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17 mph under sail
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:43 pm
by Newell
Performance Nuts,
I ran my boat wing on wing without ballast and got hit with a microburst. I measure in knots and the GPS hit 7.3 just before the boat broached, since I had lost steering, sort of like steering a car on ice the experience was scary. If I hadn't of had a death grip on the wheel I would have been thrown out.
I think 17 mph is Roger's fantasy.
Newell
Fast Sunday 96X
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:49 pm
by delevi
Newell,
What you're describing has happened to me a number of times. I believe the reason for this is the relatively light stern and the lever effect strong wind has on a mainsail which is way out there (sheeted for a downwind run.) The only cure I can come up with is either reefing the main or dropping it alltogether and running under headsail only. With enough breeze on a broad reach or run, I think I would prefer just the spinnaker and no mainsail. The 18 mph is still likely unattainable, but I want to see how close I can get.
Leon
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:56 am
by beene
Leon and Eric
You guys find out how close you can get.....
.... and I'll see if I can beat it
Just kiddin
With what Leon said about no main and spin only... with my config.... I think I would snap the mast without a backstay
G
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:54 am
by Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL
I was out of sailing for several years. A promise I made to God if I made it through a storm at sea.
I had a powerboat, the front of which is now my desk at my shop, on the lake I live on.
The problem was the speed limit to go under a bridge was 6 m.p.h.
So, I had to speed up just to go under a bridge.
I prefersailing.
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:53 am
by beene
Once you've been there.... you will always remember it.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:27 pm
by beene
OH YA BABY!!
If he can get her up on plane... so can we
HERE
G
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:03 am
by Lease
Gotta love those guys.
Hmmm, 16, eh? A bit slow; wonder if the kite'll fly. Might as well wander up there and give it a go.
Hmmm, could be a touch heavy at the moment; maybe later................
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:36 pm
by Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
Cool video. I wonder .... if you had a couple nice blade sails and a whole heck of a lot of wind on a beam reach. Make it an offshore wind to keep the waves down too. When I've been out in strong winds, the waves always spoil the fun.
I went out last Saturday as a cold front was approaching. When I first went out, the wind was barely registering on the wind meter..maybe 6 mph. An hour later, the wind had picked up big time and I was measuring gusts up to 25 (was even windier later that evening). Of course, I had 3 kids on board so couldn't get too radical (they start slipping off the seats). But even with just the main and a little bit of the genny to keep heel down, I was into that semi displacement mode ... around 7.5 mph. You keep this boat standing up in a stiff wind and it sails pretty well. Too much twist in the stock main though...these sails are not really made for high winds.
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:04 am
by delevi
Awesome video Geoff. What kind of mods would it take to get a Mac to do that?

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:33 am
by beene
Hey Leon
What kind of mods would it take to get a Mac to do that?
I don't know, but I want em...

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:14 pm
by Highlander
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:35 am
by NiceAft
eric3a wrote:One can get very religious in big weather!
beene wrote:Once you've been there.... you will always remember it.
Amen to that!
At least we have motors.
A couple of decades back (pre children), we were sailing in a lake in upstate NY in our Phantom (similar to Sunfish, but better

) when a storm suddenly came over us. We were sailing with friends who had a Sunfish. Sky got dark suddenly. There were high trees all around so we could not see the horizon. Rain, wind, lightning. I should have written that as
LIGHTNING!, and no motor

Water got rough, but that lightning! As I think back on it now I just shake my head and remember that I don't ever wish to go through that again.
Ray
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:06 am
by Mikebe
I'll never forget the first time I experienced heavy weather at sea. It was called a Typhoon, South China sea, onboard a 427 foot US Navy destroyer.
That Destroyer was no more significant than a toothpick in those seas, and we were just lucky to make it through.
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:33 pm
by beene
I pity the fool who underestimates the sea and mother nature.
No matter what size your boat/ship is.
G
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:49 pm
by Frank C
18 mph under sail. Can it be done?
(15 kts in a trailerable pocket cruiser?)
Yep, sure it can!
(no trapeze req'd)
Strictly Sail Pacific