|
|
|
|
Results How We Have Gone So Far
January 10 2005 Worlds 2004/05
Day 1 – January 2, 2005 Registration and measurement were on in the morning and then race one was on in the afternoon in moderate conditions. Al finished 32nd in Solitary Leprechaun, just behind Martin Harrison sailing Stress Less.
Day 2 – January 3, 2005 Conditions were lighter than Day 1 and the two races scheduled were raced in 10 and 8 knots. Which were more favorable for Al and saw him improve a position in each race. Martin finished 23rd in both races getting used to the boat a bit more.
Day 3 – January 4, 2005 Windy with big swell saw racing abandoned after standing around all day.
Lay Day – January 5, 2005
Day 4 – January 6, 2005 The weather persisted and saw more waiting around all day, until finally a race was held at about 1600 hours. Pretty wild conditions in 20 knots and 1.5m waves (+). Martin didn’t go out, Al even though trying to recover from a cold gave it a go. 34 started and 22 finished the one lap that the race was shortened too. Al finished in 21st however inflicted some fairly serious damage to the boat on the broad reach to the finish. With Al hanging off to port and the waves slamming against the starboard tramp, the structure didn't quite make it through. It ripped the nuts and washers (on the U bolt) through the carbon then continued to peal the foam off the fibres, fractured the starboard side of the transom and ripped the deck from the transom. Also buckled the laminate on the starboard side. It wasn't cool at all. After checking the weather and pulling the boat to bits, Al threw the hull in the car (hanging out the hatch about a meter (photos to come)), and tied the cradle to the roof and took the beast home. With the use of a compressor and heat gun all the water was removed. Some clamps and a heater saw it stuck back together by 2230 and then the use of a belt sander took it to finishing reinforcing it at about midnight. Ahhh, don’t you just love the smell of epoxy at midnight. Ran the heater on it for a while in the morning before returning to Black Rock with the Trailer.
Day 5 – January 7, 2005 All that rushing around, got back to the club and had the boat all back together and ready to race by about 1300, however again the weather was not kind and racing was abandoned for the day at 1630.
Day 6 – January 8, 2005 With only four races competed on the last day, it was found necessary to have four more, and thus four races were raced back to back on Saturday morning/afternoon in just about ideal conditions. Martin had a great first beat however his vang broke and he sailed in to fix it up. He didn’t come back out again as he found cracking in the transom he didn’t like the look of. It’s a shame, as it would have been good to see a better comparison between the two boats. Al sailed consistently again and finished the Race 5 in 29th. The breeze built slightly for the second race and Al didn’t do as well, finished 33rd and was very tired already. The wind continued to build for the final two races, in which Al was simply aiming to finish as he was completely stuffed already. Another 30th and a 27th in the final races.
Al was happy to get back to shore to eat and stop. No water in the boat so the repair held up well. Although not overjoyed with finishing in 30th overall (consistent at least). Al was happy to have managed to go out and finish every race that was sailed. We still believe the boat has potential and a much better result should be had next year with more preparation, a better tuned rig, and some longer lasting legs.
Al 10/1/05
Day 1 – December 27, 2004 Registration and measurement were on in the morning and the invitation race was scheduled for the afternoon. It was blowing about 20-30 knots with big waves and racing was eventually abandoned. Solitary Leprechaun was measured for length and breadth and had no problems. Stress less was check and found to be about 10mm to wide at the forward wing bar. This was probably caused by rotating the forward wing bar to reduce the vang from jamming. This was rectified with a file in about an hour.
Day 2 – December 28, 2004 Conditions were similar to Day 1 and the two races scheduled were abandoned.
Day 3 – December 29, 2004 Windy again however slightly more sedate. Race 1 was started a bit after ten in about 15-20 knots and 1m waves. On his way to the start Al’s vang busted with the stainless D on the boom snapping. He managed to fix this with the rope off the top of the centre board and made the start late. He managed to finish one lap which gave him a place of 18th. Race 2 was held that afternoon with a slightly heavier breeze. Al started but only got to the second mark after really struggling with the waves downwind. He managed to bust the vang again after falling on the boom. This time the becket pulled out of the triple block. This made for a long break before sailing back in, with lots of other breaks.
