tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187349702008-06-06T08:53:16.863+01:00Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-84595600185364202172008-06-06T08:53:00.001+01:002008-06-06T08:53:16.960+01:00<WBR>Two days ago we completed Run number 48, 49... and most of run 50.<br> Run 48 was done with the main rudder up but I struggled to turn VESTAS SAILROCKET away from the shore and passed very close to the beach before regaining control. So close in fact that I passed between the RIB and the timing hut... at over 42 knots of boat speed. I had the wing angle set out at around 20 degrees and figured that this contributed to the boats reluctance to bear away. At this stage I also believed that I was using the full range of the skeg steering. When you are fighting to avoid both the RIB and the shore at such high speeds you don't have time to look at the instruments... we will do that later when we consult the PI RESEARCH data logger. Another noticeable factor was the pod as this was flying cleanly throughout the top speed phase. Not skipping or even bouncing... but flying.<br> <br> It was a glamorous day so we returned to the top of a very sunny 'speed-spot' for run 49. I was figuring on sheeting in the wing to a tighter angle and leaving the big rudder down just as a safety. This run went very smoothly and VESTAS SAILROCKET virtually sailed herself down the course with very little input from me. We peaked a fraction of a knot under 40 but completed a very smooth run with neutral helm.<br> <br> The wind had picked up a little and we still had some time left. Should I tempt fate and do our 50th run down the Walvis Bay speed course? Absolutely. This game is not about being shy. I was determined to do a big run and see a new high peak speed to celebrate surviving to our 50th run. I sheeted in to around 10 degrees as VESTAS SAILROCKET accelerated like a... like a rocket I guess! The lee helm began very quickly. I eased the wing a little to lessen it but we were already well over 30 knots and I couldn't turn the bow up onto the course... even with the foot steering and the large low speed rudder. We were away from the flat water along the shore and out in the rough. I held it for a little while and then decided to bail out. The ride got bumpy. I heard that horrible noise of crisp composites failing. I figured that it might be the aft planing surface and focused on stopping the ride. Then all the steering went limp. Nothing! Something serious had happened. The boat swung wildly into a round-up and we were about to confront our old nemesis. The wing was now king and I was a spectator. It backwinded and sure enough... collapsed the beam. The beam folded to 90 degrees as VESTAS SAILROCKET effectively tacked to be pointing a full 180 degrees to course. The wind got under the back side of the wing and the whole show blew over. We had capsized. I was out of the cockpit and slid over to the bottom of the cockpit as if I was tipping a small beach dinghy over.<br> <br> Helena and Hiskia were quickly on the scene and we managed to secure the scene by making sure all the data loggers were safe and that all the components were with us so that we could look into the cause later. I have been in this position enough times to know that we have to be very careful. The damage may not be as bad as it seems and we could easily make it a lot worse by doing the wrong things after the event. We nursed our crumpled boat back to the shore and began sorting it out. As we inspected the pieces the chain of events became obvious. It took us a few hours to get everything safe. The tide was very low so for the first time we had to leave our poor broken, wet and sandy boat over on the course along with the wing. We returned well after dark&nbsp; to an empty operations base on a near to moonless night.<br> <br> I didn't sleep very well but with the new day comes the new challenge. We waited for the tide to come in and went and retrieved all the pieces. It really isn't that bad. The wing has once again amazed us by it's ability to resist major damage. the beam is simply broken in the same spot it always breaks. I'm good at repairing that part now. there is no point in making that area stronger. Something has to break in that situation. All the damage is very localised. There are broken bits literally from the top of the mast to the very back of the boat... but we have sustained worse.<br> <br> I don't feel that bad about what happened because we didn't do anything wrong or build anything badly. A whole rudder bracket had simply been torn of the transom of the boat in a manner we hadn't figured on. It must have taken immense force. Much more than was ever accounted for. <br> <FONT size=3><STRONG><br> It was akin to a Tyre blow-out on a race car that leads to an accident. The tyre is at fault and not the car.<br> <br> </STRONG></FONT><FONT size=2><STRONG>T</STRONG>he fixed skeg is locked off against these rudder brackets so once the rudder was gone... the skeg was no longer fixed. We effectively lost the 'tail of the aero plane'. When we rebuild it there will be a complete redundant system. All the data from the skeg, wing and wind was recorded as was the onboard footage which clearly shows the chain of events. Of course we aren't happy to be fixing the boat instead of sailing it but then this aspect of our project is just as much a part of the project&nbsp;as the more successful times. Each time we come back smarter and better prepared to move forward. <br> <FONT size=3><STRONG>We will take around two weeks to get VESTAS SAILROCKET back in fighting shape.</STRONG> </FONT><br> In that time we will go over all aspects of what happened and what needs to be changed.<br> <br> I'm already looking forward to Run 51 (it's my old motorbike racing number).<br> <br> Cheers, Paul</FONT><div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-17959678881885264172008-06-03T13:09:00.000+01:002008-06-03T23:37:03.488+01:00 <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left><A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzhg6ASpCke5xv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP144553 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=330 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzhg6ASpCke5xv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A></div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> Great to be back after a few days spent waiting for the tides to fill in again. Yesterday was a glamour day although we had to leave the course early due to the outgoing tide.<br> I had a few new things to try out including new spray rails fitted to the forward planing surface, a new fence added to the skeg flap to stop ventilation down the hinge line and a new setting for the whole skegs angle of attack relative to the main foil. We have begun dialling out the lee-helm of the boat. Small adjustments of a fraction of a degree have a large effect at high speed so it has to be done gradually.<br> The wind was relatively light with measured gusts peaking at 18 knots... this means that the average is likely to have been around 16-16.5 knots.<br> I wanted to do a tighter start up sequence so that I would bear away down the course in close to the beach. As I was doing this the large rudder was tripped up way prematurely. I wasn't even up over 'the hump' and planing. It was either an abort or... I tried something different... I went straight to the high speed steering. Even at these low speeds it had just enough authority to steer VESTAS SAILROCKET away from the beach. With every knot she accelerated the steering got better. I was now well positioned up on the beach and had around 4-500 meter sto build up speed. the only problem with going to hand steering so quickly was that I was one hand down for pulling in the main sheet. VESTAS SAILROCKET accelerated sharply with every handful of mainsheet I pulled in. The visibility was great. I got the wing into the low 'teens' angle-wise and noted that I was beginning to use alot of skeg flap angle to hold the nose up on the course. The steering remained positive. I think I peaked at a skeg flap angle of 8 degrees out of a possible 10. The fact that I didn't lose grip would suggest that the flap did not ventilate and that the fence was working well. In these moderate conditions we peaked at just over 37 knots. It was a nice clean run. I am getting very comfortable with the hand steering and want to use it all the time now. There is no future for the large rudder.<br> Today is forecast for quite a bit more wind so we are running around in anticipation. We will try the same setup in stronger conditions and see what happens. If i get overpowered by the lee-helm then we will dial it all back another notch on the skeg... and go again.<br> I think we are getting down to the nice details of going fast now. When we get this configuration right... it really should be game on for some big numbers.&nbsp;I think it will still take a little while... but the tides are with us and it looks like the wind will be also.<br> A local friend by the name of Fi-fi is busy helping us by turning out new and improved stainless fittings for the hand steering in order to remove all the play in the system. It's amazing how much it improves the feel. The final product will be swee-ee-eet.<br> Righto, time to start prepping for Run 48... and on.<br> Cheers, Paul.<br> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-34159302492446740802008-05-29T16:34:00.001+01:002008-05-29T16:34:20.597+01:00<WBR>The high tides have now moved into the late evening leaving us with low water in the afternoon. So no sailing I'm afraid. We haven't missed out on any wind as the coming of the low afternoon tides also seems to affect the afternoon breeze. This has happened a couple of times now so we will watch it in the future to see if it is just coincidence or a reliable relationship. Having said that, the wind has returned this afternoon.