November 2012
It’s a hat trick! Well Done Shaun and Clare
The official magazine of the
National Shearwater Catamaran Owners’ Association
Class founded in 1956 Recognised by the Royal Yachting Association in 1959
President Chairman Vice-Chairman TT Co-ordinator Assistant Public Relations Measurer Treasurer Magazine Editor
Alan Howland Nigel Stuart Greg Wilcox 01424 446331 Del Williams 01394 248329 Murray Greenhill 01424 425699 Catherine Howland 07976 601399 Nigel Stuart Roger Crooks Malcolm Greenhill 01424 425689
alan.howland@lemonia.org nigel@lemonia.org gwilcox@globalnet.co.uk delandclaire@aol.com murrayg@charter-controls.com catherine_howland@yahoo.co.uk nigel@lemonia.org rogerandjoy@talktalk.net malcolm@thegreenhills.net
www.shearwater-asc.org.uk
None of the articles, letters or photographs printed herein must be taken as expressing the opinion of the N.S.C.O.A. or the Editors unless stated otherwise, and no responsibility can be taken for the views or expressions stated in such articles, letters or photographs
Presidents Perceptions
With the 2012 season now behind us I feel we can all take pride in the success the Class has achieved in terms of it’s presence in the Catamaran racing scene, the growth in turn outs for our events and for the number of new faces at those events. Our reputation for friendliness, enthusiasm, competitive racing but, above all, our emphasis on fun for all the family, is growing rapidly. Not bad for a Class that has been around fro nearly six decades !! Well done everybody – lets keep up the good work. For many, this time of year is when the boat is put away for the winter, checks are made on what is needed to be done before next season in terms of maintenance, improvements, replacements etc., lists are made up of “ jobs that need doing “ or perhaps, thanks to modern materials and technology, the whole outfit is parked up knowing full well everything will be ready to start the 2013 season of Mid Winter Dinner, TT`s, Nationals, Magazine editions and all the camaraderie that goes with Shearwater Sailing. But of course, all the above don’t just happen – they require many hours of hard work by our various committee members to seek the opportunities, venues, dates, prizes and the numerous arrangement details that go into planning a forthcoming season. We are indeed very fortunate in having a tremendously industrious team whose efforts provide us with the frame work on which our sailing season relies. At this year`s AGM it was great to see more people, particularly some of the younger sailors, getting involved in the organisation. The amount of work required does not reduce but the more people prepared to help reduces the load on those doing the job. An advance the Class has made recently has been the use of media communication such as Facebook and our web site,to promote what we have to offer to prospective new members – and not just existing sailors. The introduction of waterproof video cameras has meant that an all-round impression of what Shearwater sailing is all about both afloat and ashore is having tremendous impact and I for one am greatly impressed by the latest film offering “ Shearwater Nationals“. The inclusion of shore side activities, the family element and the clear emphasis on “ Fun for everyone“, in addition to a taste of the flying spray and close racing, makes the video a powerful advert for not just the Class but sailing in general. My congratulations to all involved in it’s compilation – if there were such a thing it would be a prime nomination for a Catamaran Sailing BAFTA Award ! Finally, as the 2012 season closes, may I thank everyone for their participation whether afloat or ashore, in particular our hard working management team but most of all for the friendship and camaraderie that makes Shearwater sailing what it is.
See you at the Mid Winter Dinner
Sec’s Soapbox.
With one TT event to go at Marconi I think we can look back on a very successful and enjoyable season. It has been great to see the newer members and families attending the TT’s and Nationals with such enthusiasm both on and off the water. The Shearwater village at the Nationals was absolutely fantastic especially for the young families. I know my tribe of grandchildren can’t wait for next years event. Membership is holding up well with 25 full members, 10 Associates, 2 Social and 7 old non-actives. There are also several guests who have attended our events during the season and we hope some of these will join as crews or even buy a boat. At the AGM Chairman Nigel’s proposal to investigate the costings and viability of building a platform ( two hulls and beams) utilising money from our development fund was keenly supported. The idea being to sell the new platform on to build and complete a new boat at reasonable cost and the new owner to sell their old boat on down the fleet. We can then repeat the process thus increasing the availability of good older boats for sale. Looking around at other competitor classes the Shearwater is resilient in providing an exciting sail at low cost with older but still competitive boats which is important for us all. The committee are currently following up items from the AGM as follows :1 Several venues are being checked out as potential for next years and future Nationals. We aim to finalise next years venue by this year end. 2 Greg Wilcox has agreed to manage the content of the magazine ensuring topical articles in future for Malcolm Greenhill to then focus on the production. 3 Our IT literate young members are now working on upgrading the website to ensure it is user friendly, modern and easily updated. 4 The Mid Winter weekend will be held at Hayling Island S.C. again. Nick and Kerry are kindly organising this. Finally, wasn’t it brilliant to see 17 boats sailing at the recent Stone TT, and all survived the lively East coast conditions . See you all at Marconi SC for the last TT meeting of the year and may we all get the wind we pray for!. Roger (over and out! Ed.)
