Messages

Looks like you are doing well, I told you Gillespie is a cracking yot. Good luck tomorrow.

Andy

You would have to be mad to swap Gillespie for a dagger board bouncer. Don't get me wrong, the bouncer was a great boat, but they disappeared quickly after the baggy and the crusader arrived on the scene. Gillespie is a great all round boat, and I doubt that a bouncer would go any better in the short chop that you describe. It will take some practice, but Tony was pretty quick in most conditions, only struggling against the baggy downwind in a real blow, and I bet he would disagree with me there. Those Rowsell Crusaders were probably the best boats around until the D8 and chapters appeared. This showed in their second hand value in the late 80's and early 90's when I was looking for my first competitive 12, when I had Bicycle Clips.

Andy

The barber haulers are for use on a reach. They allow the leach to be tightened when the jib is eased, they have no role upwind. They bring the top of the jib back into play. They have been superseded on more modern boats by the dangly pole, which has a similar function, but has more flexibility.

Andy

There was a straw pole done at the AGM. The bottom line is that the entry was up due to a 4 day weekend, over a bank holiday, when nothing else was going on. The August bank holiday does sound good, but there are a lot of other events that have been going on at that time of year. Certainly there would have been a significant absentee list form the top 20 if this had been a week long event in the summer, as shown by a show of hands at the AGM. The time of year has been an issue for many of us for years. As a medical student an then junior doctor this is the first championship I have been to since 1994, as august is a difficult time of year for the profession. I do feel it does need to be swapped round the calendar so the same group of people are not excluded every year, as has happened to me for the last 15. 
The reasons that the champs were such a success this year seem to be
1. 4 day event
2. Only loss of 1 days annual leave
3. No clashes with summer holidays, other events (We had a lot of visitors from other classes)
4. Easily accessible venue
I may have been the culprit of the no big loss quote, and given the massive improvement of numbers, I would stand by that as the small loss of boats was way outweighed by the extra boats that did come. Burton week was becoming a bit of an embarrassment with low turn outs in the summer, and as someone who took some stick from some of my sailing friends for rejoining what was widely regarded as a dying class, I am glad to have the last laugh, but we do need to build on this years success, and find a solution of getting the 16-21 year olds back involved. This has always been an issue, especially with the cost of competitive boats, and I hope the committee can find a way forward. One of the events that used to get a lot of the younger members out was the team racing trophy, I am the only person saddened by its demise?
Fire away
Andy

Do you know the way Graham? or do you leave the navigating to zoe these days? At least, well I hope, there isn't another club with a similar name.

We will be there, Andy and Clare
either one medium tent, or two small ones please.

Andy

I am sure we were still at school when Graham went to the wrong club!
I guess he will never be allowed to forget that one.

Andy

Do they still sail 12's at Notts County?

Sam
Tsunami, is a sister ship of Bicycle clips, and looks in good shape on those pics, you couls get a carbon rig, and maybe a double floor as well given their asking price.

Andy

Can I make an appointment with a measurer to get a jib measured on Friday, after Tom arrives .

AndyMck

Many top sailors don't use them at all, preferring to use other boats and the marks as reference. I have a tactic on my boat, but mainly use it just for the countdown facility. They are not essential, although someone will tell us different.

Andy

I got my last one off ebay, brand new, previous years colours, and for 1/3rd retail price.
Worth a look Pip.
Andy

Claire and I will be there with Miffy, hope for some sun and wind.
I have never been dinghy sailing in Salcombe, we are staying in town, just so I don't turn up and have to move the boat many miles, which bt are we leaving the boats at?

Andy

The loads are variable, depending on how hard you pull the jib sheet etc. You can punch a hole through the main if it is not carefully set up. The control line is effectively a 2:1 due to the set up, and is not too much excess if set up with the correct length control line, you may need to adjust it from the end of your sliding seat after all. Not sure about the elastic idea, but i expect you would probably not want to adjust it that much once you were going, and sail to the jib a bit. There is a bit of play, as long as you don't jam the pole on too hard, and loose all the leech twist.
Grazz has the best set up I have seen, you should speak to him.
Andy

Congratulations, Gillespie had been in my dads barn for a while until last year, has always been kept inside, has a carbon mast and a very good set of alverbanks, would have gone for her myself if I had not managed to get hold of 3466 over the winter. I noticed there were a couple of areas on the decks that will need sorting, I think Tony used 2 pack varnish. New trailer as well! I expect she was a bargain for what you got. AND DON'T change the name of this famous boat!

Andy