Champion du Monde Finn Veteran 2009, June 1-5
Two hundred sixty four Finn sailors ranging in age from 40-86 assembled in Maubuisson, France on a lake near Bordeaux for the 39th edition of this event, attracting participants from 21 nations to the host club Cercle de Voiles Bordeaux, Carcans, Maubuisson (CVBCM) for the annual regatta organized by the Finn World Masters.
German Andre Budzien, sailing a Pata B4 with Pata Willets mast and a North poly, won his third world championship on the final day in the Gold fleet after a four day qualifying series of 130 boats in flight races. (For complete results, go to finnworldmaster.com)
For Friday’s race, the fleet was split into two groups of about 130. The winds were generally were moderate northeasterlies for the first two days, then two days of light and shifty, and on Friday a southwesterly of 15 knots appeared. The French club provided libations, patisseries, fresh oysters and other snacks after each day’s racing, while the club bar had food, liquor, and espressos available all the time.
At Sunday’s opening ceremony following the practice race, Finn World Master president Fons van Gent (NED 748) welcomed the sailors and their companions after a contingent from each nation carried their national flag banner to the accompanying national anthem. Several counties had their whole squad march in the ceremony in a show of support for all their nation’s sailors. The last country to walk-in was France, led by 86-year old Didier Poissant, a former Olympian. The recognition of the world’s Finn sailors at the opening ceremony helped create an atmosphere of international cooperation and sportsmanship.
The host club, CVBCM, is situated beside the Lake of Carcans, which is surrounded by sandy beaches and the Bombannes Forest of pine trees and deer. It is one of the best places for bike path touring between the lake, the forest, and the ocean 3 km away. Maubuisson is a small tourist village that caters to middle-class French on holiday. Its shops, ATM machines, and restaurants only opened for the season on the day before the Finn World Masters began.
The regatta format was 1-2-2-1-1, seemingly a leisurely scheduled, but a half hour to hour sail to the course followed by a one hour sail back in made for some long days, especially when each race usually required one general recall, an I flag, and then a black flag to get a proper start. With 130 sailors of extreme experience and skill in each race, spots on the line were a premium and many paid a penalty as there was seldom even a line sag to find a starting spot within.
The courses were the traditional Olympic triangle, which rewarded those who had a knack for getting in phase with the wind on the three beats in each race, as the races often saw 40 degree shirts and deep holes when the wind was light. Finding clear air was, of course, important, and especially so when big clumps of boats on the course created their own wind shadows. Mark rounding pinwheels of twenty or more boats added to the thrill of the racing.
At the Annual Masters Meeting, representatives of Split, Croatia, site of the 2010 World Masters May 23-28, gave information about the regatta. Prevailing winds there are 8-18 and the venue will be the Gold Cup course.
For 2011, Punta Ala, Italy was selected for the Finn World Masters. It will be May 12-17.
It was also announced at the AGM that registration for the regattas will now only be done through the finnworldmasters.com website.
Report by Charles Heimler, USA Finn 32 (see my blog at charlesheimler.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sailing Team America 2012--A Village for the Best
Sailing Team America 2012—Funding the Best American Olympic Hopefuls
Sailing Team America 2012 is a new foundation formed to support our Olympic hopefuls. Its specific focus is the “twenty-somethings” who have the burning desire to represent their country in the Olympic Games in 2012 and beyond. It recruits and nurtures a development squad of sailors to help them qualify for national sailing teams.
The organization formed out of the United States of America Finn Association (USAFA) this past Miami after silver-medal winner Zach Railey and USAFA president Scott Mason sought candidates for the USAFA’s Finn development program. It was recognized that there needed to be a transition from post-college level sailors into the world of Olympic sailing.
The program expanded to include 49er sailors and 29er sailors in recognition that skiff sailing will be increased in the Olympics.
“Once sailors qualify for the US Sailing Team, they receive training, funding, logistical support and so on,” said Sailing Team America 2012 Executive Director, Charles Heimler, veteran of the Laser, Snipe, and Finn classes. “And in the US, college sailing grooms the best coming out of high school. What we’re doing is building a bridge of financial support, coaching, gear and so on to move our best prospects to the next level.”
