I'm guessing, unless you were running a fractional spinny, the check-stays are doing zero, and the mast-head spinny is being countered by the permanent backstay. Possibly a good idea not to use the checkstays when running. But of course I wasn't there, hihi.
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I'm guessing, unless you were running a fractional spinny, the check-stays are doing zero, and the mast-head spinny is being countered by the permanent backstay. Possibly a good idea not to use the checkstays when running. But of course I wasn't there, hihi.
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
Bingo. The way they're set up you have to unreave them (no quick release). Do-able but harder after things got sporty, so we left them.
The only problem I see in this video is running hard with a reefed main on your J-125 will be, by the end of the ride, the spinnaker sheet having chafed a nice hole in your expensive mainsail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6kNSQz3l7k
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The Smokester
New member
I saw Mayan beating back to Santa Cruz as I left Half Moon Bay around noon. Beautiful sight. Glad she survived unscathed.
A long, strange, and satisfying trip it's been since Sept., 2010, at Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. It was there I first contemplated a small catamaran for nearshore cruising when visiting aboard the 16 foot "Eco-Cat," towable behind compact car.
At the time, little did I realize that local Santa Cruz boatbuilder Howard Spruit, having become allergic to fiberglass, had built himself a small plywood catamaran, the 20 foot MOKUALANI, over a three year period.
Howard had the skills, the energy, and patience to adopt "MOKU"'s design and build techniques to a new WILDFLOWER, and over 18 months, 2010-2012, we built a new plywood cat, 22 feet LOA, here in the Capitola driveway.
After three summers with the new WILDFLOWER cat cruising British Columbia waters, Howard and I continue to make improvements. The new kick-up rudder Howard has just completed is a beauty: lighter, stronger, more hydrodynamic, and sensual than the old polyethelene one. Thanks, Howard!
WILDFLOWER and FELIX make an interesting contrast. FELIX, 24 feet LOA, and built by the guys at Turn Point Design in Port Townsend, is directly aimed at winning the 2016 Race2Alaska.
FELIX is all carbon fiber, no wood, and with state-of-the-art improvements of pedal power for light winds, hydrofoils on the daggers and rudders, water ballast, hiking racks, canting mast, and other ingenious thinking. Does FELIX have a bunk? Nope, the three man crew will be "camping out" in the small cuddy for the R2AK.
Different strokes for different folks.
At the time, little did I realize that local Santa Cruz boatbuilder Howard Spruit, having become allergic to fiberglass, had built himself a small plywood catamaran, the 20 foot MOKUALANI, over a three year period.
Howard had the skills, the energy, and patience to adopt "MOKU"'s design and build techniques to a new WILDFLOWER, and over 18 months, 2010-2012, we built a new plywood cat, 22 feet LOA, here in the Capitola driveway.
After three summers with the new WILDFLOWER cat cruising British Columbia waters, Howard and I continue to make improvements. The new kick-up rudder Howard has just completed is a beauty: lighter, stronger, more hydrodynamic, and sensual than the old polyethelene one. Thanks, Howard!
WILDFLOWER and FELIX make an interesting contrast. FELIX, 24 feet LOA, and built by the guys at Turn Point Design in Port Townsend, is directly aimed at winning the 2016 Race2Alaska.
FELIX is all carbon fiber, no wood, and with state-of-the-art improvements of pedal power for light winds, hydrofoils on the daggers and rudders, water ballast, hiking racks, canting mast, and other ingenious thinking. Does FELIX have a bunk? Nope, the three man crew will be "camping out" in the small cuddy for the R2AK.
Different strokes for different folks.
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
solosailor
New member
Only if many other break. There are many faster multihulls entered.
Yes, but do they have sensual rudders??!!
