15 days to go until the worlds! - wow
The last few days have been pretty full on! JP and Arnaud have arrived and have been getting sorted for the worlds everyday so far! They have also pulled a new trick out of the bag! You will have to wait until you get here to see their secret!
Two days ago there was very little wind, very marginal for most people, but weighing a good 7 or more kilos less than Alex helped in taking off quicker! I have been using my KA sail recently, because I fell through the North V8, But I can't wait to get that sail back and get into using it properly!
Today's wind was Nuclear, and I only got out at around 2. By then JP and Arnaud already went out for a morning training session and came back in, when I joined them for their second time, the waves were measured at 1m and choppy and the wind was 20 - 25. Far too much wind for a light weight like me, and a pushrod that had snapped, but was still functioning marginally...
That meant I thought I screwed my boat over, the push rod connector had snapped and I was on very low lift most of the time, until the axle got caught and then stayed on a reasonably high lift. Very confusing at first! but when I sailed to Jumeirah Island and pulled my boat up onto the beach to have a look at what was going on, I realized the problem, and made my way back to DOSC. Would have been the perfect day for getting the GPS out and doing some speed runs! piss warm water and strong wind!
JP came to my rescue, and I should literally pray to him! He had the exact piece to fit a Bladerider, even though he is a Mach 2 sailor, so he helped me replace the piece. He also helped me cut down my pushrod length so that I get more lift from it and that the foil flap reached the bottom edge of the centerboard, for reverse lift.
I have a plea! If there is anyone coming out for the worlds, and has a packet of batten spacers still spare, and would like to sell them to me, please let me know, I am in need of putting a few onto my KA, so the battens don't keep going awol!!
Sail numbers are on, next thing to sort out is Name on the sail! That will be interesting getting it sorted out, along with the UAE flag.
More sailors set to arrive soon, so Game On!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
skin?
About to put a coat of polishing on my foil, and i happened to come across some info on the web talking about sharks being the most effective animals in the water, does that mean that their skin is perfectly adapted to what all moth sailors are looking for on their foils? Well the skin is very rough when you touch it outside of the water, so my automatic thought about that was that it is not ideal, but then thinking deeper... because the skin is a living organism, does it produce fats and oils (to keep the shark warm) which also have a secondary function of lubricating the skin to make it less water resistant; so if that is the case, where can I get some shark oils from? :-D
on a more serious note, I will be using teflon polish tonight to coat my main foil, and the horizontal of my rear foil, think this will be the substantial parts, and I will just sand the vertical rear foil to stop it ventilating on the reaches and down winds!
Had some misery today, hit 2 fishing pods which has at least 30m of slack line floating around, the first I managed to nearly clear with an emergency tack, but still got caught on the rudder, and the second one was hopeless, and I couldn't help but capsize and fall onto my sail. Now there is a footlong rip going down the foot area of my spanking new North V8, bad times!
Washed the sail off and took the battens out, then gave it to Gareth, the owner of Marine Tech LLC; who is really doing a lot for the Moth fleet at the moment, and supporting us in every way! with spare parts, repairs and all other needs!. He then took the sail home, and estimated about 3 days in order to get it fixed and stitched up again! Hopefully it will still have all its shape in the foot once repaired, so that I can still be as happy with it as before, and don't have to result in using the KA Sail!
Other than that training went well today, got into the motions of doing more gacks, as the breeze was just marginal at the beginning of my session, but then when it built a bit more, I worked on quick gybes and tacks, as if it was in an unexpected race scenario which I needed to get out of, that was helpful, and at one point did a gybe so fast and clean, that I could have gone round once more without coming off the foils! haha...
Next time down at the club, quiet possibly tomorrow, will be all boat work I fell, getting the new stays up and everything, and then making it sure it all comes together nicely! Need to do more checkups, so think wings will come off and be emptied of any water and sand mixtures that have resided there recently, and also will be putting on my new Gantry! fingers crossed. That would be the icing on the cake, to make my boat look sexy!
