Ben's Olympic style

Rob B

Rob B

Well-Known Member
Ok, sorry for all you guys that can't see the sailing on TV, but last night they did a pretty good job of covering the entire race 1 from yesterday. I already commented on the style being used to raise the board downwind, (just above the knee in about 7-10 breeze, (I'm thinking half board). Anyway, I also noticed that Robert is using the old style vang. Since it was light I'm not sure if he uses the old vang for light air, (reduced weight) and the new vang for heavy. Maybe we'll get a chance to see later....On a side note, it is really shifty in Greece. Like 30 Degree changes. The RC had to change the course at every leeward rounding. Robert is unreal fast on all points of sail. I'd say that gold is wrapped up. He and Ben, (Finn) seem to have almost identical sailing style.
 
good observations. The BBC coverage of the sailing has been abysmal to say we are doing so well. Hardly anything live has been shown. The point about the vang is interesting. Does Robert use the entire old vang or only the old cleat like Michael Blackburn? (who considers it too heavy)
 
It looks like the entire old vang.

ben661 said:
good observations. The BBC coverage of the sailing has been abysmal to say we are doing so well. Hardly anything live has been shown. The point about the vang is interesting. Does Robert use the entire old vang or only the old cleat like Michael Blackburn? (who considers it too heavy)
Click to expand...
 
Rob,

Just to give it my thought, are you possitive he is using the old vang? I ask this because the class legal Holt 15:1 vang at first glance may appear to be a modified original vang to those of us that use the Harken version.

If he is in fact using the original vang, I wouldn't be surprised. My friend has an 8:1 purchase on his old vang and he gets all the purchase he needs out of it.
 
Yea, I looked really closely at the bottom part of the vang. It was definately the old vang fitting on there.

macwas16 said:
Rob,

Just to give it my thought, are you possitive he is using the old vang? I ask this because the class legal Holt 15:1 vang at first glance may appear to be a modified original vang to those of us that use the Harken version.

If he is in fact using the original vang, I wouldn't be surprised. My friend has an 8:1 purchase on his old vang and he gets all the purchase he needs out of it.
Click to expand...
 
I came to the forum today looking for this thread. I had hoped that somebody else would have noticed Sheidt's vang.

I personally don't feel that the advantage of the new vang lies in its purchase. Adding a cascade with a small block to the old vang gives plenty of purchase. The real advantage lies in the cleat. We all know how hard it can be to release the vang going downwind in heavy air. The new vangs greatly improve this with a cam cleat on a swivel.

May Roberto just wants to be a bad-ass and show that he can win with older rigging!!
 
Yeah I agree with scott, here at the naval academy we have the old style vangs, and I feel that they give me all the purchase I need, I've sailed with both and the big advantage of the new vang is not having to come in off the strap to get the vang off when its strapped. I mean sure its cool that you can pull the boom down to the ground with it, and you can break a mast with it, but you don't really need that much purchase.
 
and really, if you look at Scheidt's Olympic setup, you'll notice he has a very simple cascade on the cunningham and the outhaul. The real upgrades are in the reduction of friction in these systems and the ease of making changes from the rail.
 
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