their Merlin a clean pair of heels and pulling away nicely, only the Contenders had the better of us, but their initial lead was being reeled in every leg we got the kite up. I'd set the course this time so I'd done my best to make it Contender unfriendly, nice deep reaches, keep the buggers off their wires, but the first big puffs shifted the first reach a bit more beamy for them so they were wiring like the sons of unmarried parents that they are. We'd done the first triangle sausage when the first of the big gusts hit, they were solid, bloody walls of wind initially about 25 knots, we dumped the kicker hauled the downhaul til my fingers bled, but the next set of gusts just stopped us dead, first head to wind, then even fully sheeted out, over we went, crew fully out on the wire, me hiking for all I was worth, the main sheeted right out, we still went over in the flap drag. Must have been thirty, thirty five knots, we got it up, went down the next two reaches, didn't bother with the kite and at the end of the second reach, the shore was beckoning my sense of what was the right decision to take, but crew boy gives it the 'who dares wins Rodney' so we harden up and go for another beat.. Big mistake, half way up we're over again, massive gust just flattened us, then he noticed the rudder drifting off just as we're righting it, swims off to get it despite me querying where's he going now just as the boat rights then with me in it and full of water just gets blown straight over again and away downwind from my man who's now struggling to catch up swimming with the rudder. Half an hour later... After much trauma, losing the rudder, a bent Gnav we came in under bare poles, still blowing over again just as we come up the beach. There was chaos everywhere, the rescue boat had to be beached after being flooded, I had to get it back up the coast full to the gunwales and the water up to the engine cowls, we'd gotten everyone ashore and safe and the marks back, but what a night... So, nobody tell me they can sail in any control in wind over 30 knots, it's not possible, even winching the boats up the beach with bare poles we still had a Contender blow clean over... 30 knots is definitely the top end limit, I certainly don't want to be out there in that again..
Edited by G.R.F. - 24 Jun 12 at 5:37pm |
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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: 24 Jun 12 at 4:13pm |
I was out in the Minisail in 50 knots - nailed the gybe, planed past the AC catamaran that was out practicing, went wave jumping with the windsurfers - what a sail that was... in my head.
Yep, 30 knots just blows you flat. No fun at all. In reality, we had gusts of 23-25 mph today, and that was pretty epic sailing the ironing board. |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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hollandsd
Really should get out more Joined: 12 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 852 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 4:46pm |
Come on Graeme, it wasn't that bad, sure it was windy but I managed to finish the race without capsizing or breaking anything. Had a silly little capsize on my way in but I had a whale of a time.
Admittedly I was the only boat to finish the race and I did do a lap more than the other boats but it was challenging but fun, by no means unsailable. Cranked everything on full going upwind, half kicker off downwind and trapezing off the straps for balance. Had the waves been up more too It would have been a problem but the water wasnt too lumpy and I had a thoroughly enjoyable sail. Dan |
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Laser 184084
Tasar 3501 RS600 698 RS600 782 |
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G.R.F.
Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 5:32pm |
He, the above poster was on the beach when the wind really came up, they finished the race early because of issues with other boats...
It's fools just like him with quotes like 'it wasn't that bad' that put lives of others at risk. STFU dan and think yourself lucky, oh and next time you miss your duty any results you may have gained this reason will be wiped...
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winging it
Really should get out more Joined: 22 Mar 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3958 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 6:03pm |
30 knots at grafham today! Epic challenger sailing and the ffs looked to be having fun too.
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the same, but different...
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G.R.F.
Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 6:19pm |
They must have been 30 forum knots..
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hollandsd
Really should get out more Joined: 12 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 852 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 6:22pm |
Come come graeme, I was the first boat on the water by quite a bit, sailing the course to get my landmarks for my tacking points and I was one of the last boats off the water. The conditions that we had on thursday were by no means life threatening for anyone. The swell by comparison for what we usually get was less than what we would normally get in a F4. I did a lap more than any other boat on the water and the only reason tom (the other contender) retired was his mainsheet block came off during a capsize, otherwise he would have kept racing like myself. Dan |
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Laser 184084
Tasar 3501 RS600 698 RS600 782 |
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Rockhopper
Really should get out more Joined: 16 Nov 07 Location: Eastry Online Status: Offline Posts: 642 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 6:34pm |
Dan dont let him get to you its only red rag to the bull
Get graham to come to the man of kent at sandwich and we can really see how well the eps does then ?
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Retired now after 35 seasons in a row and time for a rest.
2004 national champ Laser5000 2007,2010,National Champ Rs Vareo |
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sargesail
Really should get out more Joined: 14 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1459 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 11:16pm |
Well I regularly yacht with accurate instruments so I have a good idea what 30knots is. And I've dinghy sailed (not in the 300!) in that much, and managed fine.
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 11:38pm |
Sea state is a rather more important factor than actual breeze strength if the rig is good enough...
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