Third, probably where I should have expected. But I won one race which was rewarding for a couple of reasons.
Hayden won with the new String like AUS30 and Christian was consistantly second with Steve Clark's Josie now AUS26. Both sailed higher to windward than the Log and that was the basic difference in performance. These were the only new rules boats while there were 4 nethercotts competeing as well. So many old hand canoe sailors decided not to race?
The winds were mod to light and variable. The RC had difficulty getting stable winds to set courses. But we did manage the full quota of races.
But the good points were that the stayed rig now has shown some performance to windward. Once there is enough pressure to be on the seat the mast bends enough to flatten the sail adequately to sail well upwind and high enough to have competitive VMG. In the one race I beat Hayden I was sailing slightly lower but faster and gettiing to new shifts before him, tacking and crossing, just. I could only do this in one race and at other times I found height suffered or I found hole in which I suffered worse that H and C.
But we had a good regatta with some close racing at times.
As for rig development I think there is still potential with the mono rig, I think rigging it with a tight forstay and a sail cut more conventionally with less luff curve would allow for better shape in light winds. Also the boom could be lowered to improve aspect ratio.
But appreciate that the existing and potential canoe sailors see the log as an oddity and much prefer the traditional sloop rig.
So the option of cutting the deck off and moving fin case and mast step remains.
At this stage I am unlikley to be racing canoes again for a long time so the boat will get stored unless some buyer appears. Iam prepared to assist with what ever developments a potential buyer wants to pursue.
Regardless we had a couple of race legs on the weekend which showed clearly that the three different hulls performed very similarly, so the Log is still a good basis for future canoe racing.
Hayden won with the new String like AUS30 and Christian was consistantly second with Steve Clark's Josie now AUS26. Both sailed higher to windward than the Log and that was the basic difference in performance. These were the only new rules boats while there were 4 nethercotts competeing as well. So many old hand canoe sailors decided not to race?
The winds were mod to light and variable. The RC had difficulty getting stable winds to set courses. But we did manage the full quota of races.
But the good points were that the stayed rig now has shown some performance to windward. Once there is enough pressure to be on the seat the mast bends enough to flatten the sail adequately to sail well upwind and high enough to have competitive VMG. In the one race I beat Hayden I was sailing slightly lower but faster and gettiing to new shifts before him, tacking and crossing, just. I could only do this in one race and at other times I found height suffered or I found hole in which I suffered worse that H and C.
But we had a good regatta with some close racing at times.
As for rig development I think there is still potential with the mono rig, I think rigging it with a tight forstay and a sail cut more conventionally with less luff curve would allow for better shape in light winds. Also the boom could be lowered to improve aspect ratio.
But appreciate that the existing and potential canoe sailors see the log as an oddity and much prefer the traditional sloop rig.
So the option of cutting the deck off and moving fin case and mast step remains.
At this stage I am unlikley to be racing canoes again for a long time so the boat will get stored unless some buyer appears. Iam prepared to assist with what ever developments a potential buyer wants to pursue.
Regardless we had a couple of race legs on the weekend which showed clearly that the three different hulls performed very similarly, so the Log is still a good basis for future canoe racing.