Training Day - Weekend. The general level of sailing within the Class has improved dramatically over the last three years. Boats and their Crews such as “UFO”, “Cosmic Shear”, “Simply Red”, “China Crisis” and “Caned and Unable” have become significant “players” on the race track. The standard of equipment and level of skill on each boat, is manifestly better than the same period ten years ago. Back then, as a fledgling “Shearwater Sailor”, and part of an elite group referred to as the “numpties”, I had no where near the skill and ability to get close to the likes of “Dilligaf”, “Simply” or “Cosmic”. Collectively as a Class, we now have a better standard of sailor, and combined experience to share, and thus ensure even higher
standards of competition. “Airflow” has set the pace with their on-board “Guru”, whose provenance is above recourse. Particularly when you look at the way “Foreigner’s” light weight helm mixes it up on the Race Course these days. So a “Training Day/Weekend” is being planned for the start of next season. The Class is actively seeking a professional coach to assist with the event. As sailing a Shearwater is not vastly different to the other multi-hull classes. Racing is no different, particularly upwind. What is definite is the Training. The format and content is still to be concluded, as is location and date. But be assured for those who take up the opportunity, they will be better placed to “get the points” next season. Details to follow!!!!!
Chairman’s Chat
We are now closing to the end of another fantastic season; it’s just gone all too quick as always. As a Class we have been fortunate enough to have visited some of the friendliest, accommodating and welcoming Sailing Clubs in the South and East of the Country. They may not be the biggest Sailing Clubs but they compliment what the Shearwaters are all about: family friendly, know how to have fun, the bar is always open and the sailing is great, what more could we ask for? Obviously to get to go to all these Sailing Clubs, someone has to organise it all, so huge thanks to Del and Murray for doing this. Whilst we are on this subject, I would like to personally and hopefully on behalf of everyone involved in the Class, thank the Committee for their on-going efforts in making sure the Class continues to grow and evolve. Thank you. The Class has expanded once again this year with the arrival of Jamie and Kate on ‘So Tango’, who had their maiden race at the Nationals; it was really good to see them back on the water after a few years away, and congratulations on winning the Concors d’Elegance! It was also great to have Ben Farnbrough fly back to compete in the Nationals, so a healthy 19 boats competed at the Nationals and we have been averaging 10 boats at TTs. The Class also expanded in other ways, that over the years, it seems to have been doing very impressively and at an incredible rate; breeding crews and helms! At the Nationals I think we had a record breaking, 18 children, (12 years and under) which was fantastic fun! With the latest addition being the lovely Heidi. Heidi managed to make her first Nationals at only 2 weeks old, good Shearwater spirit already! Congratulations Nick and Lou. Whilst thinking back over the year, it has become very obvious that we all seem to have let Shaun and Claire stomp around the course with little hindrance so I think it’s time for us all to plan how we are going to rein them in next year. (Shaun and Claire please stop reading NOW.) I’ve spent some time pondering as to how to do this and concluded that improving the skills over the winter is impossible as the crew is somewhat less than willing. So that leaves the key equipment, sails, hulls and finally foils. The ‘Sail’ for the Shearwater seems to have settled into a standard shape and set up so I think
the focus should be elsewhere. ‘Hulls’ need to be in perfect condition; just watching Shaun and Alan take great care on avoiding even the smallest scratch proves the point. I’ll be sanding and polishing my hulls with an inch of their life for starters, (I might have to rethink my beach starts and sailing straight up the beach when returning!) Finally, ‘Foils’ are an area that come up time and time again for many hours of discussion in the boat park and I believe they could be one of the key elements that we all need to review. (see later. Ed) Carbon Foot Print, Genesis, Alley Cat and Take 5 all have proved that the classic, short, fat centreboard is a thing of the past. Look at the latest America Cup Cats and you will see the effort they have gone to with L shaped daggerboards that not only lift but also rock fore and aft like a centreboard. The foil delivery method always seems to be the focus but that’s just a red herring, it is the shape that is the key. Centreboards have a negative, in that they need well fitted slot gaskets to avoid dragging water and there is a tendency for the case to leak. For shape all you need is the NACA profile – all the info is on the web. To make a foil without a CNC machine you can use a router – Clive knows how to do it and I’m sure he will point you in the right direction. However, don’t discount the centreboard as this delivery method works really well in locations with underwater dangers. The quick fix is to use an off the shelf daggerboard from another class but that involves modifying your boat, however, looking at what Alan and Dion have done with a half way house; fitting a dagger-board in the centreboard case and packing out the space seems to work well - a simple low cost option. Now for a really radical idea why not try an Omer Wing Sail set up? We are a development class so let’s develop and show the other classes what we are made of. As you can see, I am missing the sailing so my thoughts are running wild with development and whilst I have a set of hulls in the garage under construction, I think it is time I took the plunge and started putting thoughts into action, watch this space...... Happy Sailing and hope to see you all soon! Nigel