“In Miami, we provided a boat for three-time All-American Bryan Lake in his first Finn regatta,” said Heimler. “I’d known him since he was a Snipe sailor. He finished well up in the fleet and improved each day in his very first Finn event. Kids I coached in junior programs program are now young adults racing 49ers, Radials, and 470’s. Getting the “texting” generation into this Olympic quadrennial and the next one takes a village of mentors if we’re going to match and then outwit the Brits.”
“As our athletes sailing this Spring in Europe crystallize their experiences, that knowledge will be transferred to the development squads,” said Heimler. “Then we will leverage those insights at our National and North American championships this summer.”
The organization is now forming a board and obtaining tax-exempt status. More info can be had by contacting charlesheimler@alumni.ucsd.edu.
Sailing Team America 2012 is a new foundation formed to support our Olympic hopefuls. Its specific focus is the “twenty-somethings” who have the burning desire to represent their country in the Olympic Games in 2012 and beyond. It recruits and nurtures a development squad of sailors to help them qualify for national sailing teams.
The organization formed out of the United States of America Finn Association (USAFA) this past Miami after silver-medal winner Zach Railey and USAFA president Scott Mason sought candidates for the USAFA’s Finn development program. It was recognized that there needed to be a transition from post-college level sailors into the world of Olympic sailing.
The program expanded to include 49er sailors and 29er sailors in recognition that skiff sailing will be increased in the Olympics.
“Once sailors qualify for the US Sailing Team, they receive training, funding, logistical support and so on,” said Sailing Team America 2012 Executive Director, Charles Heimler, veteran of the Laser, Snipe, and Finn classes. “And in the US, college sailing grooms the best coming out of high school. What we’re doing is building a bridge of financial support, coaching, gear and so on to move our best prospects to the next level.”
“In Miami, we provided a boat for three-time All-American Bryan Lake in his first Finn regatta,” said Heimler. “I’d known him since he was a Snipe sailor. He finished well up in the fleet and improved each day in his very first Finn event. Kids I coached in junior programs program are now young adults racing 49ers, Radials, and 470’s. Getting the “texting” generation into this Olympic quadrennial and the next one takes a village of mentors if we’re going to match and then outwit the Brits.”
“As our athletes sailing this Spring in Europe crystallize their experiences, that knowledge will be transferred to the development squads,” said Heimler. “Then we will leverage those insights at our National and North American championships this summer.”
The organization is now forming a board and obtaining tax-exempt status. More info can be had by contacting charlesheimler@alumni.ucsd.edu.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Difference at the international level
After sailing for over a month with some of the top Finn sailors, here are the main items I observed. They, along with The Playbook by Canadian Olympic Chris Cook, can help those interested in improving their Finn sailing.
1. These sailors are very disciplined and arrive on time.
2. They emphasize gym programs, even after sailing on the water.
3. They ride bicycles to and fro as their transportation, thus saving on expenses and working it into their training.
4. Very careful about what they eat and drink--oatmeal, fruit, cliff's bars, fruit cups big meal after sailing and vices like coffee and a pastry on Sunday.
5. Open, conversational personalities and are helpful to other sailors.
6. Do things to promote the Finn class and Finn fleets overall
7. Speak English well as their second language (except GBR, of course).
8. Mental endurance and physical stamina. Can concentrate and perform keenly in all wind conditions through the length of a training session and a regatta, especially in the medal race.
9. Are truly having fun, and are appreciative of the nice places they get to sail in.
10. Spend the pre-season lining up sponsorship, kit, and regatta schedule that's locked into place for the whole season and whole quadrennial.
11. Have Coaches and coach boats with debriefings.
12. Arrive at the venue 10 days to 2 weeks before an event to acclimate and train.
--Charles Heimler
1. These sailors are very disciplined and arrive on time.
2. They emphasize gym programs, even after sailing on the water.
3. They ride bicycles to and fro as their transportation, thus saving on expenses and working it into their training.
4. Very careful about what they eat and drink--oatmeal, fruit, cliff's bars, fruit cups big meal after sailing and vices like coffee and a pastry on Sunday.