<br> Boating projects are affected by two tides, one involving the water and the other involving the job list! It is the latter that we are still doing battle with. I have been focusing on areas beneath the water over the last two days. The silicon seal around the main foil has been replaced, the rudder sensor has been relocated from the large low-speed rudder to the skeg flap (seeing that we will now be steering with that at high speed) and I have extended the anti-ventilation fence on the skeg all the way to the back so that it envelopes the skeg flap. This is the area most likely to ventilate so it is worth the effort. Making an airtight articulated fence took alot of thought. I had a chair positioned at the back of the boat and I just sat there and stared at it for hours until the build process was clear in my mind. I think that the final result will be quite elegant and hopefully quite effective.<br> <br> On that last run, Run 46, I was using the full range of the skeg to hold VESTAS SAILROCKET up on course. Based on 'Malcs Calcs' this should have resulted in quite alot of turning force. We can only guess that the skeg flap had ventilated. As mentioned previously we can also do a number of things to balance the boat out at high speed so the steering loads are lighter and we have in fact already done that. The extended fence is just extra security.<br> <br> The support RIB is outside getting a complete steering system overhaul and general service. Things were getting tight and although we pull it out of the water for a washdown on a regular basis... we do sometimes forget we are a multiple boat family that definitely has its favourite sibling! Support boats need love too.<br> <br> Helena is constantly improving the electronics package and keeping my head screwed on right:)<br> So all is well as we prepare for our next session of afternoon high tides and belting winds. <br> I can feel the pressure mounting to go out and pull off a big run.<br> <br> Cheers from the container at Walvis Bay Yacht Club,<br> Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-65328417964228850272008-05-25T14:17:00.001+01:002008-05-25T14:17:31.659+01:00 <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left>&nbsp;</div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzsnzA2oDHuu9v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP842828 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=339 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzsnzA2oDHuu9v4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> </div> <div><SPAN><br> <STRONG>Yesterday was one of the best days I have seen over at the Walvis Bay 'Speed-spot'.</STRONG> <br> The water was a beautiful blue as was the sky and the wind was pumping in at around 20 knots with higher gusts. We weaved VESTAS SAILROCKET through the ever increasing fleet of Hobie cats present on the lawn of the Walvis Bay Yacht Club and made our way across the lagoon.<br> As ever I was keen to make a big run and continue our climb up the numbers. Rough rides in bumpy water with the large rudder down are no longer acceptable. The last two runs were both done with the large low speed rudder up and it felt great. Today I would test the effectiveness of the hand steering/skeg flap at speeds over 40 knots.<br> New guy Klaus would be our fifth man.<br> The first run went well. I sailed in nice and tight and had a relatively smooth ride. This had the double benefit of keeping the spray down. I used the hand steering for the whole 500 meter course and it seemed quite effective. The low speed rudder failed to kick up due to... and I'll be honest... user error on my part. In the long list of checks I do in between dropping the tether at the start and actually turning VESTAS SAILROCKET onto the course and accelerating, I hadn't released the rudder pull-down line and this held the rudder down after I released the 'up' trigger. By the time I realised we were already approaching 40 knots. A mistake on my part but it didn't involve any risk.<br> So we hit a peak speed of 42.3 knots. The wing was sheeted to only 20 degrees throughout this run. The reason for this was that I sheet in initially when both my hands are free as it is harder once one hand is being used for steering. For these first high speed runs using the hand steering I am concentrating very hard on this aspect and not so hard on the wing angle. It will all come with practice and familiarity. The wing flap sheeted on nicely and it all felt fine. Although VESTAS SAILROCKET responded well to the hand steering... it still didn't feel entirely precise. I was still weaving around a little.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorziiU1Lcyzxoiv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP640749 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=320 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorziiU1Lcyzxoiv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG><FONT size=1>RUN 45, MEAN WIND SPEED 18.5 KNOTS, TOP SPEED 42.5. WING ANGLE AT 20 DEGREES, WING FLAP ON, LARGE RUDDER STILL DOWN. USING HAND STEERING. POD VERY 'FLOATY'... AS IS FRONT END!</FONT></STRONG><br> <br> At the end of the run I was keen to get back up the course and try it again. The wind had built a little and I wanted a new top speed but more importantly... I wanted to nail a 42.5 knot average over the course. This is a performance milestone that we have set ourselves which we are now slightly overdue to achieve. I know we are more than capable and want to get it in our wake ASAP. <br> In my mind I was going to focus on sailing in tight, making sure the large rudder is kicked up and making sure that the wing was sheeted in harder before going to hand steering. Vestas SailRocket strained at the tether line as she swung her nose away from the beach in a long arc prior to release. She quickly powered over the 'hump' and up onto her planing surfaces whilst I began to bear away and line up the start of the course. This is always a sensitive part of the run as it is usually the phase where, if we are not careful,&nbsp;a rounding up force can overpower the steering and send me into the beach. This time we were OK and I felt the reassuring force of leeward helm which signalled that all was well and VESTAS SAILROCKET was sailing as she was designed to do.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzpLU-yN4Dwddv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP949654 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=367 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzpLU-yN4Dwddv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG>HEADING UP TO THE COURSE THROUGH THE START UP SEQUENCE FOR RUN 46.<br> </STRONG>&nbsp;<br> I sheeted the wing into 15 degrees and went to the hand steering. We were quickly up to 40 knots but I noticed I was using the full range of the skeg steering to hold the boat up onto the course. The aerodynamics were overpowering the hydrodynamics and the only way I could hold VESTAS SAILROCKET up onto the course was to put in a little bit of foot steering via the still deployed large rudder. This initiated a sharp turn to windward which is a little unsettling as it can instigate a high speed round-up. I was still at full forward lock on the hand steering so it was obvious that I couldn't kick up the big rudder. Visibility was good enough for me to be able to see the course. I held on for the full 500 meters and then brought the show to a stop.<br> <br> The top speed was only slightly higher than the previous run but the run involved alot more weaving. I wasn't happy. We should have done at least 45 knots in these conditions... and I mean at least. It was a perfect day.<br> <br> So what happened? My first guess is that by sheeting in harder in slightly stronger winds on the second run, we simply had too much lee-helm i.e. the balance of the boat was making her want to turn away from the beach too hard.<br> This can be quite quickly and easily compensated for in a number of ways. VESTAS SAILROCKET is a highly adjustable boat. We can either move the wing aft by swinging the beam or wing aft. This is done by simply adjusting the lashing lengths on the end of the fore and aft supporting cables. Another means of trim adjustment is to adjust the angle of the rear skeg to the main foil. This is done by a screw adjustment and is also quite simple.<br> In all fairness, we can't expect our first stab at a high speed configuration to be exactly right and it will probably be something that we will be playing with until the end.<br> <br> What does impress me about our current status is how smooth the whole operation is becoming. The overall, comfort, stress and functionality levels are all very good. We have the ability to just plug in a new team member and go and punch out consecutive 40 knot runs with little or no fuss. Although we still have many obstacles to overcome I really feel that we have emerged from our darkest days and that we are in great fighting shape. Our last big crash was on Run 23 and we have now doubled that amount of runs without incident. <br> <br> I tried to go back for another run but as we got to the top of the course... the sun had made it to the horizon. We reluctantly packed up. I felt frustrated that we hadn't topped 44 knots at least but the fact is that we are always learning and in some cases it doesn't really matter if there is a tick or a cross in a certain box... as long as it answers a question that will show you the next direction you need to take. <br> <br> <STRONG>CONCLUSION</STRONG>: Right now, at high speed in winds over 20 knots, the current boat configuration appears to be imbalanced to the point where the skeg steering cannot correct it. We need to reconfigure the boat. One good aspect is that VESTAS SAILROCKET is trying to turn away from the beach and hence danger in this setup. The visibility was improved in the cockpit by sailing in closer to the beach and hence in flatter water.