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| Modify top of bows? http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=57885 |
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| Author: | John Lunn [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Modify top of bows? |
Yesterday's racing was epic - Easterly wind at 15 knots, gusting 25, air temps around 63F, short chop and hard, driving rain. This was the annual Ottawa Grand Prix Skiff & Catamaran Regatta, with mixed fleets: Hobie Waves, International 14's, and then regular catamarans. So we were racing against a few Tornado's, NACRA F18, Capricorn F18, a F16, and a Unicorn A Cat, 10 of us altogether. Saturday was hot and a drifter. Good for socializing. Sunday, the front was on its way through, and this was heavy duty sailing. Only 4 cats finished that day, and one of the reasons I retired during the first race was that my son fell overboard when we lost a trap J&H Handle. Relax, I managed to get the H18SX under control, turn, and pick him up. Another reason is that with the short chop, I was too nervous to raise the spin. One mistake, and we were over..... and at that point, we could see three I-14's in trouble. One lost the front of the boom (it broke), another broke the bottom half of their 5'2" carbon fibre centre board on a screaming downwind reach, and the other had the crew fly through the mainsail. Looking at the design of the 'wave piercing hulls' of the Capricorn and Nacra, I wonder if it feasible to add some fibreglass to the top of the H18 bows, from the tip back about 36". The addition would NOT be 'flat' on top, like the existing hulls, but would come to an inverted V shape, such that when a bow dips into the water, the boat will not dig in. I know, this is not class legal....I sail in a mixed fleet where almost anything goes. Thoughts? |
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| Author: | SabresfortheCup [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
I've thought the same thing on occasion, but I think the real trouble is the hull lip. That really has a way of "grabbing on" to the water, and it seems like that high drag/rapid deceleration of the hull is a big part of the problem. In terms of getting something else on there, I think you could create something out of fiberglass or plastic relatively easily, and attaching it would be relatively straightforward thanks to the hull lip, but I think the bigger question is how much is it worth to you, and how often do you think you'd need it? I think that as a "pitchpole preventer" it would work, but you're still going to want to try like hell to keep the lip above the water to keep your speed up, and in that, it's probably not worth putting a "hat" on your bows. Something like the anti-pitchpole foils that Hobie makes for the H16 would probably have the same effect, be simpler and cheaper. Unless you're considering drastic measures to re-shape the bow to eliminate the lip, I don't think there's much improvement to be had here. |
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| Author: | John Lunn [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
I am not worried about pitchpoling. Two years ago, we got hit with a big puff on the downwind leg, I turned dead downwind but it was so strong, the Hobie went vertical. We managed to hang on, the boat righted itself, and we carried on sailing. The 'danger' is one hull being 'grabbed' by the water, which turns into a capsize, especially in chop. |
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| Author: | srm [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
You want to add more material to the bow? Umm, no. If you're sticking the bow under, then your weight is too far forward. Get 'yer ass on the rear crossbar, have your crew on the wire straddle or stand behind you and let 'er rip. There's no changing a 1970's design into a modern hull shape. sm |
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| Author: | John Lunn [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
SRM Thank you. How long should the spin sheet be? (Long enough for the crew to handle it while on the back of the wings, right?) And on a separate note, who should handle the mainsheet on the upwind, crew or skip? |
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| Author: | SabresfortheCup [ Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
srm wrote: You want to add more material to the bow? That was my other concern. Whatever you put up there had better be fairly light, otherwise you'll end up compounding the problem. As far as the mainsheet, I like to handle it myself, unless the wind is really screaming, then I hand it off to my crew who can put his whole body into it without having to worry about the tiller (otherwise I end up "zig-zagging" the boat all over the place while trying to harden up the mainsheet!  )
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| Author: | John Lunn [ Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:50 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Modify top of bows? |
We have the FX-4 tiller extension, which is always over one shoulder. In that way, the zig zagging is minimized. Try heading up a touch, (which results in less pressure on the main) then sheet in, then bear away a touch. We use the mainsheet cleat a lot, until we are on course....after that, it depends on the chop and the gusts. |
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