Three races: 6th, 9th, and DNF with 9 boats.

Pretty uneventful--just some really poor sailing on my part. In the last
race the foredeck kid (a substitute for the regular) grabbed the 3/4 oz.
chute instead of the 1.5 oz. and it blew out halfway down the leg. The
leach tape parted at the head and it took us a while to recover the sheet
from its entanglement with the rudder. We finally dropped out after
noticing the fleet was almost out of sight. I take full blame for the
fiasco--I could have asked for the lightweight chute to be doused and the
correct one brought up, but chose to risk it. Not a good weekend.

Max

Yeah, but did you have fun sailing anyway???
Keep at it. You couldn't have expected any serious sailing at the
start.



RB
35s5
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yeah, but did you have fun sailing anyway???
Keep at it. You couldn't have expected any serious sailing at the
start.

Honestly, if I'd been able to dominate the fleet from the beginning (highly
unlikely for even very experienced racers in a new boat and seasoned fleet),
I'd likely not have any desire to continue racing the boat. As it is it's a
challenge, and a big one at that. The other sailors and crews are quite
good and know the 1D35 well. My mistakes are mostly from not understanding
the boat that well. It sails like nothing I've ever sailed before, which
isn't bad. Rather it's a very exciting boat and accelerates like a rocket
under most points of sail, but it's not terribly forgiving of errors and
stupidity. I have a lot to learn, and to answer your question, yeah, I'm
having a ball. I love this racing. I'm not happy about having to replace
my .75 oz spinnaker so soon, but that's the price one pays to race. I'm
hoping the current black sails I'm using will last throughout the rest of
this season. I've already ordered a new suit of Mylar/Kevlar/spectra/carbon
sails for next season, the loft is that backlogged.

Max

"Maxprop" wrote:
Three races: 6th, 9th, and DNF with 9 boats.

Pretty uneventful--just some really poor sailing on my part.

The 1D35 is a pretty technical boat. Plus it is far enough up the
power curve that the reflexes developed in sailing heavier, lower-
powered conventional boats are not really helpful.

One of the best texts to help make the transition is Bethwaite's "High
Performance Sailing" in which he covers the development of the skiff
classes and has a number of clear diagrams showing what works, for
example where to aim the boat seeking best VMG on different points of
sail in different wind strengths.


... In the last
race the foredeck kid (a substitute for the regular) grabbed the 3/4 oz.
chute instead of the 1.5 oz. and it blew out halfway down the leg. The
leach tape parted at the head and it took us a while to recover the sheet
from its entanglement with the rudder. We finally dropped out after
noticing the fleet was almost out of sight. I take full blame for the
fiasco--I could have asked for the lightweight chute to be doused and the
correct one brought up, but chose to risk it. Not a good weekend.


How hard was the wind blowing? If you were running DDW there shouldn't
have been that much pressure on the chute unless it was blowing pretty
good.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Max, I have direct dealings with two outfits that make sails for a
certain major sail company and my discounts are even steeper than last
season now. I'd put you in direct contact. I make nada on this. I do
make some money on the sails I sell at my yard. BTW, I can get the
exotic stuff as well and Heart of Gold is about to get a new 140% made
from a new-to-the-market material. I'll be posting about it after it's
flying.
Contact me off-group only. If you are locked into your new sails, I'm
sure they'll be great.



RB
35s5
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Max, I have direct dealings with two outfits that make sails for a
certain major sail company and my discounts are even steeper than last
season now. I'd put you in direct contact. I make nada on this. I do
make some money on the sails I sell at my yard. BTW, I can get the
exotic stuff as well and Heart of Gold is about to get a new 140% made
from a new-to-the-market material. I'll be posting about it after it's
flying.
Contact me off-group only. If you are locked into your new sails, I'm
sure they'll be great.


If you'd take the cover off the mainsail and haul it up the mast you
might find you don't need to invest in so many different headsails.
Sailing under headsail alone is dumb. And, if you took the cover off the
compass you might be able to avoid those same rocks you keep running
aground on. Just a thought.....

Wilbur Hubbard

wrote in message
ps.com...
"Maxprop" wrote:
Three races: 6th, 9th, and DNF with 9 boats.

