Boats

Carbon – I always wanted a Melges!

Raced these as a kid:

More recently, this little puppy (we’re in at front of shot, I’m trimming in this pic). Topped out at 17.5kts on a very windy last day of Cowes about five years ago. We survived and thrived, but the kicker blew up on the delivery back to Royal Southern and when we lifted her, the rudder had a nice big crack down the leading edge. 😳

And finally (before banking implosion and parenthood stopped the race programme and my sailing career), one of these:

A mite oversailed – very high aspect ratio rig meant a hugemungus kite. Rumour has it the Dutch would can racing for these if it blew over 26 kts. Our first sail was in 45kts apparent. A couple of us delivered GBR3569 from Dartmouth to Hamble in ten hours flat with just the main up at the end of the racing season. Shame she had to go.

I sometimes race one of these

though find I tend to get rather wetter when paddling one of these
(to be perfectly accurate, the getting wet bit tends to happen just after I’ve stopped paddling one).

aracer, you’re a mighty athletic lass…. 😉

Coxed one of these last night. I only wish the hand heights had been somewhere near the picture:

they look very tame, but boy do they get the heart racing, running full tilt, desperately trying to bleed off speed with very little room to maneuver.

aracer – Member
I sometimes race one of these…

Where can you get a surfski in UK?

Used to have a gaff rig ketch in Oz, but ended up doing more time on my surf ski. Makes a kayak look like a penny farthing IMO.

Where can you get a surfski in UK?

I thought we’d done this one before? Mine came from http://www.childsplaysurf.co.uk/ – very helpful. Ivan Lawler at http://www.ultimatekayaks.co.uk/ is also good.

Makes a kayak look like a penny farthing IMO

Depends what sort of kayak – far easier to paddle a surfski than my K1 (let alone a high kneeler canoe as pictured above!)

I paddle a Think Evo ski and have a couple of AR doubles both JKK – Hypernova and 1/3 share in a Quasar which is basically a modified K2.

Beaten by dd, but getting one of these to sit is close to perfection.

I thought coxes had to be nice and light dd?
dd being a cox shocker!!! 😯

psychle – Member
If we’re talking reality though, 99% sure something like this will be back in my life before too long… gotta love a Nacra!

Love my Nacra Infusion!

(not mine.. but same model)

Too many to list but sold one of these couple of years ago as I ran out of money – bonkers boat

Now got a Finn and looking forward to learning some new stuff:

Bent_Udder: you sailed a Europe? Underated boats I’ve heard. I raced an X35 for a couple of years too (mainsheet trimmer) – great boats but I know what you’re saying about them being a little ‘trippy’!

One of my best mates has just bought one of these (Fairline 78)!

looking forward to a week on board in the Med this summer 😆

That’s St Katherine’s Dock in that there pic, isn’t it? The Dickens on the left hand side….!

Love that Musto Skiff pic. Crazy fast boats.

Had a play in one of these in Cornwall a while ago. Insane.

CFH: Not sure… stock photo, mates boat is in Antibes.
The feeling when you’re out on the wire with the kite up on the Musto Skiff is amazing – it always ended up with me getting very wet though. Apart from needing the money out of it I also simply didn’t spend enough time on the boat to sail it properly 🙁
here’s another which shows just how frightening fast they can get:

I am currently part way through renovating one of these

I also have just picked up this which is to ultimately take and leave at my mother in laws place in the med.

I have yet to take her but she’s ment to be fun and fast for her size.

I recently saw this;

Sharkbait – there is a bigish fleet on the NE and I nearly bought one after I sold the melges but to be competitive you really need to commit to sailing it a few times a week at least.

Yep, I did some training weekends at Rutland but I’m in the NW which is not a good location for these boats really and I just didn’t get out enough. Fantastic boats, glad I tried it at least.
I’ve now got the Finn and a double Masters World champion living 3 miles away getting me up to speed.

Finns are ace – not cheap though.

You got all that complicated mast bend right then – and using Norths?

I wish I was old enough to stop doing this. It makes me terribly tired. That was quite a big wave welling up behind me.

I am currently part way through renovating one of these

(EDIT: owenfackrell, I’ve just realized that you’re renevating a Miracle Dinghy & not a Mirror)

I restored our 1968 Mirror Dinghy. After sheathing it in epoxy and varnishing and painting it it would’ve been cheaper to buy a slightly less older one in better shape, but it was fun….

One day, I might even get around to sailing it instead of mainly using it with an outboard on the back (note log at front of boat to keep the boat levelish in the water after dropping two passengers off further down the estuary. One bad bit of wash from a larger vessel and I’d be in trouble!)