5. Open, conversational personalities and are helpful to other sailors.
6. Do things to promote the Finn class and Finn fleets overall
7. Speak English well as their second language (except GBR, of course).
8. Mental endurance and physical stamina. Can concentrate and perform keenly in all wind conditions through the length of a training session and a regatta, especially in the medal race.
9. Are truly having fun, and are appreciative of the nice places they get to sail in.
10. Spend the pre-season lining up sponsorship, kit, and regatta schedule that's locked into place for the whole season and whole quadrennial.
11. Have Coaches and coach boats with debriefings.
12. Arrive at the venue 10 days to 2 weeks before an event to acclimate and train.
--Charles Heimler
Monday, February 16, 2009
Finn Team American 2012 Begins London Medal Quest
Olympic Finn Team America 2012
Midwinters Regatta Shows Gains for USA Sailors Railey, Casey, Boyd
(Harbordale, Florida—February 16, 2009)—The next generation of American Olympic Finn medal contenders earned two of the four trophies at the 27th running of the Finn Midwinters this past weekend in an international field that included Olympic medalists, world, and national champion sailors of the men’s premier single-handed dinghy.
Past USA Finn National Champion Tom Lihan reprised this year’s event, also awarding first-place honors in the Women’s Radial to 2008 Gold-medal sailor Anna Tunnicliff (Plantation, FL).
2009 Silver-medalist Zach Railey finished second in the standings behind Ed Wright (GBR). The Royal Yachting Associations firebrand, training here for the winter, also place first in last month’s ISAF World Champs Miami, edging 5th place 2008 Olympian Chris Cook (CAN) by a point after winning the medal race.
Andy Casey (Alameda, CA) notched a fourth place, just a few points behind third place winner, Rafael Trujillo (ESP), the 2004 silver-medalist and 2007 World Champion.
Bryan Boyd (Annapolis, MD), challenged for the lead most of the regatta, finishing 7th.
Conditions were hot, humid, and light wind for most of the vent, save for two races on Saturday that allowed for open kinetics. The fleet generally sailed more within the rules after the race committee empowered the six coaches attending the event to yellow-flag sailors who illegally propelled their boats.
Three events this winter, the Coaches Regatta and Miami OCR in January, and this just-concluded, were the time when the national sailing teams begin coagulating their programs for the next Olympic competition, and the ISAF World Championship series (Australia, Miami, Mallorca, Hyers, Medemblik, Kiel, Weymouth), assessing the state of their sailing toward the next quadrennial preceding the Olympic Games in England in 2012.
For the American part, US Sailing will name the representatives to those games after a 3-regatta selection trials. USSA), the national authority for American Olympic sailing, will name the summer, fall, and winter regattas of 2011 that will provide data points for that selection in the near future, according to USSA coach Luther Carpenter, who added that this selection process differs from the traditional national open regatta held up to now by the USA Finn Association (USAFA) and USSA.
USAFA has also named their development sailor. Bryan Lake (North Shore, HI), a 3-time All-American sailor at the University of Hawaii, will be provided with a Finn at upcoming North American Finn regattas and clinics.
Midwinters Regatta Shows Gains for USA Sailors Railey, Casey, Boyd
(Harbordale, Florida—February 16, 2009)—The next generation of American Olympic Finn medal contenders earned two of the four trophies at the 27th running of the Finn Midwinters this past weekend in an international field that included Olympic medalists, world, and national champion sailors of the men’s premier single-handed dinghy.
Past USA Finn National Champion Tom Lihan reprised this year’s event, also awarding first-place honors in the Women’s Radial to 2008 Gold-medal sailor Anna Tunnicliff (Plantation, FL).