<br> <br> The data from the PI RESEARCH, B and G and TACKTICK loggers has all been downloaded and sent off to Malcolm. Both the onboard footage with pilot audio and the onshore footage with audio has been downloaded and co-ordinated with the PI RESEARCH data so that we can watch all the data and footage together on the computer in real time. It is a brilliant system that allows you to go back and really study the reality of a certain moment in time in intricate detail.<br> <br> The weather does not look that favourable today as it is forecast to be quite light. In fact the rest of the week looks pretty average which means we will lose the remainder of this afternoon high tide. Things might change so we will stay on standby nonetheless. One of the main contenders for 50 knots, Hydroptere, is now back in the water and ready for sailing. She looks fantastic and I am eager to see what her new configuration will yield. Of course we want to beat her on the water and are doing all we can to do so. I am honestly glad that they are back and as hungry as ever to go faster. The competition is a healthy one.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.</SPAN></div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-39043063595987085402008-05-22T22:50:00.001+01:002008-05-22T22:50:45.649+01:00 <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left>&nbsp;</div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> We arose early this morning as the miraculous Mr 'M's time was up with us and we had to post him off to the airport.<br> I finally got a great little boat builder down here at the Walvis bay 'coal-face'... and didn't break the boat once!<br> Typical.<br> Helena and I returned to the slightly emptier container and pushed on with the joblist. Within an hour I was back in the mixing pots doing odd little jobs. We put the newly skinned wing back on Sailrocket and wheeled her into the hangar away from the UV rays. I gave the wing a thorough inspection and she seemed in pretty good shape considering the hard life we have given her to date.<br> <br> Today marked three more months for us in Namibia on this latest trip. We were due to fly back but chose to stick around until we get some definitive results. We have now done 21 runs with no mishaps. Today was shaping up to be a great day. The newly logo'd Musto tops came back from Gino and the folks at DREAMWORLD in Walvis Bay... and we wear them with pride.<br> The day looked great and we ran around all over the place looking for a good hand to replace Mr 'M' for the days sailing. In the end we were all standing around in drysuits... but couldn't go anywhere as we were too short staffed. As a last ditch effort I called a mate Gary who runs the best bar in town and he put me onto 'Sammy'... short&nbsp;for Samson. It was samson's day off from running the bar and a couple of weeks earlier we drove a 2000 km round trip to go to Samson's traditional wedding way up in the North near Angola. We had his awesome smiling 'dial' in a drysuit in ten minutes... and we were off to 'speed-spot' once more.<br> The day just seemed to get better and better. I wanted to set a new best speed and a good 40+ average so that I could call Mr 'M' whilst he waited in the airport for his flight back to the UK. With this in mind I swung VESTAS SAILROCKET out onto the course for the 43rd time. As I rounded up onto the course I noted that she had adopted a rather nose down attitude and was stubbornly refusing to 'pop' up onto the plane. I tried all the tricks but she just mushed along. The spray deflector which hadn't hindered us on lighter days was now acting like a drogue. I had no option but to abandon the run somewhat disheartened. Our spray issues have not been resolved. Fortunately we had only stuck it on with Sika-Flex and I could cut it off with a piece of fine line.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzhRtNIhYT7O-v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP239971 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzhRtNIhYT7O-v4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <FONT size=1><STRONG><FONT size=2><EM>VISIBLY NOSE DOWN ON RUN 43</EM></FONT><br> </STRONG><br> </FONT>We took VESTAS SAILROCKET back up to the top of the course but as luck would have it... the wind was dying out. And die out it did. So run 44 went by in a low riding mode... so low in fact that I sailed the good ship all the way across the lagoon to the Yacht Club and parked it on the beach out front.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzl1sLW*YUWWDv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP725331 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzl1sLW*YUWWDv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG><EM>COMING INTO THE WALVIS BAY YACHT CLUB... PURE AFRICA.<br> </EM></STRONG><br> Ho-Hum. No joy there. We were a little late onto the water due to being a man down. We should be back up to strength as of saturday when we will gain another local team member.<br> Overall the boat and team gets stronger by the day as the detail work gets attended to daily. The spray deflector did work... but it wasn't perfect. We still have it with us... but I will try some side skirts on the forward planing surface next... and a new forward planing surface after that.<br> Let's see what tomorrow brings.<br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-87431564362595545302008-05-20T13:08:00.001+01:002008-05-20T13:08:21.774+01:00<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left>&nbsp;</div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Although it was far from being the fastest... I would have to say that Run 40 was the cleanest run we have ever done on a number of fronts.<br> <br> It was an extremely grey day which started with very little wind. One of the best 'care' packages you can ever recieve in a sailing project arrived in </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Walvis Bay</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> today in the form of two big boxes of MUSTO clothing! Inside, amongst many other things, were 5 new drysuits and they couldn't have arrived on a bleaker or more suitable day. We were busying ourselves with sorting through this, cutting down neck seals and so on and had all but given up on sailing as </SPAN><st1:time Hour="15" Minute="0"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3pm</SPAN></st1:time><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> came and went. <br> The smell of sulphur was strong in the air. I mean real strong. In fact it stank of sulphur... like walking up a volcano. You get this from time to time as algae dies in the lagoon and decomposes on the bottom. The water goes milky and the smell of 'rotten eggs' fills the air. It's usually not quite this offensive.<br> I walked out of the container and saw that the wind was building. The walls of the container had begun to close in as we hadn't been sailing for a week or so. I leapt at the opportunity to go for a sail. I rang Hiskia and told him to forget the bike and get a cab in ASAP. The sun sets around </SPAN><st1:time Hour="17" Minute="30"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">5:30 pm</SPAN></st1:time><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> so we had to jump to it. It was an absolute pleasure to put on the MUSTO gear. The wetsuits they had previously supplied had done a great job... but drysuits bring a whole new level of comfort. It really blew Andreas away when he first walked into the water... and didn't feel the rush of cold and damp. He quickly understood what we had been making a fuss about!<br> <br> Man it was grey. It was even hard to see the timing hut at times due to fog! I will add the real pictures next to the digitally modified ones just to show you how grey it really was! We set up the course and prepared for run number 40. The wind hadn't built as much as we had expected but it still seemed enough for a run. There were a number of changes from the last run. They were as follows...<br> <br> -The new carbon spray deflector on the forward planing surface. It's a light but significant structure that needed to be tested. It would be submerged through the start up sequence and lift clear of the water by a couple of inches at speed. It's low speed effects on the craft were yet to be seen.<br> <br> -The new PI RESEARCH wiring and complete BandG sensor package was now installed so we would have a complete integrated data logging system up and running<br> <br> -The Gecko VHF headset had broken once again so we have gone back to an ICOM headset for comms. It is an area we continue to struggle with. You would think it would be simple... apparently not.<br> <br> -The hand steering system had been upgraded to make it much more functional and the large low speed rudder kick up mechanism had also been improved<br> <br> -The system for sheeting in the main flap on the wing had been re-adjusted so that it would come on in automatically in a nice and progressive way when I pulled the mainsheet into the 10-15 degree range.<br> <br> So all in all there was plenty of things that needed to be 'speed-spot' tested.