A big Wipeout!!!
Well we just got in from a gutting experience.
Today I was gunning for 40 knots.
We ended up with a destroyed boat.
The beam is smashed in many places and the wing is in pieces over at speed-spot.
Once again Sailrocket tried to sail up the beach at high speed. This time at over 30 knots.
I had changed to the small rudder and was experiencing alot of weather helm. I sheeted in a little to help alleviate this. I was doing about 33 knots and in close to the shore.
The rudder loads should have been easing off and becoming neutral at these speeds.
When I sheeted on a little to assist in easing the helm loads she did the opposite and went for the shore in a violent round-up.
Once again, the rig compressed into the beam, destroyed the strut and then slammed straight down into the beam.
We got it all ashore. Broken carbon and Nomex was washing around in the shore slop. What a mess.
I don't know what is wrong with this boat.
It is doing things that no-one has expected.
Maybe we can rebuild what we have... again. I'm not sure right now. The wing is still in bits over on the beach. It's very windy. The flaps are a mess. The leading edge is cracked. I think that the Compotech spar has survived again.
It's a bad scenario. I wanted at least one good, fast controlled run before we had a big issue like this.
Enough.
I'll get all the bits back and take a day or so to make a full assessment.
It's not over... but right now it's not looking good.
I'm not feeling very jovial about it all.
The good news for all you viewers is that as usual, we have got it all on camera from onboard, onshore and stills and video. We will post it soon.
You get this!
Paul.
Paul Larsen
Mobile: + 44 (0) 794 684 1929
E-mail: paularsen1@aol.com
www.sailrocket.com
Mobile: + 44 (0) 794 684 1929
E-mail: paularsen1@aol.com
www.sailrocket.com
posted by Paul at 1:52 pm
8 Comments:
My sincerest regrets, what a setback.
The reason why the wing slams in the beam is not unclear to me. I have written it before, you have never had that problem with the normal sail and I can understand the difference.
I don't want to be arrogant but I have quite some experience with models with nonheeling rigs and I at least can see for a part what is wrong with sailrocket.
But with some modifications, starting with the model sailrocket can get much better and faster than you are going now.
All the best,
Johan
what a bummer, sorry paul, let me know if you need some epoxy or so.
hang in there - look at the bright side - U still in one piece, right ?
give it a day or two and check it out - its probably not all as bad when u looking at it then - same as last time.
coming around to the yacht club at about 4 - me and mathias want to go out - the wind is definately on today.
frank
Johan's comment not that helpful under the circumstances. What the team need now is ...... Beer.
I've opened one myself in your honour.
All the best and I hope you can turn this around.
Cheers - DomB
It's all ment well. I could just say Sailrocket is perfect, this is just bad luck, great boat and you will get there, while in the meantime I have good reasons to doubt it and I also have idea's on how it can be better. And I have doubts about the safety of the boat also. It's just ment to help. I sincerely think keeping the same course, reparing the boat as it was and just trying again will get you disappointed again. And it's such a pity because the concept has so much more in store.
But for now it's better to get some perspective you are right.
Sorry for the bad timing.
If I could I'd buy the whole team a beer !
Cheers,
Johan
Hi Paul, I've never met you or your team but know you must feel up against it right now. sail rocket is an ace design!! Stick at it though, it'll all be worth it when you break 50. The whole project gives out a little inspiration everyday.
Hope you guys make it past this hurdle.
Huw
So sorry to read about this setback (I've been following progress avidly for the past few months, willing you on...). So yes, take a break, drink some beer, be thankfull you're all OK.
Then, be mindful of Johan's comments - whan faced with the same question "why doesn't this work" I have found returning to models and reproducing the problem at a manageable scale most useful. However, no-one likes to be told what to do at these times!
You havn't missed anything weather-wise up here, at any rate. Light winds and easterlies forecast, so you've done brilliantly to get down to Walvis.
Regards,
Joddy.
hi,
making everything wrong, which is possible to make wrong, was my way, too. So there is still hope !
From my view as a kiter its not good that the sail is so strictly fixed to the boat. So the kite/sailwing cannot freely swing forward and backwards in the wind window. Instead of that the long rigid boom works like a big lever which turns the boat into the wind if you get a gust or are sheeting on.
Just my theory...
another way of making the boat more stable could be to make the profile of the sailwing flatter and as a compensation for that the area of the sail bigger. Then the sailwing flies more stable in the wind window and cannot turn the boat into the wind so easy. (an experience from kiting)
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