This is the video from my first NC2012 practice derby from 08/05/2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpMtRJJDaJ0&feature=plcp
I probably won't be able to make a submission every single week so I am beatable. Get out there and log your miles!
Practice Derby videos
(18 posts) (6 voices)-
MicroTom
Key MasterGreat video! I enjoyed that. When you put up you hands I thought for a second you were going "look no hands" but then I realized you were signalling 10 knots. lol
BTW, added the code to embed the video. It looks like this: (Notice that the URL stops prior to the & symbol to be embeded here on the forum)
Posted 9 months ago # -
The video is great, and I'm more and more coming to the conclusion
that the Triak is an ideal configuration for the ECC. A couple questions:1. Triak's website claims 30 degrees off the wind close hauled. With
an unbattened sail I'm suspicious. Have you taken either your spot or
chartplotter with you to measure that sailing angle, e.g. sail close hauled
on port tack, then on starboard, and divide the angle between the two
courses by two to see how close to the wind you were sailing? I'd really
like to see polar diagram for the Triak such as this for my Norseboat:All speeds are in knots, angles in degrees.
First column is True Wind Angle (TWA). Second and subsequent
columns are boat speed at the given TWA and wind speed of (n-2)*5,
where n is column number.True Wind Angle
| Boat speed with 5 knots of wind
| | Boat speed with 10 knots of wind
| | | Boat knots with 15 knots of wind
| | | | Boat speed with 20 knots of wind
| | | | | Boat speed with 25 knots of wind
| | | | | | Boat speed over 25 knots
| | | | | | (I'll be at anchor)
| | | | | | |
V V V V V V V
50 1 2 3 3 3 0
60 1.25 2.5 3 3.5 4 0
70 1.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 0
80 2 4.5 5 5.5 6 0
90 2.5 5 6 6.5 7 0
100 2.5 5 6 6.5 7 0
110 2.4 4.9 5.9 6.4 6.9 0
120 2.2 4.7 5.7 6.3 6.8 0
130 2.1 4.6 5.6 6.2 6.7 0
140 2.1 4.6 5.6 6.2 6.7 0
150 2 4.5 4.4 6.1 6.6 0
160 1.9 4.4 4.3 6 6.5 0
170 1.8 5 4 6 6 0
180 1.8 5 4 6 6 02. In prior videos I think I've seen you using a double-bladed paddle,
and in this one you're using a single-blade. I'm guessing from the
hieght of the seat you've found this to be more efficient, or is it just
that the single-blade is easier to store when not in use?3. I'm guessing by "continuous" you mean you've tied the lines so you
have a loop, which when pulled one way furls, and the other unfurls.
Could it be the problem you're having is the loops are too short, so
you can't make sufficient arm movement when pulling the line?4. The winds in March for the ECC mean you're usually close hauled, so
I would think the asymmetical spinnaker would be less useful than a working
jib with Harken roller furling. Have you thought of trying this, and
what do you think the pros and cons would be.5. In heavy air apparently you're burying the leeward ama. Is it possible
the displacement of the amas is too low, and could they be replaced with
ones having more volume?6. Finally, in lighter winds I'd think it would be handy to cleat the
jib sheet, so you could paddle while under sail. Have you considered this?
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberSmittyPaddler,
I'll try to get some data for your question about how far off the wind I can sail. In general, though, I have not been able to do as well as 30 degrees. I'm probably more like 45 degrees. I'm not sure how much of that is the boat and how much is just me.
I actually use both a 2-blade kayak paddle and a single blade canoe paddle. I would probably use the kayak paddle if I am mostly paddling and the canoe paddle if I am mostly sailing. That is what I did in the practice derby although most of the video was from the downwind leg when I was mostly sailing.
For the continuous lines, the Triak was originally outfitted with separate lines for furling and unfurling (and spinnaker halyard and retriever). As you pulled one, the companion line gets shorter but the one you pull gathers in the cockpit. To use a continuous line, as you say, you have a loop to work with. And, yes, if you have the loop too short, it is hard to have enough arm movement. I'm still trying to find just the right amount of length to have enough arm movement and not so much loop to get in the way. What I have now may be fine once I get used to it or I may buy a bit longer line.
Some other Triak owners have experimented with making their own jibs and they claim they can sail closer to the wind. Sail-making isn't a skill I have dived into yet but I might give that a try at some point in the future.
The amas are fairly small and larger ones would give you more stability and allow you to carry more sail. There might be an engineering challenge at the connection of the ama to the wing with the additional stresses a larger ama would enable. Of course, one can simply reef down to a smaller sail area and then the smaller amas are just fine.