Dr Bob’s (not his real name) repeated tips from the back of the fleet I was trying to think of a way of writing this article without sounding patronising. I pondered awhile then it dawned on me. I don’t care. So here goes. Why oh why oh why oh why do we not start the race on time? Some of us still cross the line minutes after the gun. What would that have been worth at the end of the race? I know that I sail very slowly but a good start is often worth 300 metres in a race when the compound interest of getting to the first and subsequent marks ahead of the next boat are accounted for. Some sneaky devils always seem to get over the line with a metre to spare a second before the gun while others get stuck in the committeeboat-wind-shadow-washing- machine, bouncing into one another like logs in a flume. So what is the secret? Preparation probably. I think it has three elements. The boat. Have a race plan. Know the rules. Leave the beach on time. Causes of failure? Forgot gloves, hat, signing on? But the biggest problem is always... rigged too late and forgot the main wouldn’t go up / the rudder needed fixing from yesterday/ forgot to replace that shackle. Now everyone has left the beach and there is nobody to help launch. Don’t forget the essential spares of shackles, knife and string. They have saved many a race Set up for the start. What is the plan? Are you going right or left on the beat? Which way and how strong is the tide? How far can you sail in a set time? The obvious way is to use a set observable distance e.g. the start line, and time a run each way along it, more than once for an average in variable winds. Now you know how far a perceived distance will take to cover. It is quite easy to guess a “lines length” or a “minute of sailing” from the committee boat with a little practice. If the fleet is large and especially if it is mixed with faster boats, same or other class, don’t get too high on the committee boat or you will be squeezed. When coming in from downwind of the line, what is your transit to make it? Is there a distant mark to use? Do you have enough time and height above the layline to still make it through inevitable traffic who steal
your wind and deflect your course? Which end of the line to start? Is there a bias? Put the boat head to wind at a midpoint on the line or just lean over the windward side, sails flogging and put your face minus hat into the wind, a very sensitive test in my estimation. Check on the direction of the committee boat flags on each passing. Remember it could be a tide bias as well as wind, especially important in light winds. We’ve all struggled at that windward mark on one tack, only to be washed down on the other? How much is a line’s length of tide worth? Is the starboard end of the line really so appealing if someone faster or able to sail closer than us is already there and will ruin our first 300 metres of beat? Being in dirty air often costs more than being able to tack off soon or bear off on our own. Where is the line? If you have no transit on the line then a good start is really tough. A transit on each end is best, as high up the land as possible, including a transit just in front of the pin and committee boat for good measure, as the perfect transit is often lost through your new neighbour’s sail or thanks to an early bird! Can you “park” the boat over the ground? Use the committee boat or a buoy to judge drift. Sometimes it is better not to back the jib but to barely sail along semi flogging, making less leeway and with airflow already partly established and ready to crank up. Being able to park means we can sit on the line and everyone else is overtaking boat, until they get under your lee and you must get out of the way. They must give you room though and if someone simultaneously has appeared to windward you are entitled to time to call them and manoeuvre yourself. If you can’t park because of tide or wind then the “prepared fetch” to the line, lined up and timed to perfection...you did remember to do this didn’t you?... is the way. It is still usually better to do this from in front if possible, at least in the last minute or so. I have said it before not to get too far from the line, especially up-tide in light winds. More than a minute away? Don’t be surprised if you miss the gun/ flag. Late over the line is not possible if you are there!
The 2012 Shearwater National Championships Newhaven Seaford Sailing Club THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
On-shore Shearwaters by Hannah Wilcox
The Shearwater Nationals have been going for over 50 years, with sailors from all over the South and East of England competing. It’s not all about the action on the water, however; there are many fun social activities for sailors’ friends and family members who wish to remain on-shore. This year Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club hosted such events as a Punch Party and Games Night, a ‘Shearwaters Have Talent’ competition, a ‘Best of British’ fancy dress party with live music and, of course, the opportunity to watch some exciting racing.
and Sarah. We tried to get the recipe but lack the skills of MI5. The games were set up by Nick of Shearwater ‘Cajensa’. If you’ve never seen a Shearwater member fly, you really should attend a games night! The Chilli and ‘Shearwaters Have Talent’ party was a huge success (although Simon Cowell may not agree). The contest was close but the ‘Crazy Legs’ group’s performance to the tune of ‘D.I.S.C.O was a winner.