Day 4 – December 30, 2004 Greeted by lighter conditions Race 3 was held in about 4 knots. The boat showed good speed but Al needed to keep the wings out of the water a bit more on the down winds. Almost caught Rohan on the line. Race 4 saw a bit more wind and for race 5 it dropped off again, however there was just enough wind for the foilers to get airborne. Al finished the day with an 18th a 17th and a 20th. He could have been quicker with more vang which he used timidly due to having a bent boom due to the fall on Day three. The boom got taken home for straightening and reinforcing.
Day 5 – December 31, 2004 The day was spent sitting round in the heat due to unstable light wind. Eventually hit the water at about 1500 hours for a final race. Although generally happy with Solitary Leprechaun’s speed, Al wasn’t happy with the race. This wasn’t helped by way overlaying the top mark on the first beat having gone way out wide to starboard. Finished race 6 in 19th, making for a fairly consistent regatta. Al sits content with 19th in the Australian Championships and aims to better that at the worlds.
Al 1/1/05
The Invitation Race was abandoned due to rain that came through with some heavy wind. The rain reduced visibility to about 10m and in the wind Stress Less’s boom snapped.
Heat 1 was called off for similar reasons to the invitation race after having been half sailed. I managed to get round to the middle mark and then got lost and went back to the top mark instead of the wing mark due to the rain.
Heat 2 was delayed from 1000 until 1300 hours and subsequently Nick and I were late expecting them to run straight into Heat 3 which was scheduled for 1330 hours. Didn’t make the start but sailed round for a while in the windy conditions until the mast chock fell out. This cause me to need to be towed in and put the boat out of action.
Heat 3 was just as windy and only half the fleet competed.
The Re-sail of Heat 1 and Heats 4 and 5 were all missed as I was repairing the boat as described in Design and Construction.
Was Back on the water for Heat 6 Didn’t do very well. I not too bad on the upwind but was still having trouble finding the sweet spot. However coming back down wind I spent too much time in the water I had all sorts of trouble gibing and was last to finish.
Heat 7 was about the same as heat 6 however I did manage to pick up 2 places, so I was improving.
Heat 8 was windy and I had trouble with staying in control again. I noticed a tear in the top of the second panel of the sail after the start, I was keeping an eye on it and it didn’t start to propagate until the final down wind. After propagation I could have fit through the hole. The wind in this race could have almost used a bigger T-foil on the rudder. Once again lots of time in the water.
Heat 9 was sailed after lots of sticky back was applied to sail. On the second upwind I came up after a capsize and there was a tear right through the bottom panel of the sail. I continued to sail for a while until I worked out how far behind I was, I was realy keen to finish as I knew Nick was out with a broken rudder. It was not to be.
Heat 10 I was doing the best I had been for the whole regatta, bearing away at the top mark of the second lap saw my ruder snap. Funnily enough, it’s very difficult to sail Stress Less with no rudder. I ended up pulling the sail down on the water and got towed in.
All in all I’m glad I went, I defiantly improved over the week, I would have like to have improved more if I’d made it to more races, but I believe that the hull is defiantly quick, and will put up a fight to the tigers and prowlers. I still need more practice in a range of conditions though. The construction of my new hull is about to begin and we’ll have 2 of our boats to make an appearance at the Nationals in Melbourne next year, where I wont have to drive as far.
check the moth website
http://www.moth.asn.au/racing/2003-04_nationals.htm for full results.
Al 18/1/04
Al 20/1/03
|
However Al is planning to race his existing wide moth regually once the Port Dalyrimple Yacht Club races recommence. He is also planning to attend the nationals this year and the three of us expect to go to the nationals the following year.