<br> The launch went well but the wind was light. Mr 'M' was reading winds as low as 12-13 knots on the TACKTICK shorebased weather station. I could feel the extra drag of the spray deflector on the start up. It wasn't huge... but it was noticeable.&nbsp;Vestas SailRocket&nbsp;lifted her skirts in a puff and we were away. The water was very flat in the lightish conditions but the reduction in spray was noticeable. In fact it took me a while to remember to lower the visor. I could see a jet of spray from the planing surface out the leeward side... but only flat deflected spray out to windward. I lined up with the 500 meter course and went to hand steering. The wing flap sheeted on nicely with the mainsheet and all the telltales were flying. Every thing was working perfectly so I pulled the rudder trip cord and up popped the large low speed rudder. For the first time we were steering under the skeg flap alone... and it felt lovely. I could see clearly, I was dry, The ICOM VHF was as clear as a bell and the steering was sweet.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzmgGZri9OvzPv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP451232 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzmgGZri9OvzPv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG>A visibly smaller 'jet' of spray to windward due to the muffling effect of the spray deflector. This is a 'brightened' up shot... the following is the actual shot showing the true 'greyness'.</STRONG><br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzh89FiF8etpYv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP569539 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzh89FiF8etpYv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG>Pretty grey hey? Put a rotten egg under your nose for an extra touch of reality.<br> </STRONG><br> I held Vestas SailRocket on course until we passed the last SEAFLEX buoy marking the end of the course and then checked out how well the skeg steering would function during a slow down sequence. It maintained control for all of the necessary manoeuvres. The large low speed rudder came back down nicely and all was back to normal.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzqFGjyGYPorbv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP328320 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzqFGjyGYPorbv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG>Here the rudder is kicked up, we are doing about 32 knots and look how much less spray there is off the back of the boat with it up. She felt light and slippery.<br> </STRONG><A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgIwoKmkbevvv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP403762 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgIwoKmkbevvv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <STRONG>And the grey version again...<br> </STRONG><br> So overall it was a very clean run where a number of necessary improvements were trialled. We went through a full sequence of what needs to be done for a record run and everything worked well. Now I am more aware than anyone of how easy it can all look in lightish conditions and how pear shaped it can go in a blow... but, from my perspective in the cockpit... this was a good day that lays a foundation for runs to follow.<br> The MUSTO gear had us smiling throughout a rather cold old day. In fact the contrast in the modified and the real pictures above could also represent the change in our comfort level. <br> Happy days.<br> Today also looks good with even more wind... so let's see if the ease of run 40 will translate.<br> Cheers, Paul.</SPAN></div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-16290954752196390092008-05-18T08:56:00.000+01:002008-05-18T08:57:05.995+01:00<WBR>No joy over the last two days... and today looks like it will also be light. We will remain on full standby until this is a certainty. If it does turn out to be light then we will remove the AEROTROPE wing-sail and begin the long process of re-skinning it with a fresh layer of clear heat-shrink film. The current one has been on for some time and whilst it is still fully functional for sailing... it is becoming a little worn in areas. It also gives us a good opportunity to do a full internal inspection of all the FIBRE FUSION&nbsp;wing ribs and COMPOTECH carbon spar.<br> We are now moving into the area where VESTAS SAILROCKET will begin to feel the full force of the environment she was designed for. Although we only aim to sail in 22 or 23 knots ideally, we know that days that deliver those averages will also deliver gusts of up to 15% above the average. This means that the boat will have to be ready for it. Structurally I am pretty happy with everything... as I am with all the rigging. There are some areas that may suffer but the ones we know of are not major and we are forever on the lookout for other possible problem areas.<br> Non- sailing days should not be wasted as these are the days that can make the biggest difference to the end result.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-81675572208421512722008-05-16T12:55:00.001+01:002008-05-16T12:55:42.178+01:00 <div>The Vestas SailRocket operation base is a busy little spot at the moment as we prepare the craft for another outing. The high tides have moved into the afternoon once more which means we can access the amazing speed sailing location on the other side of the lagoon entrance. The wind typically arrives after midday so early morning high tides are unuseable.<br> A care package from PI RESEARCH has arrived which will allow us to get the complete electronic data logging package up and running. The package includes a complete new wiring loom which has been custom built to fit Vestas SailRocket and a spare B and G wind wand to back up the existing one.<br> We are also trialling a new spray deflector on the front planing surface to reduce the amount of water hitting yours truly in the face during a run. Clear visibility will make a big difference to how well we run down the course as it will allow me to line up on the shore alot better. I have really struggled during the last two runs. It may be because we are now setting up a marked 500 meter long course using two bright orange SEAFLEX buoys. This means I have to focus on hitting a particular point on the course and can no longer just do random 'blasts' in a general direction. It has made me realise how bad the visibility can be at times. <br> The hand steering system has also been greatly improved and the low-speed system has been serviced and overhauled.<br> So we just keep ticking the boxes and making step by step progress.<br> The forecast this afternoon is for 26 knot winds which will be too much. Nonetheless I have called Hiskia in and we are getting ready for whatever happens. High tide is at around 1330 hours and we should be able to operate up to three hours after this. We'll see.<br> Cheers, Paul</div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-90421832357950676612008-05-08T20:10:00.001+01:002008-05-08T20:10:52.008+01:00Whilst the huge predicted swell hasn't materialised in the manner the forecast described... it's not exactly flat out there. There is alot of water moving around in an ominous manner. It was forecast to be around 22 knots today so when the wind came up we headed out to speedspot. The tide was coming in when we crossed the lagoon so it was pretty rough.<br> During the morning we had angled the forward planing surface to slightly raise the windward rail. Hopefully when the pod flies now this means that the planing surface will ride more like it has in previous runs when the pod was down in the water. I'm not overly happy with this as a final solution... but more as a trial. I think the real solution will involve a new forward planing surface with either a longitudunal step i.e. running fore and aft like some speed boat hulls as the contact patch will naturally get smaller as Sailrocket goes faster and the steps will then act to stop the outward flying spray. Other options include V'd surfaces, double concaves, assymetric surfaces, spray rails... or any combination of these. You have to remember that Sailrocket will roll a little bit as the pod flies higher and lower down a run. I don't think that active beam-flap control is worth exploring yet for a number of complexity related reasons.<br> This new issue of roll induced spray has temporarily put on hold the program of stepping up through the rudders to the high speed system... and this was what I was thinking about as I looked out at another 'top-end' day from the timing hut at 'speed-spot'. I knew I could probably punch out another top speed in these conditions but I also knew that it had all the potential of being another 'rodeo-ride'&nbsp; that would involve a level of risk and wear and tear without necessarily providing answers to the immediate issues of spray control and fine control. Ultimately we should be able to go out in this stuff... but only after the issues are resolved. Today I didn't want to just prove I could sail. We've done that.<br> The day did feel ominous. The surge of water brought on by the swell heightened the sensation and in the end I decided to can it. The wind quickly built to well over 25 knots... perhaps even 30 at times and the ride across the lagoon was the roughest yet. Really punishing the boat. We were glad we had built the extra flotation for the pod as it saved our bacon today. We had to hold the boat down as we wheeled it up the ramp out of the water.<br> Needless to say, I was pretty happy to get it all away today. All the windsurfers came back due to being overpowered.<br> So not our day... but we tried... and you get that in this gig.