At the end of the week the tents and awnings started to come down. In true British tradition the weather did not cooperate. Not even gale force winds and torrential rain could break the Shearwater spirit, which was particularly evident when Roger and Joy’s van awning attempted to escape from the campsite.
...some of these....
+ one of these
.....and a bit of that..... ....a bit of this.. .......mix well and enjoy!
Despite the wettest summer in history we managed to fit tons of fun into the season. The Commodore’s Reception marked the beginning of an amazing National Championship. It was held on Sunday 19th August in Newhaven, where we received a warm welcome to the club and an impromptu ‘disco’ gave the opportunity for a few of the more distinguished Shearwater members to bust some moves. Particular mention goes to Alan who did not stop dancing to the hits of the 80s until the small hours. It was time to turn in. The Monday brought a spectacular Punch Party and Games night, with the secret recipe ‘Sunsail Punch’ provided by Jenny
Our fabulous fancy dress soiree, themed ‘Best of British’ and supported by the brilliant oneman band ‘Flick’ featured the living embodiment of ‘Britannia, ‘a windy day’, an English Country Garden and the Red Arrows. The Prize giving dinner traditionally takes place on the last night of the Nationals. The action in the lovely clean (thanks, Anna) ladies changing rooms beforehand was fuelled by a bucket of Pimm’s and hurried along by Catherine’s polished motivational skills. This meant that we could join our men upstairs for the meal, awards and more dancing. There were plenty of activities to occupy the children too; important as they make up a large part of our fleet. The impromptu crazy crèche provided a safe place for our younger members which was ‘run’ by seven year-old Oliver with the help of two teenagers Hamish and Kieran who seemed to have had just as much fun as the kids. I would like to extend a massive thank you to all of those who helped out on and off the water! Without your help there would be no Shearwater Fleet and we would certainly not have had so much fun. See you next year!
A Huge Thank you...... Jenny and I would like to thank everyone for the lovely gifts that you gave Oliver and Alex for their Birthdays at the Nationals this year and for making their day such a fun and memorable one! Thank you. Sarah x
Shearwater National Championship Results.
Rank Boat Sail No 1 Carbon Footprint 1999 2 Simsek 2007 3 Genesis 1990 4 Alley Cat 2006 5 Take5 2005 6 ShearFlamboyance 2008 7 Dilligaf 2003 8 Cajensa 1976 9 UFO 2004 10 So Tango 2009 11 Airflow 1989 12 New Flame 2000 13 Foreigner 1988 14 Caned & Unable 1987 15 Cosmic Shear 1993 16 Orwell 1984 17 Simply Red 1980 18 China Crisis 2002
Helm Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 Total Net Shaun Allen Claire Robinson 1 5 1 1 1 1 4 3 17 8 Nigel Stuart Sarah Stuart 9 2 2 3 3 3 1 6 29 14 Ben Farnborough Jenny Allen 8 6 3 2 2 2 2 4 29 15 Alan Howland Rob Britten 2 3 5 4 4 20 6 2 46 20 Dion Allen Anna Allen 5 1 7 6 8 20 3 1 51 23 Darren Tulley Catherine Tulley 3 10 4 5 5 5 8 7 47 29 Murray Greenhill Ben Aspen 11 4 6 8 6 19 7 8 69 39 Nick Elliott Kerry Elliott 7 8 11 9 9 20 11 5 80 49 Grace Williams Derek Williams 6 4 10 10 7 20 9 12 81 49 Jamie Gibbons Kate Gibbons 10 13 8 11.5 13 20 5 10 90.5 57.5 Greg Wilcox Nick Winram 12 11 12 19 12 6 12 11 95 64 Barry Duck Charlotte Auld 4 9 14 16 16 20 13 13 105 69 Alex Wilcox Joe Hill 15 12 15 19 10 7 15 17 110 74 Matt Wiseman Zack New 20 20 13 7 11 4 20 20 115 75 Nick Bristow Chris Rivers 20 16 9 15 19 20 10 9 118 78 Richard Hill Gary Hill 13 14 16 13 14 20 14 14 118 82 Richard Playford Peter Sharrod 14 15 17 14 15 19 16 15 125 89 Rob Hamilton Taylor Playford 16 17 18 11.5 17 20 17 16 132.5 94
Well done Shaun and Clare.
