Punk’d
It looks like my last post had the desired effect. Get a bit of fire and motion back into the mothosphere.
Quite amusing that it’s so simple to wind people up for a handbags at dawn showdown. One of the more perverse ways to get a laugh out of it.
Anyway.
Nice to get the boat back out for a run this weekend. Nice and slippery as expected with a trail of suds following me wherever I went.
We raced WSC’s Cock of the Harbour season opener on Sunday against an assembled fleet of 49ers, i14s, B14s, Tasars and Lasers. In a building Nor-Easter, I port tacked the fleet and then built up a nice lead on the shy reach down to Ft Denison. The harbour was a washing machine with a run out tide and plenty of traffic, but the open water at the Sound proved more of a challenge with the opposite swell and wind chop making it difficult to foil on starboard.
Phil was in 2nd place as I headed back from Manly, but he was tiring quickly and Ben, Marty and the trailing 49ers were running him down.
I did a quick pitchpole near Sow & Pigs trying to thread the needle between a fishing trawler and a keelboat heading in opposite directions. But despite that little hickup I crossed in first, about 10 minutes in front of Ben in 2nd. A 65 minute lap around the Harbour.
So nice to be back on the water.
Ben also got the first taste of his new Mach2, and promptly pitchpoled his way downwind in the chop. A bit of re-learning to be done going from his Bladerider to the M2. But shouldn’t take long.
I also had Donosan make up vanity name tags for my sail. Prototyping suggestions from Thierry for better sailor identification. Maybe it will make it easier for photographers, and easier for commentators to identify boats around the course. What do you think?
September 7th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Mate forget toiling around Sydney Harbour on your silly little Moth. Sailing 18s in San Fran is what real men do!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:05 am
@Pete
Ok. Is the Rag doing it next year?
September 7th, 2009 at 11:12 am
The vanity tags look good Scott. What’s the dimensions on those (height and letter thickness)?
It’s a really good idea to make the sailors more easily identifiable from a distance – as it was proven by Clean at the worlds, unless you really know the boats and sailors well, it’s quite hard to tell who’s who from a distance while charging downhill in excess of 20 knots.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:15 am
The RAG kite is a must for the Bridge to Bridge next year. I have told John we must do the regatta. If not Jack, Micah and I will hijack a boat.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:16 am
@Pete
Hijack the boat… ummm… no.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:17 am
@Jon
120mm Helvetica Neue 85 Heavy.
I think we might need smaller/thinner to cope for long surnames.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am
We will Hijack a boat, Not the RAG. You think I am crazy enough to let Micah control the Rag?
September 7th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Tell Ben to get his M2 measured and registered. His X8 still has not been registered with YA and IMCAA.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
You should get your friends in the Moth worlds to sail in the Bridge to Bridge next year. I would be surprised if a moth would finish the race but it would be good to watch.
September 7th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
You got the name tags on both sides of the sail or just starboard?
September 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Donosan has done a nice job on the names. However for class beginners, you might need a second set on the underside of the tramps?
September 7th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
These name tags would have made no deference to the SA coverage. Boat recognition on the water is a lot about hull tramp and sail colouring. Arnold had a bloody big Blue sticker on his sail but he was also not recognised by clean.
However it is a nice touch and it is nice to know who’s boat is in the bloody way on the launching ramp.
This should not be a class rule as it is more expense and hassle and work all. For the worlds then I can see it is cool and a nice thing to have but does it really need to be a protestable rule? Also the flag is silly when you have bloody great letters on the sail. Is this going to be policed? Where do we get these from? (Sailing bits I presume..) Do we really need to make this a RULE? Can it not be a suggested pimping option? Moth sailors are all egotistical self promoters so I am sure
there will be a high take up.
Do new sailors really want to go and make a fool of themselves at their first worlds with their name on the sail?
So how about size suggestions and no rule. Best of both worlds.
Doug
September 8th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Why haven’t you updated your sail Number as well?
I recon a sexy 7 will look good.
September 8th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Doug, can you please advise a shipping address for your stickers?
September 8th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
John do they come in extra large size? Can I also have my website address so all my fans can check me out?
September 8th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Doug, no problem – for an extra charge of course.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Tools the lot of ya
September 10th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
The name tag looks good, congrats on the win
September 17th, 2009 at 5:14 am
Hi Scott,
cool idea ! What I told you was to have boat number on hull next to mast… both side. so we could do better caption for images. many time I don’t know who is the sailor. last year in UK with 100 boats it was very hard, even with less in Cascade locks same problem. name on sail a great idea.
see you in Dubai.
Thierry