Saturday, January 5, 2013

Australian Nationals 2013 - Day -2 / -1

Nick and I got down to the nationals venue (Wangi Wangi Amateur Sailing Club on Lake Macquarie) yesterday and a little update from our end of the fleet.

I am sailing same old SLINO with MSL10B, Fastacraft centreboard and , Goddard/Doinka rudder and some recent modifications - a single skin carbon plate gantry and the assassin wingset from Rob's deceased. Photos and designs for the latter to follow. I am also running a tension system for centreboard control (rather than a pushrod) - a concept which I am now told has never ever worked in waves and today the boat tried to tear me a new one. I am so sore and my wetsuit is now full of holes. I started getting it going through the chop before attempting a gybe now my right arm doesn't work. 

Nick is sailing 'Silver Shadow' an older Rocket Surgeon Composites carbon nomex machine with a foil set from the same and MSL10C. It may end up with a cam control system later in the regatta, but a test sail after crimbo was messy and it is currently running a typical pushrod system. 

The regatta will be an interesting one. Looks like their will be over 70 boats on the start list making this the second largest moth nationals in history (the only bigger one was just before the belmont worlds - bolstered with internationals who were there for the worlds). And even more interesting is the range of boats - much more than the wall to wall M2s we had last year.

Oddball List
   - SLINO
   - Silver Shaddow
   - Bob Pearson custom M2-a-like
   - Luka's scalpel
   - Nick Flutters ex Blue Meanie
   - 2x Dave Lister Monstros (one sailed by Nathan Outridge)
   - 4ish Fastacrafts including Alan's old one
   - 3ish BRs of various flavours
   - Ian Sim's scow

A couple of other interestings:
   - 4x aftermarket M2 lifters with folded down tips and flap pinned at the foil tips (so section doesn't distort)
   - A spreaderless rig for some of the western australians
   - The Advanced Wing Systems moth rig

So many sailors went out for a practise today, Nick and I inclusive. Nice 12kts in the morning. Nasty 20kts and chop in the afternoon. Luka is smoking in the light. AMac, Scott and Josh very fast in the blow. RobG incredible smooth sailing and height control (from what we saw yesterday - not sure if he sailed today). 

Lot's of boat work happening in the park on all kinds of boats. Wet'n'drying of foils and even some painting. A bit of fine tuning of the new MSL16 rigs.

Tomorrow is an official practice race and looks like it will be lightening off till wednesday. 

5 comments:

  1. Ouroboros was using a tension system at Belmont and at Mornington. But that was still not performing the best. Best results I got from it I ended up with a shock cord on both the wand and the belcrank. Keep the info coming, will be reading in Dubai.
    Al
    Message end.

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  2. Sorry I couldn't bring my ship to bolster the weirdos. Keep the info coming. Pictures of systems. The lot.

    Cheers Bill Olsen

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  3. not sure about the 2nd biggest nationals in history - Adeliade Nationals before the Worlds in the 1980s had well over 100 entries.

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  4. Where will results be posted?

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  5. There was a also a beautiful plywood narrow scow of Dave Henderson.

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