Very civilised...that's more like it!

Just got in from another session and am happy to report that SAILROCKET behaved herself quite nicely.

I sailed a little more conservatively and gave her plenty of 'eased-out' time to warm up to speed. I felt under full control at all times. As we approached 30 knots she began to feel a little loose. The rudder was very neutral and the craft was super responsive to input in both directions. It was as if it had been raked forward too much. I didn't sheet in any more and decided to bail out of the run. I wanted to go back and do another one. For the second one I was going to focus on changing to the smaller rudder at around 25 knots. The wind had built by the time we got half way back up the course and we decided to hold on another run.

It was over 20 knots and felt like building.

We bumped home across a very choppy lagoon. the beam flap cops a hard time in choppy seas.

So we hit 29. something knots but we were very stable and safe. We have made a few mods to the boat and need to check them out one by one. All the data is being downloaded as are the vids.

Yep, it was nice to have such a civilised run.

I would love to be able to do two or three runs on the same day. I learnt alot today about my general approach to the course and wanted to try a few different things like a less pronounced round-up to get the boat up to speed... but it wasn't to be.

Finding that we have control with the little rudder will be a big bonus. The big rudder is just too much at high speed. It is half the area of the main foil so little changes in angle of attack have a big effect. The future is small and efficient rudders... and having the confidence to go to them. The faster we go the more that the air rudder is going to come into effect.

The sun has now set and the wind is still rattling the container door locks. It's getting cool in these parts now.

I feel good about today, not excited, but good. The old controllable boat reappeared. This is a boat that I would be happy to push harder. I don't want to be hanging onto the shirt tails of a runaway beast like on the last run. Sure it was fun... but it could be very expensive fun.

The team worked well and now we will move onto other areas.

Cheers, Paul.

 

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