<br> Meanwhile we start designing a second forward planing surface to plug and play with.<br> Good to see ol' Walvis pumping out the big days from time to time. Only on odd occasions does it get any windier than this.<br> Let's see what tomorrow brings.<br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-71739841335092637732008-05-07T18:50:00.001+01:002008-05-07T18:50:47.202+01:00Hi folks... a quick one here as it is dark and we are cold.<br> Run 36 has just been completed and it was our third over 40 knots... in fact we averaged 250 meters over 40.<br> On run 35 we hit 39.4. I have been visited by an old nemesis I though was no longer a problem... hard spray in the face badly affecting visibility. I don't really know what has changed... but perhaps it is this... and this is good news... The temporary changes we made top the end of the beam and beam flap have managed to make the pod begin to fly clear of the water. Today it flew very cleanly. It is possible that this slight change of angle at the outboard end is&nbsp;rolling Sailrocket a little over towards the windward side and hence more spray is coming off the windward rail of the fwd planing surface. Maybe!<br> We have been setting up very clear 500 meter course with the SEAFLEX buoys but I haven't been able to get in close and hit the flat water due the visibility&nbsp;issues. So more details to be dealt with.<br> Of course it's nice to be effortlessly hitting 40's now with no real drama.<br> Anyway... like I said, it's late and we are cold. A hot pub meal beckons.<br> More later.<br> Cheers, Paul<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-31353924948506765952008-05-06T11:18:00.000+01:002008-05-06T11:19:06.684+01:00Hi all,<br> So now the high tides have moved back through into the afternoon and the breeze looks set to return after a brief absence. One worrying aspect is that a swell of over 5 meters is predicted to be rolling up the coast. Typically we get the residual swell from this that wraps around Pelican point and rolls up to 'Speed-spot'. If the tide and wind is right then we can actually get substantial breaking waves across the lagoon.<br> Hopefully we can get out today... we'll see about tomorrow.<br> Meanwhile l'Hydroptere is getting put together down in Toulon and another Australian project is getting prepared to hit the water in 'WotRocket'! The latter sounds pretty wide of the mark... but perhaps they are working an angle that we haven't considered. I can't see them achieving the levels of efficiency they will need to make the boat work... but whatever... the more the merrier.<br> Cheers, Paul.<br> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-51865421972054438622008-04-29T22:07:00.001+01:002008-04-29T22:07:34.242+01:00The low tides have moved into the afternoon preventing us from launching and crossing the lagoon so we will not be sailing for the next few days until the high tides move past midday.<br> So we carry on with the job-list and maintenance. We are setting up a fixed 500 meter course to focus on during the runs. We will set up the start at the timing hut and then place the large orange SEAFLEX buoy 500 meters down the course. It will also mark the closest depth I can sail relative to the beach. I think that we are at a good stage to start focusing on hitting high averages in a controlled manner and that by focusing on this it will put other areas of the boat, team and sailing into perspective.<br> Back in the UK we are getting great ongoing support from existing sponsors. Both MUSTO and PI RESEARCH are sending packages which will respectively greatly improve the teams comfort whilst over at speed-spot and the quality of data coming off the boat. MUSTO will supply us with drysuits and mid-layer clothing whilst PI RESEARCH are leaving nothing to chance with the data logging system. A complete new, custom wiring loom is on its way along with a spare B+G wind wand. This should complete the system and have our total electronics system not only back and fully functional... but functioning better than ever. <br> Happy days.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-14368703645236549292008-04-26T10:29:00.001+01:002008-04-26T10:29:41.717+01:00Hi all,<br> Well we are trying to get out at every opportunity and have in fact been over to speedspot on both of the previous days.<br> I got in Run 34 two days ago but it was pretty much an exact copy of run 33 where I had to coax Sailrocket up over the 'hump' and onto the plane. I went to the skeg steering again and played aroud with its limits. It has very positive control but can be ventilated if I push too hard. It still works well even down to 10 knots! I'm not yet sure if that is a good sign. We went out yesterday and the wind was only marginally stronger. I decided not to run as there was quite a large swell surging onto speed-spot and it was shifting alot of water up and down the beach. The beach at the end of the course drops away quite steeply into the water and I didn't want to risk damaging the boat for a run which in the big picture would have little overall impact. We no longer need to go out and just make runs for the sake of it.<br> <br> We took the wing off the boat and into the container in between the last two days. the Hot east winds that have been blowing in the morning bring alot of dust and she was pretty dirty on top. It was also good just to have a general inspection and re-tension the skins with the heat gun. The wing is loving its new home in the soft-hangar. We haven't had to reskin the wing once in the previous two months. The boat has come a long way since the first time we came here over a year ago. Lessons have been learnt the hard way... but they have been learnt and we have moved on. Situations that would have lead to crashes no longer bring us unstuck. I feel we have the handling well under control on and off the course. Personally I am very comfortable with the boat and where we are going with it. I just need to see that the skeg steering is suitable for high speed work and we are there. By 'there' I mean able to take Sailrocket to the arena she is designed for. In close to the beach in top end conditions, sheeted in and focusing on 500 m averages aiming for big speeds... the limits.<br> It will be great to begin focusing on solid 500m averages as eventually we will need to be hitting a preset course and we will need to determine the best place along speed-spot to place this. We have spent so long struggling for control that it is hard to contemplate what life will be like if we get this sorted. I would expect that the 500m averages will rise significantly.There are a number of&nbsp;target averages to beat along the way including those of the other boats that have attempted the record, the logshots, Technique Av., Hydroptere's current best and of course, Yellow Pages. I'm not saying it will be easy or automatic but that's the direction we're headed.<br> <br> The SW wind is already blowing this morning which means it will be windy this afternoon. The high tide is late in the day so we can't get on the course until around 3-3:30 at the earliest. As mentioned, first I have to make sure that the skeg steering is a viable system at speed... and I have to be real sure as the next stage will be to kick up the big rudder. We have a small 'intermediate' rudder which we can fit for this stage just as a safety. It's made out of the tip of a windsurfer fin and will give me a little backup if the skeg system struggles. But I doubt it will.<br> <br> cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-35304645464929846422008-04-22T23:12:00.000+01:002008-04-22T23:13:01.282+01:00Hiya Dan, how do we go a bout posting blogs from here on in... or for the while?<br> can I still attach pics etc.?<br> Cheers, paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-64254212674906708382008-04-22T21:28:00.000+01:002008-04-22T21:29:11.366+01:00Hiya all, well here's the link to the latest Sailrocket video from run 32. We are making some mods to the blogspot but generally it should be buisness as usual. We are absolutely clawing the walls here to do the next runs. In relation to this run we have at least 15 knots of 'spare' speed up our sleeves and we only need another 6 to hit that magic number. By 'spare' speed, I mean the speed that can be gained by sailing in close in flat water, by sheeting on the main flap, by kicking up the big low speed rudder, by dropping the uphaul rigging, by removing cameras and data loggers, by fairing the strut, by making the pod fly... and more. Get the idea? Of course we cannot go 15 knots faster... but I'm pretty sure we can easily go a little quicker.<br> Read the text alongside the video, it pretty much says it all. <br> Would I swap this boat for any of&nbsp; the competition?<br> Errr... No!<br> <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw_kIaKI2pk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw_kIaKI2pk</A><br> Happy days!<br> Enjoy.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-21471721743940247622008-04-21T19:36:00.001+01:002008-04-21T19:36:13.821+01:00 <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left>&nbsp;</div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> Hi all, well mother nature dealt us some nice cards over the last couple of days. In less than thirty hours we have set a new top speed, been forced to focus on a certain area... and then been given a very easy day to do so.<br> &nbsp;In winds gusting to 15 knots and no more we hit speed-spot with the agenda of getting onto the skeg steering and trying it out.