Tomorrow morning, one hour run, Im only 68 - 70 kgs, but im still looking at shaving off those extra kilo's and replacing them with muscle in my legs to keep my hiking going harder and longer. Glenny is set to join me, will be too much of an early rise for him though I predict... but should be good if we get into a proper routine and get in shape for the worlds...
on a more serious note, I will be using teflon polish tonight to coat my main foil, and the horizontal of my rear foil, think this will be the substantial parts, and I will just sand the vertical rear foil to stop it ventilating on the reaches and down winds!
Had some misery today, hit 2 fishing pods which has at least 30m of slack line floating around, the first I managed to nearly clear with an emergency tack, but still got caught on the rudder, and the second one was hopeless, and I couldn't help but capsize and fall onto my sail. Now there is a footlong rip going down the foot area of my spanking new North V8, bad times!
Washed the sail off and took the battens out, then gave it to Gareth, the owner of Marine Tech LLC; who is really doing a lot for the Moth fleet at the moment, and supporting us in every way! with spare parts, repairs and all other needs!. He then took the sail home, and estimated about 3 days in order to get it fixed and stitched up again! Hopefully it will still have all its shape in the foot once repaired, so that I can still be as happy with it as before, and don't have to result in using the KA Sail!
Other than that training went well today, got into the motions of doing more gacks, as the breeze was just marginal at the beginning of my session, but then when it built a bit more, I worked on quick gybes and tacks, as if it was in an unexpected race scenario which I needed to get out of, that was helpful, and at one point did a gybe so fast and clean, that I could have gone round once more without coming off the foils! haha...
Next time down at the club, quiet possibly tomorrow, will be all boat work I fell, getting the new stays up and everything, and then making it sure it all comes together nicely! Need to do more checkups, so think wings will come off and be emptied of any water and sand mixtures that have resided there recently, and also will be putting on my new Gantry! fingers crossed. That would be the icing on the cake, to make my boat look sexy!
Tomorrow morning, one hour run, Im only 68 - 70 kgs, but im still looking at shaving off those extra kilo's and replacing them with muscle in my legs to keep my hiking going harder and longer. Glenny is set to join me, will be too much of an early rise for him though I predict... but should be good if we get into a proper routine and get in shape for the worlds...
Monday, February 15, 2010
how do i make more progress?
I've reached the stage, where I am comfortable with having a consistent boat speed, having tacks that are as good as can be at 90% of the time, and gybing 100% of the time. Now how do I move on, how can I make my boat speed even better? How can i notch up a level?
I went out again today in the morning to late afternoon, and at the beginning i was focused on what my target was (foot work during a tack) but once I had it sorted out perfectly and couldn't complain anymore, I jut didn't feel the urge of working at 100% anymore, so I was just cruising around, putting in a few tacks here and there, until I got bored and then I sailed in.
Thought my time would be better spent putting together my new EC6 shrouds, which I did, and no matter how sexy they look, how light they are and how little give they have; there is always one though in the back of my head haunting me: what happens when I do pitchpole? will they slice me up because they are as thin as cheese wire? hmmm hesitant about leaving them untouched, will go out to the electrical shop down the road tomorrow and see if they have any heat shrinkable stuff in stock, which I could sleeve my shrouds with.
Still haven't got round to getting a packer in the main foil that I am using at the moment, but then again, should I really? thing is I am waiting at the moment to get my own foil fixed, as the sika flex has come off once again, and I need to get that fixed asap, probably my number one on the priority list now!
Whilst playing with the thought of what it would be like riding a little bit higher out of the water, I got a little bit hesitant, because I am riding quiet high at the moment on reaches and downwind, so If i go one higher, will I be at a ridiculously high risk of pitchpoling all the time, or can I correct that by adjusting the amount of lift on the rudder?
Had the V8 up again today, great shape and great power throughout any maneuver, so I am really happy with that, and will use it 2 or 3 more times before the worlds and then store it away and go back to my KA 13. Very similar to my EC6 shrouds, not sure if I want to be using them for the whole time before the worlds, or if I want to put them up, train a few times with them and store them away...
ARGHHHH so many more questions! and so little time to find answers!!!!
Anyways, the swiss boats are at customs now, and I go back to school tomorrow, so only sailing in the afternoons unfortunately!