I’ve just finished renevating a Thames Turtle that I’m going to leave with the rigging up for the summer so I’ve got no excuse not to go sailing….

Previous owners photo…

Finns are ace – not cheap though.

You got all that complicated mast bend right then – and using Norths?

The are a bit pricey (had to work hard on MrsSB to get clearance) even for used boats, but they do seem to hold their value very well.
Masts are the single most important factor really as you have a mast built for your weight (softer for lighter, stiffer for fat boys) plus they are fairly complicated to construct. These factors combine to create a new mast price of about £3k 🙁
We carried out some mast deflection measurements at the 3 main leech tensions a couple of nights ago on my mast and a stiffer one, chart here
My boat came with 2 x Norths which are OK, but my mate/guru is working with Ullmans to create a new ‘tape-drive’ type sail – and I may get one of these if the price is right. Below, on the left, is a pic of the first prototype – it has just 3 seams [in white] compared to the multiple panels in the North on the right. Will be interesting to see how it turns out, but at the moment Norths are still the fastest sails out there.

I thought coxes had to be nice and light dd?
dd being a cox shocker !!!

Smartarse 😀

Agreed about the eight though. Balanced and firm pressure is a thing of beauty. Fours seem like a lot more hard work sometimes but again, when sat, wonderful.

I wish I was old enough to stop doing this. It makes me terribly tired. That was quite a big wave welling up behind me.

Nice pic…. I must dig my Mistral Screamer out again – it’s been in hibernation since becoming a dad ….. 11 years ago 🙁

My old schools boat: http://www.dauntseys.org/page.aspx?id=272

Loved the boat and help with the refit and overhall when I was there, unfortunatly I get v.sea sick so have only sailed on her properly a couple of times.

Always thought you were a cox, DD….

😉

LoCo, Dauntsey’s, eh? Edge of the Plain, cold as hell rugby pitches….!

Not as cold as some of the Welsh pitches 😀

Agreed about the eight though. Balanced and firm pressure is a thing of beauty. Fours seem like a lot more hard work sometimes but again, when sat, wonderful.

And the sound when everyone is in time, truly AWESOME. I did most of my regattas in fours and head races in eights, hammering an eight for 25-30 mins for bow was about the best fun you can have with your clothes on… Where do you do your rowing then dd?

Always thought you were a cox, DD….

Oh do keep up Flash!
Next you’ll be warning him for going deep and the dangers of catching crabs! 🙄

hammering an eight for 25-30 mins for bow was about the best fun you can have with your clothes on

Bow monkey too eh?

*high fives the don*

I row at Bristol Ariel…we’re the slightly, ahem, less competitive of the two Bristol clubs. But hey, we’ve got the prettier water…which it’s all about for me. Was training for Vets Head in April but we’ve had to scratch because of boat availabiity (we’re quite poor too) 🙁

Jack of all trades, mate. Spent most of my time at either stroke or bow! Work that one out! And have done stints at every seat in-between and more sometime cox and a bit of novice coaching.
Get a crew together as the spring heads are ace, enjoy it while you still can as it can get serious later and if ever you get the chance get across to London for the Head of the River Race.
Shame there’s no decent rowing here, 😥 I’d have to go to Sevilla for that… Now there’s a thought. 😀

I used to be able to see this from the house….did’nt miss too many good days for 5 years.Landlocked now 😥

Yeah, was always cold when we went to play Monmouth…

Better have a lot of available credit on your gasoline credit card

aracer – Member
‘Where can you get a surfski in UK?’
I thought we’d done this one before?..

Yes, but I lost the info and forgot where I got it. Blame it on senility.

Here’s my Hadyn Kenny ski sitting at a mate’s house in Oz – I’ll be on it in a couple of weeks if all goes well 🙂

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For those who enjoyed reading Arthur Ransome as kids:

(and there is a connection to the lady at the tiller).

My fave boat not because it was the best ( only a Janousek ) but because it was named after a brilliant bloke at our club and he was speechless when the name was revealed

That said a rowing a fast crew in an Empacher eight down the Henley course at prime time on Saturday in a Thames vs London race is the closest I’ll ever come to experiencing what footballers and the like do. A truly fantastic experience.

Or brilliant in a different way, racing the eights head with a crew full of ex-worldchamps (not me unfortunately 😉 ) is something pretty special.

This I would love to be able to own:

TS Pelican, a French-built former Arctic trawler re-rigged as a Barbary Xebec, or Corsair. Apparently amazingly fast and manoeuvrable, which is why pirates loved them.

(and there is a connection to the lady at the tiller).

Does she swallow?

Bought one of these last year (Laser SB3). Great fun, but tough to race as the fleet are very competitive. Doing the World Champs in May (which happens to be in the UK this year) – should be fun!