<br> It took me two shots to get Sailrocket 'unstuck' from the water trying all the tricks in the book. I only got going just past the timing hut and even then had to nurse Sailrocket to keep her going. Once 'up' I quickly shifted over to the hand steering which is linked to the 'skeg-flap' steering. It worked beautifully and was very natural. It had loads of power... maybe too much... once again, just like Malcolm predicted. I only hit 24.3 knots but focusing on outright speed wasn't todays issue.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzrYcYhbwscTqv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP139875 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzrYcYhbwscTqv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> LIGHTWINDS FOR RUN 33 AS WE HEAD IN TOWARDS THE RED HOUSE, THE WALVIS BAY YACHT CLUB<br> ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAGOON.<br> <br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzrx8f692K8tkv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP108700 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzrx8f692K8tkv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> COMPARE TODAYS SMOOTH AND CLEAN SAILING WITH...<br> <br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzpwccu1jJ6hxv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP536024 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzpwccu1jJ6hxv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> YESTERDAYS WILD RIDE!!!<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzjNEbuZC2H-fv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP593609 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=265 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzjNEbuZC2H-fv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> <br> So what we have installed works well and I will be happy to try it out on a somewhat wilder ride. I would also be happy to reduce its effectiveness by reducing it's area. This could be easily achieved and I'll speak to Malcolm about it a little more first.<br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgo6aeEHD*ppv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP852776 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgo6aeEHD*ppv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> THIS IS A PIC SHOWING A FEW OF THE MINOR BREAKAGES FROM YESTERDAY. VERY MINOR<br> CONSIDERING THE 'OFF-ROAD' NATURE OF THE RUN. A BROKEN SEAT AND A MISSING 'FENCE'<br> OFF THE SKEG. YOU CAN STILL SEE THE WHITE EPOXY FILLET WITH BITS OF CARBON STILL ATTACHED.<br> I'M HOLDING THE BIG LOW SPEED RUDDER WHICH I STEERED WIOTH YESTERDAY AT HIGH SPEED.<br> TODAY I STEERED WITH THE FLAP ON THE BACK OF THE SKEG WHICH RUNS DOWN THE TRAILING EDGE.<br> IT STARTS BEHIND THE EPOXY FILLET AND RUNS ALL THE WAY TO THE TIP. MR 'M' HAS ALREADY<br> FIXED BOTH COMPONENTS READY FOR TODAYS SAILING.<br> <br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 410px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgGyuKqMUbejv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP876637 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=600 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzgGyuKqMUbejv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=400> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> HAPPY DAYS FROM THE DAY BEFORE. I'VE SINCE BEEN TOLD THAT IT EQUATES TO 49.9998 MPH!<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<br> <br> <br> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-5844601964573732672008-04-20T20:52:00.002+01:002008-04-20T22:56:43.860+01:00Hi all,<br /><br />A big run in record breaking conditions i.e. 20-22 knots wind.<br /><br />The big rudder proved to be unsuitable at high speed and kept me out in the rough stuff. I didn't even pull on the wing flap! The ride was so rough I broke the seat! Overall Sailrocket behaved herself beautifully, we just need to focus on the progressiveness of the steering. If I could have held a tight course, got the flap in and the rudder up... we would have done 50 knots EASILY. This boat has so much stability and power it is ludicrous. It is only a relatively minor steering issue that needs a solution and we are there.<br /><br />Overall I don't feel that this run was a clean one... but then we always knew that we shouldn't be steering with the low speed rudder at such high speeds. The spray was blinding in the rough water and there was no question of changing steering systems for the first time... it was a case of hang on and see. Sailrocket tracked true but took ages to burn off her speed at the end.<br /><br />44 knots is great, especially when there is still shed loads in reserve. This boat will eat 50 knots for breakfast. She's entering her domain now.<br /><br />A lot more to come, graphs, videos, data etc. I'll try and get it all up tomorrow.<br /><br />We are all stoked... but also safe in the knowledge that there is plenty more to come. That is officially the fastest I have ever been in a yacht. We did 44 on Maiden II during the 24 hour record run in 2002 but that was with the assistance of the Gulf Stream. Sailrockets speed was pure.<br /><br />I love this boat... I dream of where she is about to take us.<br /><br />Happy days.<br /><br />Cheers, Paul.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-22970003826765244252008-04-19T14:19:00.002+01:002008-04-19T15:06:50.830+01:00Since our return to Walvis Bay in March we have completed 7 runs, mainly in the lower end of the operating windspeed range – 14-17 knots. <br /><br />While the absolute speeds achieved are sub 40 knots and may not seem too impressive , they are consistently in line or above the predicted level for the wind conditions. At least as significant as the absolute speeds is the fact that the predicted very high sensitivity to windspeed , a feature of this configuration, is also reflected in the data, giving strong grounds to expect large increases in speed going from 17 knots up to 20-21 knots.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_xKSMeY5-4qU/SAn8Wn67GEI/AAAAAAAAAHo/z1EL6UB3HwU/s1600-h/Malcs-graph.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_xKSMeY5-4qU/SAn8Wn67GEI/AAAAAAAAAHo/z1EL6UB3HwU/s400/Malcs-graph.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190957511124654146" /></a><br /><br />Retraction of the very draggy low speed rudder is the other big trick we have yet to deploy . This will reduce wetted area by 30- 40% and as 60% of our drag is frictional depending directly on this area, it is not hard to see why 4-5 knots speed increase may result from this alone.<br /><br />Paul is also reporting good consistent control at speed . If the control remains as good into the mid to upper 40s there could be very little standing in our way. <br /><br />Strength can be an issue . As we go faster the loads begin to wind up. At 50 knots there will be 55% more load in the wing and foil and connecting structure, than at 40 knots , so we will be keeping a close eye for signs of distress strength of highly loaded parts becomes. <br /><br />All in all we are in a good position , performing to expectations and supported by a very strong and professional crew. <br /><br />I am looking forward to analysing the data as we go faster and of course going down to be with the action sometime in the next 2 months<br /><br />Malcolm J .BarnsleyPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-67824042310359631872008-04-18T15:07:00.001+01:002008-04-18T15:07:12.276+01:00Hi all, <br> we got up at first late and came down to the container. The foil and front planing surface were reinstalled with a few security improvements (flash talk for nyloc nuts). We had to do it early to give the silicon time to go off before sailing. it cops a fair bit of pressure around the foil root.<br> So as I write this, high tide has just left and we have three hours of water left. We are heading towards a full moon so they tidal range is getting bigger and more respect needs to be given to the depth on an outgoing tide. As mentioned in last nights blog, we were left to half carry sailrocket back across the shallows of the lagoon yesterday!<br> <br> The Miraculous Mr 'M' is already in his wetsuit ready for today and a one shot&nbsp;'get out of jail' card has been handed to yesterdays less punctual team member.<br> <br> We have begun construction of a filming balcony on the roof of the Timing hut on speed-spot. This should give the onshore camera man/woman a better viewing angle, better radio reception and get them away from the swirling sand on windier days. It's a work in progress that should benefit all.<br> <br> Righto, it's now an hour later... the wind hasn't built significantly. The RIB's packed, three people are in wetsuits, the hangar 'flap' is open and all the electronics are in place. We are approaching the critical time where we have to make a decision on whether we go across or not.<br> <br> Meanwhile the big french foiling trimaran should be loaded onto a container ship by now and heading down to La ciotat in the Med. If all goes well then she should be in action within a couple of weeks. I bet they can't wait to see how well their new mods will work. Neither can I. They are going to dedicate a full year to breaking 50 knots. It's great to see them sharing the love with the wider public on their website whilst many other projects go quiet. I believe that the Aussies on Macquarrie Innovations are also still on standby down in Victoria... albeit quietly. I have no idea what that 'Wotrocket' team have been up to since their launch around xmas time last year. I would love to go and watch another team in action for a day. I think I would find it quite relaxing:)<br> <br> The wind is still soft... so we wait and see.