Well done Nigel and Sarah.
Well done everyone.
Well done Ben and Jenny.
Games Night
A few Nationals memories
What must he have been thinking!
Prize-giving Dinner
A few more Nationals memories
James admires.....
..and wins fair maiden???
Fancy dress
I think they call that the synchro pair opposition barrel roll
Hard working beach crew lunch!
A woman screeches her car into the driveway, leaves the door open and the keys in the ignition, runs into the house, leaves the front door swinging and shouts at the top of her lungs. “Quick pack your bags! I just won £80 million on the Euromillions lottery!” Her husband says, “Oh my GOD! You’re kidding? What should I pack; shorts or jumpers?” The wife yells back, “Why do I care. Take whatever you want. Just leave.”
Shearwater National Championships 2012. The 56th annual Shearwater National Championships were held at Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club. An eight race series, with practice race, held over a week. This year’s competition saw an increased 18 boat attendance, including a new 2012 boat in the fleet. After scrutineering , the event started with a practice race on the Sunday, in light south westerly winds. Defending Champions, Shaun Allen and Claire Robinson on Carbon Footprint, led the Fleet from the start. Only to be overhauled on the final beat by Nick and Kerry Elliot on Cajensa, and Ben Farnborough and Jenny Allen on Genesis taking second place. The first Championship Race began at 11.05hrs on Monday morning, in bright sunshine and another light south westerly. Nigel and Sarah Stuart on Simsek were first to the windward mark, with Alan Howland and Rob Britten on Alley Cat following. Barry Duck and Charlotte Auld on New Flame, leading the pack. On the second beat Carbon Footprint made use of the ebbing tide to break away from the pack and close down Simsek, overhauling them on the final downwind leg, before taking the gun. After a short break ashore, Race 2 commenced the same light conditions. Carbon Footprint with Grace and Derek Williams on UFO were over the line at the start gun, having to return round the ends to start again. Dion and Anna Allen on Take5 were first to the windward mark, to develop a commanding lead to the final gun, with Simsek and Murray Greenhill and Ben Aspen on Dilligaf leading the pack home. Tuesday morning brought Race 3, a light southerly breeze, and blazing sunshine. Simsek lead the fleet to the windward mark, with Darren and Catherine Tully on ShearFlamboyance, in close company. Alley Cat and Carbon Footprint leading the pack. Taking advantage of clear air, and tide where possible, Carbon Footprint was able to close on Simsek, and finally take the win, with only centimetres separating the two boats after ninety minutes racing. The afternoon provided the same wind conditions for Race 4, and Genesis establishing a commanding lead over Carbon Footprint and Simsek, with Cajensa and UFO in the vanguard of the pack. By the penultimate lap, Carbon Footprint and Simsek had closed on Genesis, with Carbon Footprint pulling clear on the final short beat to the line, and final gun. Wednesday morning brought Race 5 in a strong South Westerly, of the same Beaufort scale. Wind
against tide added a difficult sea to contend with. Genesis, Simsek , and Greg Wilcox and Nick Winram on Airflow established an initial lead from the start. Carbon Footprint found an easier path through the waves, and was able to overhaul Genesis and Simsek , consolidating a commanding lead from the wing mark, and second reach. This they protected until the final gun. The afternoon, and Race 6, brought increasing gusts, and bigger waves. A busy start line was momentarily confused when Alex Wilcox and Joe Hill on Foreigner capsized just after the gun. They were able to quickly right the boat and continue racing, only slightly wetter than the rest of the Fleet. Genesis and Simsek established an early lead, keeping Carbon Footprint at bay with superior off wind speed on the reaches. Matt Wiseman and Zack Holt on Caned and Unable, closing on Carbon Footprint following a near terminal pitch-pole on the first reach. Despite this Carbon Footprint was able to close the leaders on the upwind legs, and made significant gains on the three sail down wind runs. This was where all competitors experienced varying degrees of adrenaline levels, dropping spinnakers while surfing down waves. Carbon Footprint eventually established a narrow lead, and took the win. Thursday morning , in contrast to the previous day, brought a return to the bright blue skies and gentle southerly’s, seen at the start of the week. The first beat of Race 7 saw Simsek in the lead, followed closely by Genesis, James and Kate Gibbons on So Tango, Cajensa, and Shearflamboyance. Simsek and Genesis, displaying superior speed on the three sail reaches, pulled away from the now chasing Carbon Footprint and Take5. Simsek covering their lead to take the final gun. Thursday afternoon brought the Crews Race. Where Crews who have never helmed in a Championship series get the opportunity to develop their experience. In the light southerly airs, Sarah Stuart and Darren Tulley were quickly away, and first to the windward mark. Their lead was constantly eroded by Jenny Allen and Ben Farnborough on Genesis, Anna Allen and Dion Allen on Take5. The latter lead the pack until the final downwind leg, where they were able to pull away. Eventually overhauling Simsek to take the win. Friday morning brought the final Race 8 of the Championship, with bright sunshine and a light south westerly. Take 5 was clear away at the start, followed by Carbon Footprint. Simsek, Gen-
esis and Alley Cat leading the pack. By the penultimate beat these three had overhauled Carbon Footprint, with Genisis and Simsek constantly vying for position. At the end of the final down wind leg Alley Cat was able to close to overhaul the battling Simsek and Genesis, followed closely by Carbon Footprint. But neither were able to catch Take5 on the final beat to the finish. Congratulations to Shaun Allen and Claire Robinson on Carbon Footprint, who retained their National
Championship title for the third year in succession. An impressive achievement in itself, made more so by the largely light wind conditions, and standard of competition across the entire fleet. Particular thanks must go to Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club, and especially Rupert and Michelle Smith, for amazing hospitality, a lively social schedule, and excellent facilities for both sailors, and families and supporters ashore.