2009 Silver-medalist Zach Railey finished second in the standings behind Ed Wright (GBR). The Royal Yachting Associations firebrand, training here for the winter, also place first in last month’s ISAF World Champs Miami, edging 5th place 2008 Olympian Chris Cook (CAN) by a point after winning the medal race.
Andy Casey (Alameda, CA) notched a fourth place, just a few points behind third place winner, Rafael Trujillo (ESP), the 2004 silver-medalist and 2007 World Champion.
Bryan Boyd (Annapolis, MD), challenged for the lead most of the regatta, finishing 7th.
Conditions were hot, humid, and light wind for most of the vent, save for two races on Saturday that allowed for open kinetics. The fleet generally sailed more within the rules after the race committee empowered the six coaches attending the event to yellow-flag sailors who illegally propelled their boats.
Three events this winter, the Coaches Regatta and Miami OCR in January, and this just-concluded, were the time when the national sailing teams begin coagulating their programs for the next Olympic competition, and the ISAF World Championship series (Australia, Miami, Mallorca, Hyers, Medemblik, Kiel, Weymouth), assessing the state of their sailing toward the next quadrennial preceding the Olympic Games in England in 2012.
For the American part, US Sailing will name the representatives to those games after a 3-regatta selection trials. USSA), the national authority for American Olympic sailing, will name the summer, fall, and winter regattas of 2011 that will provide data points for that selection in the near future, according to USSA coach Luther Carpenter, who added that this selection process differs from the traditional national open regatta held up to now by the USA Finn Association (USAFA) and USSA.
USAFA has also named their development sailor. Bryan Lake (North Shore, HI), a 3-time All-American sailor at the University of Hawaii, will be provided with a Finn at upcoming North American Finn regattas and clinics.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Finn Midwinters 2009 in Lauderdale
The Road to Weymouth Continues This Weekend for Team America 2012
FT Lauderdale, Florida, February 12, 2009—The top Finn sailors in North American join the top Finn sailors from the UK, Spain, and Poland in this year’s Finn Midwinter Regatta, hosted by Lauderdale Yacht Club on the Atlantic Ocean in south Florida.
The newly-minted U.S. Sailing Team Finn squad includes Zach Railey, 2008 Olympic silver medalist, Andy Casey, 2007 U.S. National Champion, and Bryan Boyd, 2005 U.S. National Champion.
Their main competition for podium honors will be Spain’s Rafael Trujillo, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2007 Finn World Champion, Britain’s Ed Wright, Royal Yachting Association’s performance team athlete who won last month’s ISAF Worlds Miami OCR, and Poland’s Rafa Szukiel, a 2008 Olympian at the games in China, and 7th at Miami, and Norway’s Peer Moberg, also a 2008 Olympian who finished 6th at Miami.
Canada’s Chris Cook, who sailed to a 7th in the Quindao regatta and 2nd at Miami, will return to the coach boat to mentor the promising young sailor, Toronto’s Matt Johnston, who made it to the ISAF Worlds Miami Regatta medal race in his first major event.
Temperatures are warming at the venue, with highs expected in the low 80’s and light southeast winds of 5-10 knots. Because the course is set close to shore, sailors will have to strategize between heading offshore or up the beach for windward legs. Strong currents generated by the nearby Gulf Stream and strong southerlies the previous few days with also factor into each sailor’s game plan.
Olympic sailing heads back to the Continent in April for the ISAF Worlds in Palma, Majorca, Spain and then Hyeres, France. The USA team plans racing those events as well as the other ISAF stages in Medemblik, Kiel, and Weymouth, punctuated by the Finn Gold Cup in Copenhagen in July and the European Championship in Varna in August.
Country-bound Finnsters will head for New Orleans for the Mardi Gras Hangover regatta followed during the week by the North American Masters championship for those over 40. The first major 2009 West Coast regatta is in Long Beach at ABYC starting March 21.
More information at ussailing.org, nafinnclass.org, finnclass.org, charlesheimler.blogspot.com
Copyright 2009/Charles Heimler
FT Lauderdale, Florida, February 12, 2009—The top Finn sailors in North American join the top Finn sailors from the UK, Spain, and Poland in this year’s Finn Midwinter Regatta, hosted by Lauderdale Yacht Club on the Atlantic Ocean in south Florida.