I went out again today in the morning to late afternoon, and at the beginning i was focused on what my target was (foot work during a tack) but once I had it sorted out perfectly and couldn't complain anymore, I jut didn't feel the urge of working at 100% anymore, so I was just cruising around, putting in a few tacks here and there, until I got bored and then I sailed in.
Thought my time would be better spent putting together my new EC6 shrouds, which I did, and no matter how sexy they look, how light they are and how little give they have; there is always one though in the back of my head haunting me: what happens when I do pitchpole? will they slice me up because they are as thin as cheese wire? hmmm hesitant about leaving them untouched, will go out to the electrical shop down the road tomorrow and see if they have any heat shrinkable stuff in stock, which I could sleeve my shrouds with.
Still haven't got round to getting a packer in the main foil that I am using at the moment, but then again, should I really? thing is I am waiting at the moment to get my own foil fixed, as the sika flex has come off once again, and I need to get that fixed asap, probably my number one on the priority list now!
Whilst playing with the thought of what it would be like riding a little bit higher out of the water, I got a little bit hesitant, because I am riding quiet high at the moment on reaches and downwind, so If i go one higher, will I be at a ridiculously high risk of pitchpoling all the time, or can I correct that by adjusting the amount of lift on the rudder?
Had the V8 up again today, great shape and great power throughout any maneuver, so I am really happy with that, and will use it 2 or 3 more times before the worlds and then store it away and go back to my KA 13. Very similar to my EC6 shrouds, not sure if I want to be using them for the whole time before the worlds, or if I want to put them up, train a few times with them and store them away...
ARGHHHH so many more questions! and so little time to find answers!!!!
Anyways, the swiss boats are at customs now, and I go back to school tomorrow, so only sailing in the afternoons unfortunately!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
my ponders...
I have been thinking quiet a lot recently about ways in which I can boost my performance... I think here is my hierarchy at this stage in preparation to the worlds...
1. Technique, getting everything absolutely bang on perfect, the tacks fast and clean, the gybes at 100% success rates and the take offs slick
2. Boat Work, getting the boat in a perfect shape, eliminating absolutely any breakages, this i think will mean doing checklists before and after every sail, replacing every rope as soon as it shows signs of wear and tear, having all the necessary spare parts for the boat, and having a bulletproof boat. (no relation to having special kevlar reinforced wings!)
3 Fitness, going to the gym every night, getting my cardiovascular endurance, core strength and muscular endurance to its peak. My target is to be able to hike full on for 20 minutes, that consists of the equivalent of a race, taking into account that each beat is less than 20 minutes long, but then getting a rest when going downwind.
4. Diet, this ties in directly with my fitness, as the better i eat, the better i will be able to train/exercise and the better I will be able to perform during the week. Another aspect of my diet is it in relation to my weight. At the moment I am in my ideal weight range of 67 - 70 kgs, making light winds and early takeoffs a lot more favorable in the standard dubai conditions that we are expecting in Dubai in early March!
5. Parties, yerr, ermmm, yerr, ermmm... as much as I hate it, they are becoming less likely to be the magic ingredient to doing well at a world championship event! But i do suppose the boom of doom during the worlds will be an exception, and I also here there are some Barasti Beach Parties sponsored by Puma lined up!
6. School, sorry what? that wont be an issue, rumor has it anyway that you don't need a job to be a high rolling Moth World Champion! :P
Whats the agenda for tomorrow? Packers Packers and more Packers in my main foil! need to get my ride height up! it was better yesterday after I put one more in, but ideally could do with at least another! In order to get more lift on the rudder, and send the bow down. That is where I have been struggling recently, having to dial less lift on the rudder and go bow up, in order to have a good ride height where the boat isn't sitting in on every wave!
btw 22 days to go! :O
1. Technique, getting everything absolutely bang on perfect, the tacks fast and clean, the gybes at 100% success rates and the take offs slick
2. Boat Work, getting the boat in a perfect shape, eliminating absolutely any breakages, this i think will mean doing checklists before and after every sail, replacing every rope as soon as it shows signs of wear and tear, having all the necessary spare parts for the boat, and having a bulletproof boat. (no relation to having special kevlar reinforced wings!)