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-29559806327981683552008-04-17T21:34:00.001+01:002008-04-17T21:34:51.632+01:00Hi all,<br> Quite a good day in the 'cup is half full' frame of mind!<br> Good to be out sailing with all the PI RESEARCH and TACKTICK instruments back online thanks to their UK support teams. This means that Malcolm can also go 'sailing' once the data is collected. I can't stress how vital all this collected data is to the project. The data itself is pretty useless unless it is well interpreted and that is done by Malcolm with the aid of my 'seat of the pants' input and video referencing.<br> <br> We got geared up as the wind built knowing that the tide would be leaving us within a couple of hours. One of our local team was dragging his heals in getting ready despite living on the premises. We sat their in our wetsuits waiting until Hiskia eventually took the other guys gear over to him. I'm pretty impatient in these situations so we took Sailrocket down to the water. When the other guy was still late I had had enough. We had to leave... so we did. I don't know why he was behaving like that... it was as if he was trying to teach us something for some reason. He did... we learnt how to raise the rig and sail the boat without him and managed to get two runs in with a team of only four! Of course it's not ideal, but it can be done safely and will be done again if necessary!<br> <br> So the wind was gusting to 19 knots for Run 30 and I was keen to get steering with the skeg-flap. The miraculous Mr 'M' was now on 'launch control' and responsible for getting Sailrocket off to a good start. Sailrocket picked up quickly once pointed up towards the course and I sheeted in relatively quickly but noted that I was requiring more and more rudder to bring the boat in line with the beach. I sheeted in hard but the boat was 'out of mode' and still accelerating.<br> I sheeted in hard to stall the wing and managed to turn away from the beach. The speed quickly dropped off. By this time I was down near the timing hut with two thirds of the course still remaining. I came up and had another go, the same thing happened and once again I oversheeted to stall the wing and slow the boat. Not a good run... and a little annoying to be back in the old 'mode'. I thought about it and put it down to trying too hard to accelerate quickly. In the critical stage of the run-up where Sailrocket is initially accelerating from the mid teens to the mid/high twenties, the balance of the boat is changing dramatically as the apparent wind angle changes rapidly. It is also the stage where I go from sailing back in towards the beach to create apparent to bearing away to line up with the beach and hence the speed course. Alot is going on. I was determined this time to shorten the time and hence the distance involved in this manouver. I think that this lead to me oversheeting at the wrong time instead of leaving the wing a little more eased whilst I bear away and letting the boat accelerate through this phase. Once the apparent is forward and the flow is attached to both the wing and the foils... Sailrocket is locked in. It seems that once this state is achieved, it is pretty hard to come out of it.<br> We used our new four man method of juggling all the control lines, dropped the rig and went back up the course for another run. Another good launch. I tried the easier sheeting method and Sailrocket quickly dropped into mode. There was less wind in this run with the wind only peaking at 15 knots before the run. We managed a 34.3 knot peak, good control and overall a solid run in tight to the shore.<br> During the run I noticed that the front of the boat lifted a little and stepped sideways. Later on when fitting the skid shoe to the bottom of the skeg for towing across the shallow lagoon I noticed that the main foil was loose. It had slipped about 10-15 degrees more vertical during the run. This meant that the wing and the foil were no longer in allignment and that the up force of the wing wasn't matched by the down force of the foil... hence at top speed the wing was lifting the main hull out of the water. I'm surprised that even at speeds in the mid 30's that the foil didn't rip out of the side of the boat. The strength designed/built into this area is substantial so apart from a bent M8 bolt, very little damage was done. The silicon seal around the bottom had ruptured which meant the foil case was full of water.<br> <br> All the new electronics worked well... but for the second run the new solid state video recording equipment dropped out. I'll reserve judgement on it... but for the moment I am not overly happy with it as there is very little warning of battery state or lack of memory... unlike a camera. The footage once recieved is pretty good and it is alot lighter than carrying a video camera.<br> <br> We slowly nursed (manually carried) Sailrocket across a very shallow lagoon and got her out of the water for a good inspection. The main foil and planing surface were removed and cleaned ready for refitting tomorrow. The problem area was identified and will be modified for the next run. It was something I was aware of but had sort of put aside as it hadn't given us any problems or indication in over 75 runs in the last four years. No excuse... that's just how it happened and I sort of kick myself for it now. Luckily it reared its head during a mild run... It could have been much worse. We will be back in action tomorrow.<br> <br> So I became more familiar with an aspect of the boats handling and we gathered alot of data to associate with this familiarity. We sailed safely and efficiently with one less person although the onshore filming did suffer a bit. The fact that we found a fault in a critical area without serious consequence should also be seen as a blessing.<br> <br> I look forward to tomorrow as the tides are getting better each day now... for a while anyway.<br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-32088607506095631162008-04-14T10:18:00.000+01:002008-04-14T10:19:06.881+01:00Hi all, Low tides in the middle of the afternoon will keep us off the speed strip for the next couple of days. On neap tides we can sometimes squeeze across as the lows aren't too bad but as we head back towards a full moon the sand bars start to rule. Once over at the course it's not too bad for the first 3/4 of the course... but I would definitely run aground at the end. It's not ideal and really not worth&nbsp;risking as I generally use the whole course now during a run.<br> <br> Both the boys at PI RESEARCH and TACKTICK have components racing towards us in order to get our data logging system back up and online. These parts should be with us in the next couple of days.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-59800188524246843262008-04-11T07:26:00.001+01:002008-04-11T07:26:21.046+01:00 <div>The Walvis bay wind machine was back in form today.<br> <br> We waited for the tide and then headed across the bumpy lagoon to speed-spot. The chop was really kicking up just around the corner from the launch ramp where the tide is rushing into the lagoon directly against the building breeze.<br> <br> Earlier in the day we tried to ressurect the Tacktick wind wand but to no avail. We have three seperate wind measuring systems and today they were all down for different reasons. Whilst all the emails have been sent and orders placed...today we were short and we paid the price. We drove all over town looking for a replacement of some sort. A few places have weather stations mounted on their roof or balcony but their accuracy is always debateble in relation to what is happening over at speed-spot. The day was really shaping up so we headed across. I have a pretty good feel for the wind over there now and can usually guess within a knot or two of what is going on.<br> <br> The strength was good when we arrived... probably sitting around 17-18 gusting 19-20... but it was a little west. The windsurfers were struggling to sail back upwind to the top of the course. Old Johan back at the yacht club had dug out an old mechanical wind guage, the type with the floating disc in a clear tube (the name of which escapes me). I brought it along. We stopped at the timing hut and watched the conditions. Due to the slight west component there was a small swell rolling down the course which had come from the 'second lagoon' which curves around upwind of the top of the course. I knew that any run done today would be fast so&nbsp;I wanted the water to be as flat as possible. I knew that the wind would square up to the beach... and probably build. It's not warm over there on speed-spot and the wind chill wears you down. It's relentless. <br> <br> Sure enough the wind swung around a few degrees and increased by a few knots. The small westerly swell subsided.<br> It was now classic speed-spot conditions... 20-22 and gusting. The old wind guage is marked in M/S and I was doing the maths in the sand to check if the old 'Just double it for knots' rule&nbsp;is truly accurate(It pretty well is). I stood out in a clear flow of wind away from the timing huts and measured away. the wind gradually creapt up until I was seeing the odd 12 m/s gust and later even a little over. The course looked good.