First Big rig experiences

8th April 2005

The Dinghy Sailing Magazine training weekend was interesting. On the Saturday it was 18 knots and we used the big rig for the second time. The first time being about 7 knots and we sailed for about half an hour. So it was a baptism of fire! Meaning we fell in a lot. The falling in wasn't helped by everything on the boom falling off ... including the gnav and then the boom itself. Something tells me that Ben had left it all a bit late to sort the boom out :-) So having missed the morning / tuning session because we were rigging / making the boom we went out and fell in because the tiller extensions fell off going into a tack. We then fell in some more when the boom bits fell off and went in. We sorted it and went out again. But the idea of short course tacking and gybing had lost it's appeal by then so we went for a burn. And to be frank, we had a three sailer that scared theliving sh*t out of me it was so fast! We fell in on that gybe as well... still trying to work out why... I think it was because we were going so deep and had made so much apparent that when we went into the gybe and slowed slightly the apparent shifted so much it push us over? Anyway... we did get eaten a bit by the new sails, but I think it was shock more than anything and the fact that we haven't sailed for a year almost, with all this boat building and modifying. One thing is for sure: in 18 knots you need to be switched on, but then you've always needed to be in a Cherub! The straight line stuff is all fine, or possibly easier with the larer rags but the corners require a lot more commitment and in windy weather some twin wire skill we haven't got yet. All in all it was well cool. Sunday we went out with the small rig and trained with the rest which was nice, short course stuff. We did 17.8 knots off wind according to Alex who was there in his foiler Moth and a GPS, with the small sails, and it felt slow!!! Oh and we've now decided that the board is in the wrong place which probably didn't help...more gluing for us!!! :-(