(c) Voiles et Voiliers
Upwind, lot's of speed!
Spinnaker sailing
More sailing pictures
Below you can find some pictures that were taken for the article in the French sailing magazine!
(c) Voiles et Voiliers
Upwind, lot's of speed!
Spinnaker sailing
(c) Voiles et Voiliers
Upwind, lot's of speed!
Spinnaker sailing
Interview on the Blade F16
For those of you who want to learn French, you can find the article on our Blade F16 that appeared in Voiles et Voiliers this year.
Enjoy your read!
For those of you who like to watch, we will post some pictures later on.
Part on the Spitfire
Part on the Blade F16
Part on the the Bimare X-16
F16 and other designs
Enjoy your read!
For those of you who like to watch, we will post some pictures later on.
Part on the Spitfire
Part on the Blade F16
Part on the the Bimare X-16
F16 and other designs
Sailing season almost finished, but we won't leave you!
The coming weekend we'll be moving our Blade to our garage. In the next four months we will have some time to change a few things. Things we haven't had the time for during summer.
But we will also be entertaining you!
We will regularly write sailing 'tutorial' posts. Monthly we will explain some of the most common sailing terminology used. Next year our posts will be even more interesting to read!
But we will also be entertaining you!
We will regularly write sailing 'tutorial' posts. Monthly we will explain some of the most common sailing terminology used. Next year our posts will be even more interesting to read!
2nd place at club championship 2008!
This is it! The race of the year... :-)
I guess everyone who likes cat racing at our club looks forward to this event. And so do we, but....
Saturday was cold and the sun wasn't out. 14°C and we were heading towards the club to rig the boat. Was this the event of the year...?
Yes!
We arrived and it was blowing 11 to 15 knots, the wind came of shore, which made the sea flat! This looked like fun sailing!
A minimum of 3 races was scheduled. Each time 2 laps. This time there was no gate downwind but a buoy to take. And with the strong current heading in the same direction as the wind it would be a tactical difficult buoy to take.
By the time we started racing the sun came out and the wind was about 15 knots with 18 in the gusts. The sea stayed flat, so everyone enjoyed themselves.
The first race we missed our start and started at least 20 seconds after the signal. Good thing was that we started above all the rest, giving us free wind and a good speed.
At the upwind mark 2 Infusions were close together, we followed at about a minute with 2 other F18's (Cirrus and Tiger).
After a short spreader we pulled the kite and Kathleen was trapping out.
By the second time we came to the upwind mark we were clearly in third position, with a comfortable lead over the other 2 F18's. We gained on the Infusions, but they were just too fast, this time....
Once we finished we heard that the current club champions (who did finish first) got an OCS! Meaning we were second!
Second start was ok and we were closer with the Infusions. This was real racing!
The whole first lap we were chasing the first 2 but couldn't get any closer. In the second upwind lap we tacked away from the line the other boats sailed on. We did 2 tacks more than the other boats but had more wind and less current. Meaning we were first at the mark, followed, at a few seconds, by the other 2 F18's.
We gave everything with the spin up and managed to keep this position till the finish! First place!
In the third race we were burning upwind again. We were going faster and pointing higher than everyone else. Downwind we lost a little every time and finished second. At that moment we were first overall!
But the weather was nice and the laps rather short, so the race committee decided to hold a fourth lap... Now everyone could drop a result and the current champions could still finish first. If we finished before them now, we won, otherwise we would be second.
The fourth lap was no different from the third one and we finished second again...
Still we were happy with our second place and we had a super sailing day!
I hope we will still have a couple of nice sailing days this month, because then the Blade will go to the storage till beginning of March....
I guess everyone who likes cat racing at our club looks forward to this event. And so do we, but....
Saturday was cold and the sun wasn't out. 14°C and we were heading towards the club to rig the boat. Was this the event of the year...?
Yes!
We arrived and it was blowing 11 to 15 knots, the wind came of shore, which made the sea flat! This looked like fun sailing!
A minimum of 3 races was scheduled. Each time 2 laps. This time there was no gate downwind but a buoy to take. And with the strong current heading in the same direction as the wind it would be a tactical difficult buoy to take.
By the time we started racing the sun came out and the wind was about 15 knots with 18 in the gusts. The sea stayed flat, so everyone enjoyed themselves.
The first race we missed our start and started at least 20 seconds after the signal. Good thing was that we started above all the rest, giving us free wind and a good speed.
At the upwind mark 2 Infusions were close together, we followed at about a minute with 2 other F18's (Cirrus and Tiger).
After a short spreader we pulled the kite and Kathleen was trapping out.
By the second time we came to the upwind mark we were clearly in third position, with a comfortable lead over the other 2 F18's. We gained on the Infusions, but they were just too fast, this time....
Once we finished we heard that the current club champions (who did finish first) got an OCS! Meaning we were second!
Second start was ok and we were closer with the Infusions. This was real racing!
The whole first lap we were chasing the first 2 but couldn't get any closer. In the second upwind lap we tacked away from the line the other boats sailed on. We did 2 tacks more than the other boats but had more wind and less current. Meaning we were first at the mark, followed, at a few seconds, by the other 2 F18's.
We gave everything with the spin up and managed to keep this position till the finish! First place!
In the third race we were burning upwind again. We were going faster and pointing higher than everyone else. Downwind we lost a little every time and finished second. At that moment we were first overall!
But the weather was nice and the laps rather short, so the race committee decided to hold a fourth lap... Now everyone could drop a result and the current champions could still finish first. If we finished before them now, we won, otherwise we would be second.
The fourth lap was no different from the third one and we finished second again...
Still we were happy with our second place and we had a super sailing day!
