Been meaning to write a quick blog and say what a good time we had at Paignton and especially well done to Chris! We tied on points but he deservedly got it on countback. We had some great racing and I was encouraged by my fit and start performance. Still have the speed to win races but not the race time under my belt, which meant each races was full of mistakes. Sill no matter, it was bloody good fun and great to see James, Mike, Doug, Ben, Peter, Tom and the the other boys again. I'm resolved to do more Opens if they are like that and you never know may drag some of the grumpy old men from Hayling along with me next time.
Star of the event though I think was Andrew Friend who sailed really really well!
Next is the Eurosaf regatta in a couple of weeks in Spain. Cant wait!
S
Friday, 30 September 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Autumn Days
Autumn is a good time to sail a Moth and I like this time of year. If I had enough money I would spend my life, not in internal Summers, but between one Riviera and another, moving only to find the next Autumn. Yet for many it signals the end of the Summer, and I guess it's possible to see Autumn as a decline, where yellow leaves show through like greying hair on a fading film star, a star who has seen one BAFTA too many.
Or you can argue, (as I do) that Autumn is a second spring, where the harbour is empty, and this means it's a relaxing sail. Arrogance, and his cousin Ignorance are largely confined to marinas and there is freedom to move again.
Saturday was a good sailing day, A day when it felt like you had been handed a special gift, unique because it could not be replicated. For a while I darted about, turning when I wanted with no constraints other than a ribbon of weed reminding me that the harbour wasn't all mine.
It was the second time I'd used the new Mach2 small main foil, I also sailed on Friday eve with Mike Lennon and felt fast, where previously I had not. Its an incremental change and so you will get incremental improvements, but I want to thank Joe Turner and before him Rohan Veal for forcing development forward, albeit with a Dremel. I will sail with it at Paignton Open meeting this weekend. the last Moth Grand Prix of the year. I hope there will be lots of Moths there. If you blurr your eyes and ignore the Donkeys, It could be Garda.
Or you can argue, (as I do) that Autumn is a second spring, where the harbour is empty, and this means it's a relaxing sail. Arrogance, and his cousin Ignorance are largely confined to marinas and there is freedom to move again.
Saturday was a good sailing day, A day when it felt like you had been handed a special gift, unique because it could not be replicated. For a while I darted about, turning when I wanted with no constraints other than a ribbon of weed reminding me that the harbour wasn't all mine.
It was the second time I'd used the new Mach2 small main foil, I also sailed on Friday eve with Mike Lennon and felt fast, where previously I had not. Its an incremental change and so you will get incremental improvements, but I want to thank Joe Turner and before him Rohan Veal for forcing development forward, albeit with a Dremel. I will sail with it at Paignton Open meeting this weekend. the last Moth Grand Prix of the year. I hope there will be lots of Moths there. If you blurr your eyes and ignore the Donkeys, It could be Garda.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Happy Feet
Had to get on the water yesterday, it was a wild day with the wind hovering around 30 knots and I was nervous! I was armed with my new Mach 2 small main foil and I was really keen to see what it was like.
It took two of us to get the rig up (thanks Chris) and as I headed out I immediately got flattened by a gust in front of a moored yacht. The problem was that with 4 knots of tide against me I was hurtling back towards it on my side. I had to stand on the bow in order to get my rudder and stuff past it without getting stuck, but after that it was ok. Apart from the weed.
Impressions of the new foil? It felt like I was 15 kg heavier, the boat was more dampened and faster in a straight line. I didn't stray too far from the shore in that breeze, I was the only boat in the harbour, and it was windy, and so I spent time reaching up and down the narrow channel where easy 25 knot beam reaches seemed common. I began to think that this must be what a Moth feels like to say Bora or some of the other heavier guys, just a bit more dampened and easier to control. Still its early days but this foil feels fast! (And I'm sure it will lift early for its size). I reckon though that the standard foil will still have a place for people who sail in lighter winds where early lift is paramount.
When I came into the beach I was sandblasted, and whilst getting the trolley, the boat blew down the beach on its side and ripped the tramp, but that's life, it was great fun!
S
It took two of us to get the rig up (thanks Chris) and as I headed out I immediately got flattened by a gust in front of a moored yacht. The problem was that with 4 knots of tide against me I was hurtling back towards it on my side. I had to stand on the bow in order to get my rudder and stuff past it without getting stuck, but after that it was ok. Apart from the weed.
Impressions of the new foil? It felt like I was 15 kg heavier, the boat was more dampened and faster in a straight line. I didn't stray too far from the shore in that breeze, I was the only boat in the harbour, and it was windy, and so I spent time reaching up and down the narrow channel where easy 25 knot beam reaches seemed common. I began to think that this must be what a Moth feels like to say Bora or some of the other heavier guys, just a bit more dampened and easier to control. Still its early days but this foil feels fast! (And I'm sure it will lift early for its size). I reckon though that the standard foil will still have a place for people who sail in lighter winds where early lift is paramount.
When I came into the beach I was sandblasted, and whilst getting the trolley, the boat blew down the beach on its side and ripped the tramp, but that's life, it was great fun!
S
Monday, 12 September 2011
New Mach2 Small Front Hydrofoil
Before the 2011 Moth world championships Nathan Outteridge cut down his standard Mach2 front hydrofoil in order to reduce drag and go faster. Nathan went on to dominate the event, and since then we've been working on a new small front hydrofoil. The metal moulds are now all finished and here is the first one! It's not only a smaller span but its a new thinner section too. It plugs on to the standard Mach2 vertical foil in the same way the standard front hydrofoil does. Early reports from Black Rock on both take off and top speed are mind blowing.
Contact sales@mach2boats for a quote.
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