3 Fitness, going to the gym every night, getting my cardiovascular endurance, core strength and muscular endurance to its peak. My target is to be able to hike full on for 20 minutes, that consists of the equivalent of a race, taking into account that each beat is less than 20 minutes long, but then getting a rest when going downwind.
4. Diet, this ties in directly with my fitness, as the better i eat, the better i will be able to train/exercise and the better I will be able to perform during the week. Another aspect of my diet is it in relation to my weight. At the moment I am in my ideal weight range of 67 - 70 kgs, making light winds and early takeoffs a lot more favorable in the standard dubai conditions that we are expecting in Dubai in early March!
5. Parties, yerr, ermmm, yerr, ermmm... as much as I hate it, they are becoming less likely to be the magic ingredient to doing well at a world championship event! But i do suppose the boom of doom during the worlds will be an exception, and I also here there are some Barasti Beach Parties sponsored by Puma lined up!
6. School, sorry what? that wont be an issue, rumor has it anyway that you don't need a job to be a high rolling Moth World Champion! :P
Whats the agenda for tomorrow? Packers Packers and more Packers in my main foil! need to get my ride height up! it was better yesterday after I put one more in, but ideally could do with at least another! In order to get more lift on the rudder, and send the bow down. That is where I have been struggling recently, having to dial less lift on the rudder and go bow up, in order to have a good ride height where the boat isn't sitting in on every wave!
btw 22 days to go! :O
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Boooooom Time
Its been a while since I last blogged so here it goes (if i can still remember how to do it)
Its been really busy the last couple of weeks with all the hype about the worlds coming to town! Alex and I are both right in the middle of our preparations for the event, and have been using every opportunity to get out on the water! However when the wind hasn't been playing along, then we ended up doing hours and hours of boat work, and making everything on our boat bullet proof and sexy for the worlds.
I got my new rig up a couple of days ago, with the North V8 Sail, my Southern Spars Standard Mast, My Southern Spars Boom and my EC6 carbon shrouds, forestay and backstay. It is safe to say that the boat looks really sexy now, with my new Wild Wadi branded sail and hull. Wild Wadi are the only Arabic Themed Water park in the middle East and it is a must for those of you coming over for the worlds to do on the lay day! I can ensure you will be gobsmacked! (http://www.jumeirah.com/en/Hotels-and-Resorts/Wild-Wadi/)
I found that the EC6 shrouds and backstay look really good and are really stiff, however they aren't the most user friendly when doing boat work, as when you walk into them, they leave bruises and cuts on your skin! (note to self; don't walk into EC6 Carbon!)
My new tramps are on, and I have been tightening them on a daily basis in order to get them solid for the worlds. Because you are suppose to soak them before tightening, it has been quiet useful that the sprinklers on the rigging area go off at 5:15 precisely and I can time it to see when I should soak the boat!
Bladerider have been holding back on any media releases lately to what is going on with them, making it extremely hard to get new boat parts when they break! but Gareth did manage to get in touch with them, and is now ordering bulk for all the Moth sailors over here to have spare parts, I requested nearly every single part, because who knows what will happen with Bladerider's Spare Parts availability!
Went out sailing last Sunday in about 20 knots and big seas! My boat did not last it, as my pushrod bent out, and I Had to low ride back in and de-rig as I did not have any spares! Alex came after school finished and we quickly rigged one of the Puma boats and took it for a sail to 'the Island' where there is flat water Ideal for some speed stuff! I had my Speedpuck with me, and it should be interesting to see the results when I play it onto my computer!
Only downside from that training session was on the way in, just before getting to the beach, I decided to send it one last time to get max speed out of the thing, but that didn't end so good for me, probably the worst pitchpole I ever had because I was still stuck in the Toe Straps when my momentum got carried forward and legs bent right round the shrouds! not good! but luckily they weren't the EC6, else wise I don't think I would be blogging now!
Not only have I been training on the water, but I have also cross trained in many other aspects; such as doing running and cycling for some Cardiovascular Endurance, doing the cycling for also muscular endurance (hiking), swimming to get my upper body strength up to scratch, and eating healthy to flush out all the junk food I have recently had! last thin I want is to be sick for the worlds!
