scott.projectsomewhere

Dave and I got a nice mention in Ben’s latest AST 49er update.

… Finally, we have been extremely fortunate to have David O’Connor and Scott Babbage assist us with our on-water testing in the last couple of weeks and are grateful to the Australian Sailing Team for helping get these boys to Qingdao for our first training camp. The boys have been immensely helpful in helping us find that speed edge we are looking for and Nathan and I are extremely grateful for their time and effort.

Hopefully the time we’ve put in so far has been useful, and hopefully our time in China can help the guys bag the gold medal. Olympic glory by association would be nice enough in itself.

I probably should’ve been more sympathetic for John when he blew up pushrod after pushrod on his boat… after breaking one at the end of Saturday’s session, I now know how it feels to sail a non-foiling-foiler.

It feels crap.

At least the sea-hugger Moths of old (like Moths 1 & 2 of mine) were smooth through the water. Sailing a latest gen foiler with non functioning flaps feels just like one of the old sea-huggers, just with a bucket dragging out the back. At least I only had a 1km upwind sail to get back to the club.

Anyway. The 2.3mm brass rod which makes the whole thing possible packed it in when I drove the boat just a little too hard through a set of waves. Oh well. Now it’s time to do some experimenting to find something better.

There’s been a bit of email banter over the last few days about the thimbles we use in our Moth vang systems.

On my last boat I threw the vang system away after the first weekend, and the durability and resistance gains were immediately noticeable. I think Rohan, myself, Amac, John and Luka (among others) used them in our vang systems in Garda, and after putting them online on sailingbits, more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon.

Our friendly Italian Luca had some great feedback from the tyre-kickers back in Europe. They looked at his simple system with it’s thimbles, and called it ‘primitive’. Yeah, primitive… like a Volvo 70 mmmkay?

Anyway. If you’re heading to the Worlds or just sail the Moth more than once in a blue moon, you’re wasting your time if you don’t have them. Seriously. There. Is. No. Excuse.

And I’m not saying these purely because I sell them. They are seriously good. I sell them because I use them, I don’t use them because I sell them. Big difference.

Time is getting away from me I think. I just checked the calendar and there are only 6 sailing weekends left before I have to ship appliancesonline.com.au to Weymouth.

Ouch.

The 10 days sailing in Qingdao in June aren’t really going to help preparations… but I’m doing it for the country. The good dual-nationality patriot that I am.

I’d better make the most of what little time I’ve got…

Thanks to Rohan, John and I are going to be in a segment for a new yachting/lifestyle TV show. We’re doing a film shoot this Saturday, so surely it will rain and blow all of 3 knots.

At least it will be good chance to get some airtime for the sponsor (who just so happens to be appliancesonline.com.au if you hadn’t noticed). Though I’m not sure those arty film producers are going to like the somewhat ubiquitous signwriting on my boat. They’ll either have to put up with it or show a foiling pixellated blob.

And they’ll have no more luck with John’s boat, which will be plastered in sailingbits.com livery thanks to Donosan.

Or maybe they’ll just realize that given we’re flying around in the rain on expensive carbon toys in unflattering neoprene suits… they’ll realize that collectively we’re as mad as a cut snake… and end up filming cute kids sailing in roto-moulded fluoro optimists.

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In other news… the 18 Footer JJ Giltinan is going to be on 7 at 1pm on Saturday. Hopefully the Rag will get a mention somewhere between all the talk of Seve Jarvis and footage of the red boat. If it’s any good… record it for me.

It’s rare that I’m the fat guy in a group of sailors… even in a group of Moth sailors.

But that’s how I feel at the moment sailing a 49er. I’ve got more rolls than a bakery compared to the guys we’re tuning against… and that’s saying something!

… back to the gym…