ANGELA MERKEL’S PLAN
2013 The European Commissioners will announce that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year Phased Plan for what will be known as Euro-English.
2016 In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be ekspekted by reaching the stage where more komplikated changes will be possible. Governments wil encourage the removal of double letters, which have always been a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes kaused by the silent “e” in the language is disgrasful and consequently kan be abolished.
2014 In the first year “s” will be used instead of the so-called soft “c”. Sertainly, sivil servants will reseive this simplification favourably. The hard “c” also will be replased, in this case by “k”. Not only will this clear up konfusions, typewriters kan be provided with one less letter.
2017 By the forth year, people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing the “th” by “z” and “w” by “v”.
2015 There will be growing kommon enthusiasm in the second year, when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced by “f”. This will make words like fotograf 20 per sent shorter.
2018 During the fifz year, ze unesesary “o” can be droped from words containing “ou”, wheras similar changes kud, of kors, be aplid in ozer kombinations of letters. 2019 Und after ze fifz yar ve vil be speking German like zey vanted in ze first plas.
This letter was sent by Joan Prout to Alan Howland earlier this year: Dear Alan,
I have just received the Shearwater magazine for April which has been avidly read as usual and I thank the Association for keeping me up to date with Shearwater activities. I have much pleasure in enclosing a cheque for £200 for the Association to spend as it likes as I guess all donations are welcome in encouraging more Shearwater sailors. Am sending this to you Alan as I do not have the Treasurer`s address. Hope all is well with you and yours as it is with us – though now I am 90 ( in January ) life is quite a struggle at times !! My best regards to you all and good sailing in 2012. Lots of love, Joan On behalf of us all i’d like to thank Joan for her continued interest in the Shearwater class and also for her very kind donation. Ed.
More from Dr Bob (not his real name) and his repeated tips from the back of the fleet Being shoved around and not sure what to do? Time to learn the rules. I always swear by Bryan Willis’, “The Rules in Practice”, to be updated from the current 2009-12 edition. Simple to read and understand with great pictures. A common error is not knowing that when confronted by the committee boat squeeze, we have a right to room if we are already there but not if our leeward foe has squeezed before we arrive when we had time to avoid it. So, if we are there early we can’t be pushed in to the committee boat by a “Johnny come lately”. Make sure you leave a gap to leeward to escape into to gather speed and stay away from your inevitable upwind partner. Gap too big though and someone will steal it. Crew calls time for me and I guess when to go or stop. It is really important to communicate at this stage in the race when both helm and crew own the accelerator and brake. Accelerate is easy but how many know how to brake? I have seen lots of bumps up the bottom from boats who have not tried the following simple methods. Slide sideways with no plates if tide is dragging you over, waggle the tiller violently to slow the boat, assuming no one has knocked them off by now. Let sails go or grab jib clew to windward or push main all the way out all work quite well.
Pulling the sails all the way in if heading downwind is equally effective. Sailing into someone’s lee may be a good idea but not if they don’t have room to keep clear. Then it is your problem, especially if you are not going faster than they are and you get stuck there. When you may push them up that often slows you down too so you sometimes both lose. Which way is the tide going? What is the wind forecast doing later? These factors determine which way up the beat you want to go. Sometimes it is better to get a good start but give away a little by ducking boats if they are clearly going the wrong way. It is really important in the first moments of a race to be sailing at full speed, clipped on, ready to trapeze if needed and going full chat. If you are not, someone else will and they will be the ones to determine who tacks when. This means helms are helming and crews are checking the scene, is the boat going fast or slow, high or low, which tack has the advantage? Few helms can do this and steer 100%. Where is the windward mark? All marks should be identified before the start and if possible a line taken from wing to leeward mark to determine if it is likely to be spinnaker or not.
