rock steady said:Gusts are really hard to handle if you are already overpowered upwind. If you have your rig already fully de-powered, then it's a matter of "Ease, Hike, Trim". You are better off dumping lot's of main and sailing with a big bubble in your sail and keeping your boat flat. Heeling in swell is the worst thing for speed, you will only go sideways.
laser2_9804 said:'Yo Aussie Boys!' and girls! Sorry, just had to make that point.
Murphs said:we sail in heavy winds alot, last week we were out in 35 knots and everyone who didnt snap their mast made it around the course
its just experience and technique really
laser2_9804 said:Wow, I knew they had some fairly strong winds in WA but I didn't know they were that strong regularly. Well, it's going to be interesting keeping a 125 flat in over 25 knots at the Nats.
rock steady said:35kts woah! Is that gusts or constant? How did people snap their mast? Winward capsizes?
I sailed a little in Western Australia, they rarely raced in under 25kts. But most people were into kite surfing or sail boarding. The yachties would literally walk the streets before the race trying to drag people in as rail meat!
Murphs said:all of the breakages were radial rigs and they were all from too much stress i.e. running into the back of a wave, no capsizes
lowest recording they had all day was 25 knots highest was 38, mostly around 32-35
rock steady said:Wind is never rock steady.
Merrily said:No, but how puffy is it generally?
Old Geezer said:I just checked Weather Underground for Sydney. Apparently our friends in the Land of Oz are only going to see winds of 2mph on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. But then on Monday and Tuesday WU predicts winds of 31632 mph.
Yikes. That might bend a mast or two. No word on how puffy that might be.
rock steady said:Hey Geezer, whats that link? I use:
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/index.jsp
You gunna come sail with us one day?
Old Geezer said:www.wunderground.com is pretty good for US weather - detail by hour including windspeed. Clearly Australian winds had them flummoxed.
Sure - I'll come and sail with you in Australia one day. Got any Masters Regattas coming up in next year or so? When will Masters Worlds next be in Australia? I'll definitely come for that.
rock steady said:
HECS said:Next Aussie Master's Worlds, February 2008, in the ocean off Terrigal. It's a great sailing spot about an hour north of Sydney.
HECS said:Oldsailor, the fact that we keep our trophies to ourselves is a disgrace.
TonyB said:Keeping the trophies in Australia makes sense to me - isn't the whole point of the Australian Championships to find the best Australian laser sailor? Overseas competition is welcome and prizes are still given to internationals who finish at the front, just not the cubes and perpetual trophies.