I haven't thought about cleating the spinnaker sheet in lighter winds so I could paddle. I just retrieve it in and cleat off the main sail and paddle. I anticipate plenty of opportunities to paddle up-wind and will welcome not paddling if wind conditions are such where I can fly the spinnaker. Cleating the spinnaker (with those small amas) can also be risky. It is better to be able to let go quickly if a gust comes.
I had an opportunity to paddle/sail along with DogsLife (him using his Hobie Adventure Island). The AI, did better in light wind than the Triak but the Triak did better in heavier wind. He might have pointed a bit better than me as well (at least in light wind). The Triak shines when you can have a reaching course with decent wind and particularly when you can fly the spinnaker.
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberMicroTom,
I was actually indicating the more pedestrian miles/hr when I held my hands up. My knots were a little lower. Perhaps I should switch my figer indications over to knots in my videos but higher numbers are more fun to show
. Of course I submitted nautical miles and knots to Chief for the overall course distance and speed.Posted 9 months ago # -
Jeff,
I do not know what all the talk about speed is? A Watertribe Challenge is about endurance not speed. I have yet to see a race with a 20 knot reach. Most have been 20 knots in your face.
This weekend I will be doing the GVI to Thimble Shoal Light Race with Chris and the Sunfish Fleet. Will test my SPOT Tracking.
A Dog never shows all his tricks...
Posted 9 months ago # -
Nice video. Does that dagger board swing up or retract or do you have to be a bit careful?
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberThe dagger board goes in a slot and doesn't pivot. It might move up in the slot in some situations but in general you have to be careful not to ram a hard object (like a submerged bolder). Dragging on sand or mud is no problem. I have my rudder, though, tricked out with an auto-releasing cam cleat which will release if something is hit.
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberYou can see the video from my aborted third-week derby session in the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tcNxehT88
Although I had to cur my paddling/sailing session short, at least I successfully dealth with a broken rudder bracket and made it back to the launch site.
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberI got a very wet paddle/sail in on Saturday. Good thing I had my dry-suit and kayak skirt along. Thanks to chief for making us take all our stuff with us on these practice derbies.
Check it out if you like seeing rain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6sLRD3esLE
My hat blew off my head and I thought it lost but I just happened to sail right over it about an hour later on the way back. Amazing.
Posted 9 months ago # -
My Triak is on order, and until it arrives I'm vicariously enjoying your videos. I'll be inspecting the rudder assembly carefully as soon as I get mine, and I may ask for your advice on beefing it up. Keep up the great work.
Posted 9 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberAll of my aluminum rudder bracket improvements could have been done with nothing more than a vice, hammer, hand-power-drill (with new drill bits), hacksaw (with new blade), and hand-file. It would help, though, to have better tools like a drill-press and a table band-saw. There is a bit of a learning curve to master all the lines but once you get through that, you should have a lot of fun.
Posted 9 months ago # -
LeatherLungs
MemberThe rivers and bays around here will be like washing machines over the holiday weekend, so I decided get my Derby run in early and stretch my legs on the Atlantic.
Due to increasing wind speeds and building seas I didn't max out my miles or break my speed record, but it was very good practice in boat handling, reefing etc.
I love this boat. It never ceases to amaze me how well it handles up and down wind in rough water.
I only wonder why videos always add 10 lbs. to my gut but
reduce wave size by a foot!?
Posted 8 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberI blame the video distortion on the wide-angle lens. Things up close (guts and butts) look big and things farther way (waves) look smaller :) That is my theory and I'm sticking with it.
I thought the waves were huge the last time I was out but they didn't seem all that bad when I watched my most recent video either.
P.S., leatherlungs, thanks for not maxing out your distance. You had a 12 point lead on me after last week. Perhaps I can close it a bit this week and we can have a nail-biter for the total points at the end. It is great practice, though.
Posted 8 months ago # -
"I blame the video distortion on the wide-angle lens. Things up close (guts and butts) look big and things farther way (waves) look smaller :) "
=================================
If your theory is true then the reverse should also be true and a Telephoto Lens will make close things small. Put a Telephoto on your Butt and let me know how that works for you... :(
Posted 8 months ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberI kind-of did what you asked and the results can be seen at the following link:
http://watertribe.org/cleanslate/perspective/
This link also better expalains what I was meaning to say about the optics of a wide-angle lens.
Posted 8 months ago # -
LeatherLungs
MemberCleanSlate wrote:
I blame the video distortion on the wide-angle lens. Things up close (guts and butts) look big and things farther way (waves) look smaller :) That is my theory and I'm sticking with it.
sounds good to me!
CleanSlate wrote:
Perhaps I can close it a bit this week and we can have a nail-biter for the total points at the end.
4 weeks to go, it's anybody's derby!
Posted 8 months ago #
reduce wave size by a foot!?Reply
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