Doctor Bob also advises you not to sail too close to the committee boat. It does not issue toilet paper in the event of an accident! (Ed)
Dagger boards or Centreboards – That is the question?
Forgive the oblique reference to Shakespeare. Or Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlowe, if you’re part of that particular literary wrangle. Like the latter, there is no definitive answer, but rather a case of weighing up the advantages against the disadvantages. The reason Carbon Footprint was fitted with Dagger Boards, is part of a continuing process of improving the boat. In this instance, to make construction easier. If you find yourself building a Shearwater, there is no question, a Dagger Board system is quicker and easier to construct, as well as being lighter, and less prone to leak. Allowing the over-all weight of the boat to be made up elsewhere in the hulls. My preference being in the bows. It assists with the perpetual task of getting the transoms out of the water, and ensures you come of best in a collision! The down side is a propensity to nose dive off the wind. The development of Sails, particularly mainsails, in recent years has dramatically improved their efficiency. In simple terms, more of the lateral pressure from wind over the sail is converted into forward thrust; therefore there is an exponential decrease in the sideways force on the hulls. Less sideways force means smaller “boards” are required to resist such. At 15m2, the Shearwater Sail plan is not large, therefore the improvement is not large. The principle advantage being reduced “Drag” below the water-line. Upwind performance is improved, or diminished by how your boat is set up, and how you sail it. Smaller boards only augment, rather than enhance performance in this instance. When sailing off the wind, boards should be up, because they are not needed, so why “drag” them through the water? Dagger board or Centre Board, get rid of them. When reaching in heavy winds, having the boards up, has saved us from a few disasters. Simply because the boat has been able to side-slip, thus diminishing the effect when hit by a gust or wave. That doesn’t include me falling off, as nothing can reduce the anguish of watching your boat sail on without you, while frantically trying to un-wrap the Mainsheet from your arm!!
As some of you will have seen at this Years Nationals, we did not do particularly well on the first reach in a race. This was always a close-reach, and marginal as to whether a Spinnaker should be used. Boats with centre boards were able to hoist their “Kites”, having larger boards to resist the increased lateral pressure created by the Spinnaker. The smaller boards on Carbon Footprint meant we side-slipped, and were guilty of “pinching” the “Kite” to hold the lay line, and thus slowed. As an aside, close reaching with a symmetrical Spinnaker is always a danger, in terms of overall sail efficiency. This is only accentuated in a Shearwater. If you have a Centre Board boat now, should you change it? Only if you are confident that you have mastered all aspects of sailing the boat. From Sail and Boat Trim, to Race Strategy. Because the difference it makes is marginal, it is a refinement. The big improvements are made in how you set your boat and sails up, and most important of all, how you and your crew sail the boat. If I had a Centre Board boat now, would I change it, and how would I change it? I would change the shape of the boards, as they appear below the water-line. Initially I wouldn’t bother with how the board got there, whether is was swung down, or slide down a cassette. The shape I would wish to re-create would be identical to that used by “Genesis”. The thickness, shape and width are I believe the optimum for a Shearwater. The most important aspect being that the leading edge of the board is straight, and perpendicular to the bottom of the hull. It would be cheaper to modify a wooden centre-board, than to purchase and adapt a dagger board. I am no fan of wood, but have to concede it is the easiest material to change and modify. A definitive answer on my part, for the best type of “board” is subjective. What is not, is the need to address the significant variables first. Sail and boat trim, how and where you point it. In conclusion I would highlight the following; Of the first three boats in this years Nationals, only one had Dagger Boards – mine. Furthermore, out of the eight races, there was only one race where Carbon Footprint had a significant lead. Shaun.