I hope we will still have a couple of nice sailing days this month, because then the Blade will go to the storage till beginning of March....
The last day of the race...
Again we got up early -> 8 pm sharp start!
Today we had to get back to the open waters (we were at the "Veerse meer" at the moment). We started to race towards the channel that connected the inshore waters with "de Schelde".
It was blowing force 4 and the racing was very intense. The channels we went through were sometimes only a couple of 100 meters wide, so we had to come of the wire, tack, and go out again quite often!
Once we reached the channel, we had to take the main down and go through it with the jib only. A pity we couldn't race in these extremely flat waters, but if you consider the traffic, it was a logic decision.
By noon we reached "de Schelde". Here we started to sail with the spin and we didn't take it down until the finish on the beach of Duinbergen at 5.15 pm!
These seals we didn't see, too busy with the spin I guess...
Thanks to the organizing club for a great event!
Today we had to get back to the open waters (we were at the "Veerse meer" at the moment). We started to race towards the channel that connected the inshore waters with "de Schelde".
It was blowing force 4 and the racing was very intense. The channels we went through were sometimes only a couple of 100 meters wide, so we had to come of the wire, tack, and go out again quite often!
Once we reached the channel, we had to take the main down and go through it with the jib only. A pity we couldn't race in these extremely flat waters, but if you consider the traffic, it was a logic decision.
By noon we reached "de Schelde". Here we started to sail with the spin and we didn't take it down until the finish on the beach of Duinbergen at 5.15 pm!
These seals we didn't see, too busy with the spin I guess...
Thanks to the organizing club for a great event!
RBSC Extreme - day 2
Day 2 started early... Rigging a cat in the dark with flashlights isn't easy but, ... great when you're sailing with a sunset!
At about 8 am we arrived at the first lock, just before the wind fell... When we came out of the lock, the wind hadn't picked up so we had a paddle start...
After a paddle race of 4 miles the fleet finished and we waited until the wind would pick up... and at about 11 am it did!
We continued sailing on inlakes and creeks... Technically quite challenging and very beautiful! (Holland is known for its waterways).
After another lock we arrived at the campsite about 5 pm. After a short break we still did some racing in the surroundings and finished at 6.30 pm.
Again food and drinks were served and I want to thank the organizing club for an excellent job!
At about 8 am we arrived at the first lock, just before the wind fell... When we came out of the lock, the wind hadn't picked up so we had a paddle start...
After a paddle race of 4 miles the fleet finished and we waited until the wind would pick up... and at about 11 am it did!
We continued sailing on inlakes and creeks... Technically quite challenging and very beautiful! (Holland is known for its waterways).
After another lock we arrived at the campsite about 5 pm. After a short break we still did some racing in the surroundings and finished at 6.30 pm.
Again food and drinks were served and I want to thank the organizing club for an excellent job!
Was it extreme....? Day 1
Finally a report.... Yes I was tired and went sailing with the Blade last weekend so it took a while before I had the time to write something about my extreme experience.
On Friday we (Manu and I; Kathleen preferred not to do this extreme event) met at the beach around 8 am. We still had to prep the boat (Nacra F18) before sailing of to the beach club RBSC (15 min sail).
When preparing I mean adding 'extreme' items to the cat. This went from a rudder system to lock the rudders in case we had to paddle to top lights and a radar reflector for security.
Around 11 am we arrived at the beach for a thorough security check. After that we received a map with all possible way points they could send us to.
At about 2 pm the first (beach)start was given and very soon it became clear we were heading for Holland.
Checking the next way point....
At about 5 pm we finished at the beach of "De Roompot" about 30 nautical miles later (in force 4 to 5).
This is us!
The sun was out and the entire group of sailors (10 cats) decided to call it a day. We enjoyed the BBQ and went for a short rest.... The start on Saturday was planned around 6 am (but we still had to eat, rig the boat and break up the tent...).
On Friday we (Manu and I; Kathleen preferred not to do this extreme event) met at the beach around 8 am. We still had to prep the boat (Nacra F18) before sailing of to the beach club RBSC (15 min sail).
When preparing I mean adding 'extreme' items to the cat. This went from a rudder system to lock the rudders in case we had to paddle to top lights and a radar reflector for security.
Around 11 am we arrived at the beach for a thorough security check. After that we received a map with all possible way points they could send us to.
At about 2 pm the first (beach)start was given and very soon it became clear we were heading for Holland.
Checking the next way point....
At about 5 pm we finished at the beach of "De Roompot" about 30 nautical miles later (in force 4 to 5).
This is us!
The sun was out and the entire group of sailors (10 cats) decided to call it a day. We enjoyed the BBQ and went for a short rest.... The start on Saturday was planned around 6 am (but we still had to eat, rig the boat and break up the tent...).
RBSC Extreme
No regattas/races this weekend... It has been a long time since we had no sailing planned at all during the weekend, but we'll have plenty things to do.
Next weekend I'm sailing the RBSC Extreme on a F18. Extreme = 3 days of GPS cat sailing.
Start on Friday around 2pm, finish around 8pm. Saturday we'll be sailing from 5am till 8pm and Sunday from 7am till 2pm...
Goal for this regatta: crossing the finish line on Sunday!
I hope we don't get too much wind, but if there isn't enough, you're allowed to paddle!!
Gill
Next weekend I'm sailing the RBSC Extreme on a F18. Extreme = 3 days of GPS cat sailing.
Start on Friday around 2pm, finish around 8pm. Saturday we'll be sailing from 5am till 8pm and Sunday from 7am till 2pm...
Goal for this regatta: crossing the finish line on Sunday!
I hope we don't get too much wind, but if there isn't enough, you're allowed to paddle!!
Gill
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)