The newly-minted U.S. Sailing Team Finn squad includes Zach Railey, 2008 Olympic silver medalist, Andy Casey, 2007 U.S. National Champion, and Bryan Boyd, 2005 U.S. National Champion.
Their main competition for podium honors will be Spain’s Rafael Trujillo, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2007 Finn World Champion, Britain’s Ed Wright, Royal Yachting Association’s performance team athlete who won last month’s ISAF Worlds Miami OCR, and Poland’s Rafa Szukiel, a 2008 Olympian at the games in China, and 7th at Miami, and Norway’s Peer Moberg, also a 2008 Olympian who finished 6th at Miami.
Canada’s Chris Cook, who sailed to a 7th in the Quindao regatta and 2nd at Miami, will return to the coach boat to mentor the promising young sailor, Toronto’s Matt Johnston, who made it to the ISAF Worlds Miami Regatta medal race in his first major event.
Temperatures are warming at the venue, with highs expected in the low 80’s and light southeast winds of 5-10 knots. Because the course is set close to shore, sailors will have to strategize between heading offshore or up the beach for windward legs. Strong currents generated by the nearby Gulf Stream and strong southerlies the previous few days with also factor into each sailor’s game plan.
Olympic sailing heads back to the Continent in April for the ISAF Worlds in Palma, Majorca, Spain and then Hyeres, France. The USA team plans racing those events as well as the other ISAF stages in Medemblik, Kiel, and Weymouth, punctuated by the Finn Gold Cup in Copenhagen in July and the European Championship in Varna in August.
Country-bound Finnsters will head for New Orleans for the Mardi Gras Hangover regatta followed during the week by the North American Masters championship for those over 40. The first major 2009 West Coast regatta is in Long Beach at ABYC starting March 21.
More information at ussailing.org, nafinnclass.org, finnclass.org, charlesheimler.blogspot.com
Copyright 2009/Charles Heimler
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Double point Finn showdown at Miami World Champs
Miami OCR Dispatch #3 -- Medal race
ISAF created the medal race to bring spectator friendly drama to sailboat racing. At the ISAF World Championship in Miami, it got what it wanted. Only those with access to a motor boat, however, were able to see the excellent sailing skills of the top ten Finn sailors of the regatta. Gary Bodie, the event co-chair, told me that they’d once tried to organize a spectator boat for $10 a ticket, but no one signed up. It’s their loss.
In this iteration of the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta Stage Two of the ISAF Olympic Dinghy World Championship (RMOCRSTISAFODWC, 2009), Chris Cook of Canada sought to over-come his medal race bugaboo and hold off Brit Ed Wright.
As it turned out, Cook had one of his best medal races but finished just behind Wright, and with the double-points awarded in the medal race, saw the yellow jersey, which he’d worn for the whole regatta, slip off his back.
Cook had to sail through some boats ahead of him to be able to challenge Wright on the final downwind run after Wright took the lead at the top of the course.
Wright then had enough of the course to himself to focus on speed and less on positioning. In the two initial legs of the course, match racing your closest competitor and then positioning yourself to round the weather mark and make gains on those ahead in points, is a monied strategy.
P.J. Postma of Holland caught a few waves just 50 metres from the finish to pass Rafa Trujillo, who found himself having to jibe after stalling on the back of a wave. Just within their periphery, American Andy Casey’s downwind technique was firing on all cylinders, and he managed to slip across the line ahead of Trujillo, 2007 Finn World Champion.
The full kinetics allowed flag was up right before the warning, which presaged a great 30-minute, four leg, drag race. The yellow and red triangle signals the conditions that Finn sailors relish and their upwind athleticism and downwind kinetics elevate to a level unknown in other one-design dinghies.
