Mmmm... tough call!

This morning we had some perfect record breaking conditions... or at least as good as we could ever expect from Portland Harbour.

We didn't go out.

 

It was a very tough call based on the modifications made since our last outing. They changes really should be trialled first before we go out in our upper wind bracket. By all means they should be right but I don't want to find out the hard way. The new mainsheet/rig-bridle system should solve most of the previous issues we had handling the wing but then it might introduce new ones.

I don't mind making bold calls with the boat but they should be done for a reason and not as a rule.

In order to make sure that the new system works properly throughout the whole rig handling procedure including raising, sailing and lowering it needs to be trialled on the shore. This requires a day of light wind which we simply haven't had since the last outing.

I have no doubt that the new system would have worked well whilst sailing. I REALLY wanted to get out there. For once the wind strength, direction and tide height were all ideal... and the course was completely void of other craft. Bloody hell, paradise right there on our doorstep. 

We were hoping that the day was going to start light enough to allow us to raise the rig in the carpark but by the time we got the rig out it was already getting up. We fitted the wing onto SAILROCKET but the boat was bucking around against its tethers so there was no question of raising it in the boat park. It would even be safer inthe water!

I really wanted to get out there. Helena went out in the RIB and took a wind reading on the course and it was still ideal. Damn. There was a youth training event on at the sailing academy so many parents and keen young sailors were eager to see the boat go. Many had seen the video of the last two outings and were as keen as us to see more.

Trouble is that I knew it was a gamble. when we go out in these conditions the boat should be tried and tested. We want to go out there in a controlled manner with everything in place so that we aren't simply struggling to survive and get back to the shore. If we went out today we would have been jumping the development process. Let's face it, we have been out four times with the wing which only equates to around 5 minutes of sailing time. We have improved the systems and handling a huge amount and had a taste of what happens when it goes wrong.

To succeed we need to be ahead of the game and today I wasn't confident about that. The wind strength increased around mid-day until it was obviously too strong.

 

We will never know if not going sailing today was the right decision but every time we put Sailrocket safely back in the container, we know we didn't make the wrong one! She will be around to fight another day.

 

Damn, we are so close to seeing this thing rip!!!

 

cheers, Paul.

 

Paul Larsen
Mobile: + 44 (0) 794 684 1929
E-mail: paularsen1@aol.com
www.sailrocket.com