The 2016 Race2Alaska starts at 0600, Thursday, June 23, off the Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA. If you haven't reviewed the biographies of the 41 entries, be sure to be sitting down if you do. It is assuredly the most amazing, innovative, and diverse collection of watercraft ever assembled, prepared to race 800 miles for a prize of $10,000 nailed to a tree. https://r2ak.com/full-race-participants2016/
SOLOSAILOR is correct that there are many faster multihulls entered than the all carbon FELIX, of Team Turn Point design. However, the R2AK is not all about straight line speed. There's sailing/racing ability for sure. But also endurance, night time and heavy weather skills, navigation through narrow rocky channels and tidal bore currents so strong that whirlpools can be a factor for boat safety.
A new R2AK race asset will be asserting itself this year. That is pedal power: pedaling your boat like a bicycle whenever the wind goes light. Some are using Hobie Mirage Drives. Others have custom propellers.
No one knows for sure what will be the best. But being able to pedal indefinitely at 4 knots, like Team Turn Point Design and Team Mad Dog report, is sure to be a factor, especially competing against boats using oars. The thinking is that pedaling a multihull when the wind goes light increases the apparent wind, theoretically capable of increasing sailing speed to 3x the windspeed.
There are at least 14 multihulls entered in this year's R2AK, most with a chance at front row seats. Of course the heavy favorite is the 73 foot tri TRITIUM Racing with an all pro crew. But can they get to the start line from LA, then survive the risk of hitting floating debris while going 30 knots at night? Never mind there is no practical way to row or pedal TRITIUM if the wind poops. How will they get to the waypoint inside Victoria Harbor where sailing and anchoring is not allowed?
Then there are the cats BAD KITTY and MAD DOG...both capable of taking over the lead should TRITIUM break. Did I mention neither BAD KITTY nor MAD DOG have any cabin protection or bunks for the crews whatsoever?
Ready to pounce should the big multi's meet misfortune are a dozen smaller or slower cats and tris, at least 7 Farriers including two F-31's, a Crowther 38, and several foilers.
And just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, take note of the Aussie Open 18 foot dinghy (Team Wabi Sabi), and the Stand Up Paddle Board (Team Heart of Gold.)
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My apologies to the skipper and crew of the L/36 PAPOOSE. In the above post I indicated that PAPOOSE was dismasted in the Master Mariners by SEAWARD while PAPOOSE attempted to cross on port tack. This is in error. As seen in a series of dramatic and heart-wrenching photos taken by Jonathan and Christine, PAPOOSE was on starboard and was overtaken from windward and astern by SEAWARD, who failed to stay clear. Ouch.
http://www.norcalsailing.com/galleries/201605-mm/201605-mm-Pages/Image44.html
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
My understanding is that Santa Cruz, in a effort to fend off too many AirBNB units, has recently reconsidered its rental rules. Perhaps this will be considered an in-law unit in some driveway? How much per night for Wildflower?
hodgmo
Still Floating
"Perhaps this will be considered an in-law unit in some driveway? How much per night for Wildflower?"
Perhaps suitable for certain in-laws, before renting this quaint unit, i'd ask for elaboration on the implication of the '1.5 Blasting Agent' placard. The renter may get more bang for their buck than they reckoned for...
"Division 1.5 Blasting Agents: Consists of very insensitive explosives. This division is comprised of substances which have a mass explosion hazard but are so insensitive that there is very little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport."
Or maybe the placard is simply a deterrent to rogues with HAZMAT wariness...
Perhaps suitable for certain in-laws, before renting this quaint unit, i'd ask for elaboration on the implication of the '1.5 Blasting Agent' placard. The renter may get more bang for their buck than they reckoned for...
"Division 1.5 Blasting Agents: Consists of very insensitive explosives. This division is comprised of substances which have a mass explosion hazard but are so insensitive that there is very little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport."
Or maybe the placard is simply a deterrent to rogues with HAZMAT wariness...
If the first time I lost WILDFLOWER was compliments of Matson shipping in 1978, the second time she went missing was the end of May, 1986. I'd contracted with a local boat mover, "Drivin' Ivan," to truck WILDFLOWER north to Anacortes, WA, on his big rig.
Drivin' Ivan, of Alviso Boat Movers, moved all the big Santa Cruz built boats, including the SC-50's and SC-70's. IVAN was known for his cheap rates, fast turn-arounds, and getting boats delivered without hassle or much worry about permits.
