scott.projectsomewhere

It seemed almost everyone was tapering yesterday, with only 8 or so of the 70+ strong Moth fleet venturing out on the water, and then only late.

John and I did a few odd jobs during the early afternoon, then hit the water at about 3.30. The breeze was blowing the usual 20 odd knots in the gusts, but by late afternoon the waves had built up to be quite a challenge.

I was quick as usual upwind, but John was just annihilating me downwind.

I stayed out for a few more test runs, then came in and put John’s main foil in my boat and hit the water again for a quick test.

The difference was just incredible. Where before I was plowing through wave crests and launching through troughs, with this board I could lazily sail straight into the biggest trought I could find and come out looking like a pro. I could gybe basically anywhere with no trouble and could sail the boat heeled to windward or leeward without coming to grief.

So after a taste of that, there was no way I could race the regatta with my current foil. Sure I could be in the top couple around the top mark, but I would’ve gone mental being passed by so many boats downwind. A new foil was fitted, and this morning will be the test. Tonight I will try and fill the main hydrofoil to stiffen it more, and hopefully that will be enough to match John’s downwind board.

If I can get that sorted, things are definitely looking up.

Day -2 brings the Pre-Worlds. 2 races I believe starting at around 2pm. It will be interesting to see where everyone fits in the pecking order, but I think a lot of people will be keeping a bit in reserve for racing starting on Monday.

Today was another day in the office. Day -4 of the World Championships.

But no sailing for me.

I had devoted the day to adding another Bladerider 10%^TM, but this time there was no time for the official fitting tool (aka mallet). It was time for the power tools.

A couple of hours later, the boat emerged from the concrete bunker/oven in a haze of carbon dust, all ready to go. Or at least ready to start drying.

Meanwhile everyone else was enjoying typical Garda conditions. Blasting up and down for hours in a beautiful breeze. Not happy Jan.

Anyway, it could’ve been worse. I could’ve been Amac.

My form guide from a couple of weeks ago is not doing too badly at this stage. Except that I may have to be happy with being able to start the event, let alone finish it.

Most of the players are now in Garda, training away.

I’ve had 2 good days on the water, with plenty of time to tune up against Simon Payne and Rohan. There hasn’t really been any surprises so far, with the Bladerider being quicker upwind, and the Prowler being faster down. We already knew that.

The problem is that I can put 50m on Simon on a good upwind, then manage to lose 500m on the downwind. After 3 laps that’s not going to be pretty.

Anyway, I’ve managed to avoid most of the carnage that seems to be plaguing the rest of team Bladerider. So far there’s been 5 broken main foils (2 for Amac, 2 for Rohan and 1 for John). Not bad going considering the regatta doesn’t start for another 4 days.

At this rate we’ll all be enjoying la dolce vita from the shore with a mountain of carbon splinters.

But as Nicho was saying… my boat is just ticking away waiting to blow up…

Anyway, the boat is in the shed for a bit of love tomorrow, which might give me a chance to raid the Bladerider spare parts and get the new vertical foil sections I’m supposed to have, and maybe replace the control rod tube with the new spec… and the list goes on.

Plenty of photos on flickr.

The trip from Sydney to Garda ended up being pretty uneventful. Long, but uneventful.

The interesting part was trying to get my boat out of Italian customs at Malpensa. Thank god I had Italian Luca with me, otherwise I’d still be there walking up and down the halls of bureacracy.

Anyway, after 5 hours, copious amounts of paperwork and $1000 EUR (cash only!) we did get the boats out. I didn’t feel particularly clean after all that.

Then it was time to be travelling gypsies, with the two Bladerider boxes stacked on the VW Polo. Thankfully the roofracks held up, and everything made it to Garda without damage…. no thanks to the freight handlers mind you, who ignored the “fragile this way up stickers” and had the boats stacked on each other on their sides. Good work morons.

Anyway. Getting to Garda was well worth it.

There’s always plenty of crap written on the web about how fast a Moth is compared to every other dinghy blah blah blah.

And pretty much all of it is just that. Crap.

But now would be the perfect time to put it to rest, with the 18 Europeans being run from Campione on Lake Garda, and the early arriving Mothies already training out of Torbole.

All they need to do is meet up and drag race away.

Any takers?

Somehow I wouldn’t try talking shit about slow 18s to Trent in the bar afterwards…

From thedailysail.com

By the sounds of it I’m signed up as a 29er coach for the Aussie kids at the upcoming Melbourne Worlds. Thankfully, that might just keep me out of the competition.

But it is going to get in the way of the Moth Nationals in South Australia. SIRS is also taken out - if the Moths were even going to be invited. Even an 18 race.

Not good.

Then again my official coaching qualifications (and some might say abilities) are in need of a serious overhaul. Maybe they’ll find someone better while I’m away.

Tack when it flaps kids.