<br> <br> I really wanted to go. Sailrocket is behaving well and I was confident that we could do something special in these conditions... but... but we would have virtually no wind data. As I stood out there measuring away with Johans old guage I pondered this aspect of the project. Getting accurate wind data off Sailrocket has been an issue from day1. I never expected it to be a problem. The trouble seems to be in combining a wind instrument with a data logger that is not the size of a laptop. Think about it, how many high speed small dinghies can do this from onboard? I'll make it easy for you... none! We are working hard with PI and B+G to get this system up and running on Sailrocket but it hasn't been easy or automatic. New software and hardware have to be made and put in place. The wind data is an absolutely crucial part of the equation for determining the boats real performance. In fact it is the first number you enter into the performance equation. Sailrockets performance is super sensitive to a knot or two difference in wind strength at the top end and here we were in conditions gusting slightly above our top end pondering a run which would give us inconclusive results at best. Whether we set a new top speed or even crashed... the reasons and re-enactments would all be speculative. For all I know we could get hit by a 25-6 knot gust down the course and later we would never know. <br> These were all the thoughts that were going through my head as I stood out there watching that little red disk float up and down inside the tube. The team were getting cold, taking it in turns holding onto sailrocket, standing in the timing hut or running up and down the windy beach to keep warm. I really wanted to sail. I felt confident in the boat and the high speeds that would follow but I had to take the 'cowboy' hat off and consider the big picture. The pressure is not on us at this stage to force us into risky scenarios. This day was a great&nbsp;one for taking risks. The rewards were right there and in 30 odd minutes we could all be jumping with joy and one step closer to our goal. On the&nbsp;flip&nbsp;side of the coin&nbsp;a crash or breakage caused by being overpowered in rough water due to a bad weather call because you didn't have your full array of instruments would have you kicking yourself.<br> Some times I feel I have to let these days go. They will come again and it is our job to be as prepared for them as we possibly can. When we are under real pressure to get results, we will use and abuse them. That was not the case, we were missing vital tools and that was that.<br> <br> I quitely called it off.<br> <br> Whilst putting Sailrocket safely back in the soft hangar I noted how windy it was. I think if we had our regular system over there we would have canned the day quicker. Still... it was an interesting day that forced me to review certain aspects of the project. It brought it home on how reliant we are on so many individual components if we are to function properly as a team conducting a big experiment. In&nbsp;some areas we are quite exposed without spares and backups but overall, considering our remote location, we are pretty good. As stated above, we had three systems for measuring wind and two for recording... we just got caught out this time.<br> <br> <br> </div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-46898400739705251182008-04-10T13:33:00.001+01:002008-04-10T13:33:18.966+01:00Hi all, yesterday was a shade too light to go sailing with the wind a little west and hence too 'down-wind' for us.<br> Helena managed to locate exactly where the Tacktick gear came off and found the wind wand straight away during the low tide. It obviously had a hard time hitting the water at near on 30 knots and spending the night 1.5 meters underwater. hopefully we can resurrect it.<br> The guys at PI RESEARCH have shipped off the replacement data logger so it should be here around Friday!<br> <br> The wind is currently blowing at around 16 knots. The tide is low but coming in. We ourselves&nbsp;are feeling a little 'dusty' after some in house celebrations last night... more on this soon!<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-7810374853353749472008-04-09T10:41:00.000+01:002008-04-09T10:42:01.487+01:00 <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left><A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzr9OFxRsgXbEv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP230964 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=400 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzr9OFxRsgXbEv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A></div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> </div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> we hit the course again today although the breeze felt a little soft.<br> It was worth it... but it also cost us. Overall I had a great run and hit 37 knots. In the medium strength winds and flat seas, sailrocket felt great. For the second run in a row I lost the mainsheet over the back and had it trail at high speed. By the time I got it back in I was well past the speed hut and decided not to go to skeg steering. I know it will be fine but it is a slight matter of confidence and that confidence will come with time in the cockpit. On the first run yesterday I did hit the beach. Not hard... but it was a control issue brought on by my start up procedure. I was probably only doing around 18-20 knots when I hit the soft shallow slope which absorbed the impact relatively progressively and gently. About ten minutes later we pushed off from the same spot and completed the run... and two more after that without incident.<br> The fact is that Sailrockets cockpit can get quite busy and I want certain reactions to be automatic. If a high speed roundup begins with an unfamiliar steering system then I need to be ready. <br> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 610px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/singleImage.do?pid=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzldpF*76G6lqv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP660544 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=382 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7aa03ga8jzNqv0wWI*2WWDorzldpF*76G6lqv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&amp;size=l" width=600> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A><br> Overall we seem to be at a pretty good stage with the boat. We are doing good controlled runs with the boat behaving in a predictable manner. The structure is in good shape and I'm getting comfortable in the cockpit. Hopefully the weather has settled somewhat and we can get in more runs on a regular basis. We seem to have solved the problem of the boat tracking sideways down the course and Sailrocket is now trying to turn away from the beach all the time when at speed. the high 30's seems very comfortable from my perspective and this allows me to focus on sailing in closer to the beach in flatter water. These higher speeds are no longer spikes in our performance... but the norm. A couple of local kite boarders chased me down the course the other day but once the 'rocket' lit up there really was no competition.<br> <br> On the downside... whilst we are waiting for the data logger problem to be resolved, we have gone back to the ever reliable Tacktick system... and yesterday the wind wand broke free and came off the boat at speed! Fortunately we caught it on two cameras and were able to narrow it down to a GPS position. We will go out at low tide and see if we can't find it. There are a few cool things about Tacktick wireless instruments that should help us. We might be able to use the data display to locate the wherabouts of the wind wand. The wind angle should still be sending a signal... even underwater. Hopefully the display will pick this up when we get close and let us know that we are in the right area. Fingers crossed as this gear still provides vital data for the project even when not on the boat.<br> <br> I believe that there will be more wind today, the boat is ready and rigged, so hopefully we can knock off a few more runs.<br> <br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734970.post-23291166901005695152008-04-08T14:27:00.001+01:002008-04-08T14:27:21.502+01:00This morning we put the heat gun over the wing and shrunk all the outer skins tight. The wing is in pretty good shape considering the life it has lead. It's now back on the boat.<br> The new pod support float has been finished by Mr 'M' and is ready for its first trials across the lagoon. The idea is to support the float across the bumpy sections as we head across to speed-spot. Also on windy days the pod struggles when we are pushing Sailrocket back up the course against the wind. I don't want to make the pod bigger or heavier as it is good for sailing activities as it is.<br> We are busy downloading all the data from the various different 'cobbled' components. Trying to get them all co-ordinated time wise is a nightmare. The guys at PI research are working hard to rebuild a spare logger and send it out to us.<br> Meanwhile today looks pretty good and the tide is just filling in. The wind is around 12-14 knots at the moment so we will go over to speed spot and see what the afternoon brings. If it is only a light day then I will practice steering by the skeg rudder and maybe even kicking up the big rudder. That should provide a significant performance gain.<br> Right beside me at the moment, Mr 'M' is working to extend the range of the beam flap so that we can pull some more on. I want to see this pod fly. I've seen it 'float' in the air during earlier trials with the lighter soft sail and once during the 'dodgy' run 4 after the aft planing surface came off (on youtube). Sailrocket is still making alot of spray and I would like to begin cleaning it up.<br> Righto, gotta go.<br> Cheers, Paul.<div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a <a href="http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/" target=_blank>tour</a> now. </div> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494648309853869824noreply@blogger.com