We waved goodbye to WILDFLOWER as she began her journey from Santa Cruz over Highway 17 loaded on Drivin' Ivan's big maroon truck. The plan was to meet in three days at the boatyard in Anacortes.
The next morning after Ivan's departure I get a call from a friend. "Hey Skip, do you know where your boat is?" I assured him she was on the I-5 freeway, headed north to Washington State.
"Better read the headlines in the SF Chronicle" was my friend's reply before hanging up.
I walked to the corner newspaper rack, put in a dime, and pulled out the morning Chron. Holy guacamole, there on the front page were headlines "Big Pot Ring Reportedly Smashed."
It seems that Ivan had parked WILDFLOWER in his Milpitas Industrial Yard, hooked up another tractor trailer van, driven to Pier 3 in San Francisco, met a smuggling ship, and loaded 17 tons of marijuana worth $40 million inside his rig before driving back to Milpitas. Unfortunately for Ivan, and 16 other suspects, the whole operation was watched by the DEA and Customs officers, who jumped out of the bushes and surrounded Ivan's smuggling trailer, now parked next to WILDFLOWER.
Having read this news I wasn't sure what to do. Theoretically, all Ivan's property was impounded, including the trailer WILDFLOWER was on. And Ivan was now in jail for conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana.
I drove to Milpitas and parked on a hill overlooking lonely WILDFLOWER behind the chain link fence, scene of the previous night's bust. With binoculars, I could see the hatches were still secured and locked, a good sign.
I drove back home and called Ivan's phone number. His son Shawn answered, and I asked him about "the problem." "Oh, there's no problem," Shawn assured me. I asked how my boat was going to get to Anacortes, with Ivan in lock-up.
"Oh, I'll be driving your boat north, I'm a licensed and professional trucker and work for my dad."
There wasn't anything I could do but hope for the best. Shawn, with WILDFLOWER in tow, did arrive in Anacortes, only 2 days behind schedule. Drivin' Ivan spent a year in the pokey.
I was lucky. And learned a big lesson not to trust word-of-mouth recommendations, low bid contracts, or "we don't need no stinkin' permits."
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Not likely to ever be seen in the Round the Rocks, the magnificent J Class of the 20's and 30's is undergoing a resurgence of late, eight of which are actively racing.
Seven "J's" were built before 1929, of which three survive: ASTRA, CAMBRIA, and CANDIDA. 10 modern "J's" were built to the Universal Rule between 1929 and 1937, and used in America's Cup racing. These J's were between 120 and 135 feet LOA, and culminated with the Starling Burgess designed "Super-J" RANGER.
Though the original RANGER was scrapped in 1941, a replica has been built. So too is there a new RAINBOW, LIONHEART, HANUMAN, and TOPAZ. From the 30's era, VELSHEDA, ENDEAVOR, and SHAMROCK V have been restored.
If you like to see really big sloops racing in close quarters, watching the J's can't help but stir a certain thrill. Have any readers had the opportunity to sail on a J?
(Stan Honey will be navigating HANUMAN this coming season.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8w6AL_VlAs
Seven "J's" were built before 1929, of which three survive: ASTRA, CAMBRIA, and CANDIDA. 10 modern "J's" were built to the Universal Rule between 1929 and 1937, and used in America's Cup racing. These J's were between 120 and 135 feet LOA, and culminated with the Starling Burgess designed "Super-J" RANGER.
Though the original RANGER was scrapped in 1941, a replica has been built. So too is there a new RAINBOW, LIONHEART, HANUMAN, and TOPAZ. From the 30's era, VELSHEDA, ENDEAVOR, and SHAMROCK V have been restored.
If you like to see really big sloops racing in close quarters, watching the J's can't help but stir a certain thrill. Have any readers had the opportunity to sail on a J?
(Stan Honey will be navigating HANUMAN this coming season.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8w6AL_VlAs
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
The St Regis Mardavall in Mallorca seems to be booked for the race dates. Too bad. Maybe next time.