Only raced an SB3 once but it was fun – surpised they’re not wearing bouyancy aids in the above pic, thought it might have been obligatory. The guy I raced an X35 with (Mike Budd) has been putting some effort into winning the SB3 worlds….. best overall result so far is 4th or 5th I think.

Had a try out on one of these once.

Wasn’t up to it.

Sharkbait – yep, Europes are a hoot. I’m half tempted to get an old banger for club racing, although I’ve not the time for it.

A bit like a miniature Finn, in that you had a pretty low aspect ratio rig, a 50s design and needed a fair amount of technical competence to make them go fast. Much more wetted surface aft than a Finn, which made it easy to get onto the plane, plus the same sail area as a Laser on an 11ft boat that weighed 75kg 🙂

Finns look awesome, but I heard you have to be big / strong enough to lug one up a slipway to sail one properly. I’m way too weedy for a Finn.

Which 35 were you on? I was on Swallow, sailing out of RSYC on the Hamble. The boats that competed in Holland were leap years ahead of the domestic fleet, and we weren’t competitive in the first year, although I also heard tell of rock star crews. After ten years of racing 707s together (me and a bunch of the crew also sailed together as children) sail handling was fine, but we never got that elusive half know before the boat’s owner put it up for sale. Shame – it was a hoot.

Incidentally, how is the tape drive coming along? Looks good in the pic. Any longevity issues shown up?

Actually, just looking at that sail again, the leech is awful tight for a minimal amount of prebend. Although it’s a pic and light airs, so I’m probably completely wrong. Have you had a play with one yet?

Finns do weigh a bit (minimum hull weight is now 116kg!!) but anybody from about 80kg can sail them thanks to the rigs now – I’m about 92kg and alegedly ‘fine’, or so I’ve been told.
Been out three times in mine so far – all in light winds. Lovely to sail, so much nicer than the Laser (which sold at the weekend). Need to get out more soon.
I think they’re waiting for a final test sail which should be ready for the end of April before they start making them from decent material.
That sail was the first sample and had a fair bit wrong with it, the chap sailing is double masters world champ so he should know what he’s doing!
35: I was racing on Nexus from Abersoch (owned/helmed by Mike Budd), it was sold after winning the nationals in Cork a couple of years ago. He was threatening to buy one of these little beauties (Santa Cruz 37)

but has been sidetracked trying to win the SB3 Worlds!

Saw HMS Daring this morning….

Looks like she hit a tug:
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8379946.Royal_Navy_s_newest_ship_damaged/

Nice! I think there is / was a Santa out of Hamble at one point – very pretty boat.

Think I might be a bit weedy for a Finn at 78kg and too fat for a Europe now – top limit is 75kg.

That would explain the funny shape of the sail – I’d love to see what they end up with. The 707 class switched to Sobstad laminate sails – glued precut panels, so somewhere between tape drives and traditional sails – and it went pretty well. Biggest difference was the jibs, which lasted longer. Very fun class, and just like the Sonata, it’s likely to go through a dip and come back strong as the boats get into the hands of younger sailors at lower prices.

Aurora St Petersburg by Bentalla, on Flickr

Loch Linnhe by Bentalla, on Flickr

Reaper at Tobermory by Bentalla, on Flickr

How did I miss this thread?

My favourite bar, onboard the Albatros:

I learned to say in a Tideway – clinker built dinghy that my Dad spent far too much time maintaining. Like this one:

and I have two kayaks that are just horrible to paddle. Cheap and nasty – I helped to build them at my local youth club when I was a teenager. Better than nothing though.

I’m trying to find the definitive shot of Stealth, a 92ft dayboat, but I think it’s one taken by Beken.

My old day job involved sorting out illustrations for features in a sailing magazine, so I used to spend a fair amount of time on the phone to Beken, Kos et cetera. Beken were/are marvellously old school, and wonderful to deal with. Although they always sent original transparencies, which was a bit puckering when you realised you were holding the original medium format slide for *that* pic of Valsheda (at the bottom of this).

Valsheda now, with Mari Cha in the background (That’s another story):

Valsheda – my favourite ever boat pic, from Beken:

My dad is currently bobbing around the solent in his Southerly 32.
Just like this one:

I get to play up front of this Arcona 430
This shot from Just after dawn on the round the island race, one of the few times I will share a start time with Valsheda.
Got quite close to Mr BP on “Bob” when he got into trouble going for a sail, Maybe we should have luffed him 😀