The Ladies Changing Rooms
Gentlemen of the Shearwaters, you are probably completely unaware, quite rightly, of the ‘Ladies Changing Rooms’, but also completely unaware how essential they are at any Shearwater T.T. or Nationals, so I thought I would give you a little insight into the ‘Ladies Changing Rooms’ (not literally don’t get excited!!)........ Everyone arrived at Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club, as usual, about 2 days before we actually needed to be there, but there is so much preparation and more importantly, chatting to be done and if everyone else is going early then why not?! You all know what the level of excitement was around the campsite with the prospect of all the ‘on’ and ‘off’ the water activities that the Nationals always have on offer. So everyone has arrived, with cars packed so full, you can just about see the children’s faces poking through all the paraphernalia that we bring. There is a massive explosion of bags, boat bits, camping equipment, children, and food as the car doors open. As always, the first job is to say hello to everyone and then the job of unpacking commences, and the annual erection of respective camper / tent/ caravan and awnings begin. Then, of course, the boat needs unpacking; that’s why we are all here apparently? I’m a bit unsure of this particular activity, I tend to find myself walking around the boat park or beach, about 15 minutes before the first race wondering where my boat is and trying to recognise it with all the sails up. Usually I hear a loud shout from Nigel informing me that we are about to go on the water but what he doesn’t realise is that he has given me a clue as to which boat I should be heading for, I then usually say I’ve been sorting out the children and he falls for it every time! When the tents / campers / caravans are unpacked, or usually when the awning is being erected, it’s time to go and check out the ‘Ladies Changing Rooms’. This involves checking out the facilities, how many showers, are they working, which one is the best; how many loos, find where the spare loo rolls are kept, then more importantly, is there a mirror and is there a plug socket nearby for hair dryers and straighteners. So, when the initial assessment has been done, it’s time for the Shearwater Ladies to move in. If the mirror is not in the correct place, ie near the plug socket, then it is moved, if there is no mirror then an emergency call is made to whoever hasn’t left home yet, or it goes on an emergency shopping list. This year we were lucky there was a mirror but just in the wrong place, so this was moved. Following this is the ‘positioning’ of who puts their bags where. Obviously we all have a lot of bags, there’s the sailing bag, make up bag, wet bag, dry bag so we all do take up quite a lot of space and the big question is; who do you go next to? The funny thing about this ‘positioning’ is that this is all done subconsciously, and over the years we all seem to have set places at all the different sailing clubs that we go to and we all go to these places every time! So all the Ladies have moved in and its all feeling like ‘our’ changing rooms, now the Nationals are officially underway. After day one of moving into Newhaven Changing Rooms, there was , as always, at least one if not two ‘communal’ hair dryers, 4 ‘straighteners’, 1 curling brush, new this year,
(did try to use it but got it completely stuck in my hair so gave up on that one!) all set up in front of the mirror for anyone to use. There were at least 12 shampoos, 15 conditioners and 6 shower gels in the showers, giving us all the opportunity to try different products. Catherine and Grace, as usual, left their makeup bags, always open, by the mirror which did seem to have much better make up then I ever have, so confession time, we all had a go at different bits of your make up! On top of this there seems to be an understanding amongst the ladies that if you can’t find what you’re looking for, no one seems to mind anyone rummaging through their bag to find what you need, there is always offers of hair bands, hairbrushes, moisturiser, sun cream. In fact, it’s completely normal to pack enough hair bands, moisturiser and sun cream for the entire female contingent. So that takes care of all the practical bits, but one of the best bits about the’ Ladies Changing Rooms’ is the pre-racing chats; the encouragement to each other and the fact that none of us think that the Force 5 outside is actually that bad and the waves aren’t that big it’s just that we are all a bit short so they look bigger than they are and after all that encouragement, and the odd hair band and sun cream we all wish each other luck and we go out to do our thing. Then after the racing we are all back in the Changing Rooms chatting about our racing, comparing bruises, Claire always wins this, and then move quickly onto what we are going to wear that evening and will we come back to do our hair before the evening begins. This happens at every TT and Nationals but there is one more special night we have in the Ladies Changing Room....Friday Night, Prize Giving at the Nationals... You men out there may or may not have noticed but the Shearwater female, crews / helms / support crews very quietly disappear about 1 hour before the Prize Giving Meal. We all meet in, you guessed it, the’ Ladies Changing Room’ for the transformation of bruised, battered, knackered, camped out females and turn into the ‘Shearwater Ladies’. There is music on, champagne, red or white wine on offer, this year Anna very kindly mopped the floor, so we even had a clean floor. An extra mirror was found, so everyone got stuck into helping each other with their transformation, with make up everywhere, hair dryers going, straighteners straightening, perfume blocking out the smell of smelly sailing gear, flips flops cast aside for heels, more champagne and then finally, when everyone is happy with what their wearing, how they look, it’s time for the ‘Shearwater Ladies’ to leave the Changing Rooms and in true Shearwater style celebrate the weeks Nationals. So you see gentlemen, the Ladies Changing Rooms are never to be underestimated! I feel very proud and privileged to be one of the ‘Shearwater Ladies’. They are the most fantastic bunch of girls, and if not a little unique, they can all ‘rough it’, sail in almost any conditions, keep up with you men at the bar, camp with hundreds of children, and still wow it on the dance floor. Love Sarah