Combine a 300-pound dinghy, 15 kts. of breeze and accompanying Biscayne Bay chop and, 116 square feet of sail area, and male adrenaline—and the sight is ready for television. For the sailors who’d been practicing in the Coaches Regatta the kinetic-style sanctioned by racing rule 42, the medal race was a culmination the winter training in Miami.
The medal race also allowed Floridian homeboy Zach Railey, to move into 3rd for the regatta. After earning in China the USA’s first silver medal in Finn in 16 years, the sports management major has been helping his coach, Kenneth Andreasen, revamp the USA Olympic program, which is adopting a physical-training and money rewards for performance model to prepare for London 2012. Zach is also helping the USAFA with a Development Program, which has purchased a trainer and put 3-time All-American Bryan Lake into it. Zach’s sailing clinics are helping the new generation of Opti and Laser sailors catch the Olympic spirit.
Copyright 2009—Charles Heimler
ISAF created the medal race to bring spectator friendly drama to sailboat racing. At the ISAF World Championship in Miami, it got what it wanted. Only those with access to a motor boat, however, were able to see the excellent sailing skills of the top ten Finn sailors of the regatta. Gary Bodie, the event co-chair, told me that they’d once tried to organize a spectator boat for $10 a ticket, but no one signed up. It’s their loss.
In this iteration of the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta Stage Two of the ISAF Olympic Dinghy World Championship (RMOCRSTISAFODWC, 2009), Chris Cook of Canada sought to over-come his medal race bugaboo and hold off Brit Ed Wright.
As it turned out, Cook had one of his best medal races but finished just behind Wright, and with the double-points awarded in the medal race, saw the yellow jersey, which he’d worn for the whole regatta, slip off his back.
Cook had to sail through some boats ahead of him to be able to challenge Wright on the final downwind run after Wright took the lead at the top of the course.
Wright then had enough of the course to himself to focus on speed and less on positioning. In the two initial legs of the course, match racing your closest competitor and then positioning yourself to round the weather mark and make gains on those ahead in points, is a monied strategy.
P.J. Postma of Holland caught a few waves just 50 metres from the finish to pass Rafa Trujillo, who found himself having to jibe after stalling on the back of a wave. Just within their periphery, American Andy Casey’s downwind technique was firing on all cylinders, and he managed to slip across the line ahead of Trujillo, 2007 Finn World Champion.
The full kinetics allowed flag was up right before the warning, which presaged a great 30-minute, four leg, drag race. The yellow and red triangle signals the conditions that Finn sailors relish and their upwind athleticism and downwind kinetics elevate to a level unknown in other one-design dinghies.
Combine a 300-pound dinghy, 15 kts. of breeze and accompanying Biscayne Bay chop and, 116 square feet of sail area, and male adrenaline—and the sight is ready for television. For the sailors who’d been practicing in the Coaches Regatta the kinetic-style sanctioned by racing rule 42, the medal race was a culmination the winter training in Miami.
The medal race also allowed Floridian homeboy Zach Railey, to move into 3rd for the regatta. After earning in China the USA’s first silver medal in Finn in 16 years, the sports management major has been helping his coach, Kenneth Andreasen, revamp the USA Olympic program, which is adopting a physical-training and money rewards for performance model to prepare for London 2012. Zach is also helping the USAFA with a Development Program, which has purchased a trainer and put 3-time All-American Bryan Lake into it. Zach’s sailing clinics are helping the new generation of Opti and Laser sailors catch the Olympic spirit.
Copyright 2009—Charles Heimler
Swinging in Miami
Miami OCR Dispatch #2—January 24, 2009
Swinging in Miami
It’s not what you think it is.
Bob Carlen, Peter Henrichsen, and Fred Nicholson ran 19 boats through the process in the sailing center garage before the regatta. The USAFA charged each boat $50 for the re-certification. They were able to do this because Andy Casey and Forrest Gay brought the rig to and fro California, and yours truly volunteered to collect the money, schedule appointments, and keep records.
Devoti is charging nearly $600 for the same program in Europe—they are batching boats and trucking them to Poland to their factory to do the work. Needless to say, the internationals here were the first in line to get their boats re-certed by the USAFA.