Pretty uneventful--just some really poor sailing on my part.

The 1D35 is a pretty technical boat. Plus it is far enough up the
power curve that the reflexes developed in sailing heavier, lower-
powered conventional boats are not really helpful.

My background in racing is strictly in dinghies. The boat feels sluggish
compared with, say, a Snipe or MC Scow.


One of the best texts to help make the transition is Bethwaite's "High
Performance Sailing" in which he covers the development of the skiff
classes and has a number of clear diagrams showing what works, for
example where to aim the boat seeking best VMG on different points of
sail in different wind strengths.

I believe it's the one I've had for some years. Great book.


... In the last
race the foredeck kid (a substitute for the regular) grabbed the 3/4 oz.
chute instead of the 1.5 oz. and it blew out halfway down the leg. The
leach tape parted at the head and it took us a while to recover the sheet
from its entanglement with the rudder. We finally dropped out after
noticing the fleet was almost out of sight. I take full blame for the
fiasco--I could have asked for the lightweight chute to be doused and the
correct one brought up, but chose to risk it. Not a good weekend.


How hard was the wind blowing? If you were running DDW there shouldn't
have been that much pressure on the chute unless it was blowing pretty
good.

Both offwind legs were broad reaches in 15 kts. plus. On the one in
question--the second--the sheet was in rather snugly. One or two other
boats had doused the chutes and gone to their genoas. The leach tape began
to part at the clew, tore loose to the head, and the tape then parted from
the head, allowing the whole mess to drop into the water and suck under the
boat and foul the rudder. The whole process happened in less than five
seconds. I called the previous owner and asked about that chute. He
confirmed that it had seen more use than the 1.5 oz., thanks to light air in
the summer on Lake M. I also believe we may have caused a small tear during
the jibe at the location where the tear began. Mistakes.

Max

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Max, I have direct dealings with two outfits that make sails for a
certain major sail company and my discounts are even steeper than last
season now. I'd put you in direct contact. I make nada on this. I do
make some money on the sails I sell at my yard. BTW, I can get the
exotic stuff as well and Heart of Gold is about to get a new 140% made
from a new-to-the-market material. I'll be posting about it after it's
flying.
Contact me off-group only. If you are locked into your new sails, I'm
sure they'll be great.

About all the sails in this class seem to come from one loft. I've already
paid a fairly substantial downstroke on them, so I'm committed. And I like
the ones I've seen on other boats in the fleet. Thanks anyway.

I also bought a 3/4 oz. asymmetrical chute from another fleet member today.
He has two more and was generous enough to part with one. These are great
people to sail with/against.

Max

About all the sails in this class seem to come from one loft. I've
already
paid a fairly substantial downstroke on them, so I'm committed. And I
like
the ones I've seen on other boats in the fleet. Thanks anyway.



No problem at all. I just thought I'd make the offer. To put it in
perspective, I just ordered a cruise radial mainsail for a Tartan 37,
full batten, 3 reefs and it's the same sail rebadged by one of the
three largest lofts in the world selling for a "tad more" to put it
mildly. My cost for the sail was 1290.00. FX sells their Chinese cross
cut for a lot more than that.
If everyone's using the same sails, it's best to follow suit...bad pun
intended!


RB
35s5
NY

"Maxprop" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message

oups.com..
..
Max, I have direct dealings with two outfits that make
sails for a
certain major sail company and my discounts are even
steeper than last
season now. I'd put you in direct contact. I make nada
on this. I do
make some money on the sails I sell at my yard. BTW, I
can get the
exotic stuff as well and Heart of Gold is about to get a
new 140% made
from a new-to-the-market material. I'll be posting about
it after it's
flying.
Contact me off-group only. If you are locked into your
new sails, I'm
sure they'll be great.

About all the sails in this class seem to come from one
loft. I've already
paid a fairly substantial downstroke on them, so I'm
committed. And I like
the ones I've seen on other boats in the fleet. Thanks
anyway.

I also bought a 3/4 oz. asymmetrical chute from another
fleet member today.
He has two more and was generous enough to part with one.
These are great
people to sail with/against.


good call, Max, I wouldn't trust the boobster either.

SBV