Back from the NACs - we placed 16th of 21 boats. Our best finish was a 12th. The Brazillians won it, for the first time in class history(!) As class president I've got some things to deal with as far as getting the perp. trophy to sent safely them. It was a really great time. It was fun to see the folks from around the country again, and meet new ones.
Things I've learned so far:
1. I may be starving myself of power. I'm going to try to power up the boat a little more: less mast bend, baggier outhaul, etc. I may need to have Lindsey cut windows in the mains to look at the spreaders to help trim the jib. Need to become a "master of heavy air" as someone at NACs mentioned. I'm told my sails are very flat. I also want to experiment with the mast rake.
2. Jib trim - may consider tighter inhaulers and slacker sheets...
3. Rudder head - I spent a lot of time this weekend cutting it down to reduce weight and improve the flow. I also rasped down the flat leading edge that protrudes below the hull line into something resembling the leading edge of the rudder. I've got a layer of glass on it now. I will need to fair it down tonight and tomorrow. I repainted the rudder head a nice blue color. Looks better, for a short time, at least.
4. Boat weight will always be an issue... Need to look for ways to remove weight, both from myself and from the boat.
Posted by Bob at June 30, 2003 12:25 PM