Several installed the digital compass while several left their plastimos in. There’s some benefits to the digital, some suppose; the drawbacks include the lag time between the change of course and when it shows on the digital screen, and the fact that you can’t sight anything but your course of direction. A nice feature of the standard compass is that you can read all the points off the dial, say if you want to know the compass direction of that dark cloud heading toward the water from the city, and so on.
It took four hours to assemble and calibrate the rig and get the first boat done. After that, the measurers evolved the process, done for the first time, to these steps—
Pay the fee
Dry the boat
Choose which compass and install the digital if wanted
Weigh the boat
Swing it on the lamboley
Calculate two factors in a formula to determine where to re-place weight to keep a legal lamboley
Remove lead as directed by the measurer. This will take claw hammers, a butane torch to heat a putty knife, and up to an hour. Take care not to put a hole in the hull with the claw hammer. Ed Wright, Rafal Szukiel and Pitr Mohr tied for the most efficient weight removal times.
Install but do not yet glue new weight to correct the swing as directed by the measurer; sikkaflex works well for this.
Re-weigh under the direction of the measurer
Re-lamboley under the direction of the measurer. Then, glue the weight in.
Collect amended certificate.
Minimum weight is 116 K, so some take out the back hiking straps, remove the pussy pads and use sikkaflex and sticky-back to secure the risers, or go naked on the deck all-together. Some even disavow continuous lines.
Several anecdotal reports claim that the boats feel different with the lower weight. The consensus seems to be that the lower weight is a good thing while there is a concern among people who respect the rules that there is an unattended opening for people to modify and then sail non-certificated boats. About 40 pounds of lead weight will soon become the property of the USAFA Chief Measurer.
Swinging in Miami
It’s not what you think it is.
Bob Carlen, Peter Henrichsen, and Fred Nicholson ran 19 boats through the process in the sailing center garage before the regatta. The USAFA charged each boat $50 for the re-certification. They were able to do this because Andy Casey and Forrest Gay brought the rig to and fro California, and yours truly volunteered to collect the money, schedule appointments, and keep records.
Devoti is charging nearly $600 for the same program in Europe—they are batching boats and trucking them to Poland to their factory to do the work. Needless to say, the internationals here were the first in line to get their boats re-certed by the USAFA.
Several installed the digital compass while several left their plastimos in. There’s some benefits to the digital, some suppose; the drawbacks include the lag time between the change of course and when it shows on the digital screen, and the fact that you can’t sight anything but your course of direction. A nice feature of the standard compass is that you can read all the points off the dial, say if you want to know the compass direction of that dark cloud heading toward the water from the city, and so on.
It took four hours to assemble and calibrate the rig and get the first boat done. After that, the measurers evolved the process, done for the first time, to these steps—
Pay the fee
Dry the boat
Choose which compass and install the digital if wanted
Weigh the boat
Swing it on the lamboley
Calculate two factors in a formula to determine where to re-place weight to keep a legal lamboley
Remove lead as directed by the measurer. This will take claw hammers, a butane torch to heat a putty knife, and up to an hour. Take care not to put a hole in the hull with the claw hammer. Ed Wright, Rafal Szukiel and Pitr Mohr tied for the most efficient weight removal times.
Install but do not yet glue new weight to correct the swing as directed by the measurer; sikkaflex works well for this.
Re-weigh under the direction of the measurer
Re-lamboley under the direction of the measurer. Then, glue the weight in.
Collect amended certificate.
Minimum weight is 116 K, so some take out the back hiking straps, remove the pussy pads and use sikkaflex and sticky-back to secure the risers, or go naked on the deck all-together. Some even disavow continuous lines.
Several anecdotal reports claim that the boats feel different with the lower weight. The consensus seems to be that the lower weight is a good thing while there is a concern among people who respect the rules that there is an unattended opening for people to modify and then sail non-certificated boats. About 40 pounds of lead weight will soon become the property of the USAFA Chief Measurer.
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