Chris and Glenn have got their new Mach 2's up and running, and I must say I am amazed, they have got some great pace and height up wind and from my point of view, will occupy all the top 10 spots!
Which leads me to my form guide...out of the 43 boats entered...
It is in no particular order, but just the top ten!
Simon Savage
Simon Payne
Arnaud Psarofaghis
Bora Gulari
Chris Graham
Glenn Raphael
Amac
Dalton Bergen
Rob Gough
Adam May
Looks like most of the top guns from the Gorge are in there, so it should be a good event, and if anything a big learning step to see what it is like sailing in such a big moth fleet!
This weekend is going to be full program again, not sailing for me today though, I have to film my Media Coursework Trailer on Friday, but then I will be out on the water all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday which will hopefully be an intense training marathon!
See you in Dubai!
Its been really busy the last couple of weeks with all the hype about the worlds coming to town! Alex and I are both right in the middle of our preparations for the event, and have been using every opportunity to get out on the water! However when the wind hasn't been playing along, then we ended up doing hours and hours of boat work, and making everything on our boat bullet proof and sexy for the worlds.
I got my new rig up a couple of days ago, with the North V8 Sail, my Southern Spars Standard Mast, My Southern Spars Boom and my EC6 carbon shrouds, forestay and backstay. It is safe to say that the boat looks really sexy now, with my new Wild Wadi branded sail and hull. Wild Wadi are the only Arabic Themed Water park in the middle East and it is a must for those of you coming over for the worlds to do on the lay day! I can ensure you will be gobsmacked! (http://www.jumeirah.com/en/Hotels-and-Resorts/Wild-Wadi/)
I found that the EC6 shrouds and backstay look really good and are really stiff, however they aren't the most user friendly when doing boat work, as when you walk into them, they leave bruises and cuts on your skin! (note to self; don't walk into EC6 Carbon!)
My new tramps are on, and I have been tightening them on a daily basis in order to get them solid for the worlds. Because you are suppose to soak them before tightening, it has been quiet useful that the sprinklers on the rigging area go off at 5:15 precisely and I can time it to see when I should soak the boat!
Bladerider have been holding back on any media releases lately to what is going on with them, making it extremely hard to get new boat parts when they break! but Gareth did manage to get in touch with them, and is now ordering bulk for all the Moth sailors over here to have spare parts, I requested nearly every single part, because who knows what will happen with Bladerider's Spare Parts availability!
Went out sailing last Sunday in about 20 knots and big seas! My boat did not last it, as my pushrod bent out, and I Had to low ride back in and de-rig as I did not have any spares! Alex came after school finished and we quickly rigged one of the Puma boats and took it for a sail to 'the Island' where there is flat water Ideal for some speed stuff! I had my Speedpuck with me, and it should be interesting to see the results when I play it onto my computer!
Only downside from that training session was on the way in, just before getting to the beach, I decided to send it one last time to get max speed out of the thing, but that didn't end so good for me, probably the worst pitchpole I ever had because I was still stuck in the Toe Straps when my momentum got carried forward and legs bent right round the shrouds! not good! but luckily they weren't the EC6, else wise I don't think I would be blogging now!
Not only have I been training on the water, but I have also cross trained in many other aspects; such as doing running and cycling for some Cardiovascular Endurance, doing the cycling for also muscular endurance (hiking), swimming to get my upper body strength up to scratch, and eating healthy to flush out all the junk food I have recently had! last thin I want is to be sick for the worlds!
Chris and Glenn have got their new Mach 2's up and running, and I must say I am amazed, they have got some great pace and height up wind and from my point of view, will occupy all the top 10 spots!
Which leads me to my form guide...out of the 43 boats entered...
It is in no particular order, but just the top ten!
Simon Savage
Simon Payne
Arnaud Psarofaghis
Bora Gulari
Chris Graham
Glenn Raphael
Amac
Dalton Bergen
Rob Gough
Adam May
Looks like most of the top guns from the Gorge are in there, so it should be a good event, and if anything a big learning step to see what it is like sailing in such a big moth fleet!
This weekend is going to be full program again, not sailing for me today though, I have to film my Media Coursework Trailer on Friday, but then I will be out on the water all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday which will hopefully be an intense training marathon!
See you in Dubai!
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