Jethrow

I saw two more cats I didn't recognise sail into RMYC this arvo. Starting to hot up on Pittwater!

I saw Windswept 2 out for a sneaky midweek sail this week, training for the Crowther I guess, looked nice gliding around Pittwater in the light breeze

Joe Adams died a fair few years ago

I sail one here in Sydney Aust. We have 8 at our club and they're a great club racer. I wouldn't bother with the assy but if you were to try it, post pics!

Jim Cooney, owner of Commanchie and others

Wow, those are all stunning looking boats!

No I don't think that's what I'm trying to say. I've been around sailing for a long time (50 years?) but for the juniors, you either play the ISAF/ WS game or you go elsewhere. I don't have any kids so I'm not pushing some agenda or anything but I don't think you can say "Look at all the kids sailing X class" when that is the only option available to them to progress through the ranks. Here in Australia we had some fabulous junior classes back in the day and they produced some really great sailors but also trained the kiddies to go further and sail into their later years. Then the Opti was promoted as the ONLY class to sail to go to the Olympics and it killed the other classes but also killed the non Olympic aspirants that just liked sailing and would move into other dinghies or their local yacht club fleets (it's getting a bit better now). My own club is very proud of the numbers of kids in their Opti program and they are having some really good success but for the hundred kids sailing in the opti fleet, how many are still around 5 years down the track. 10%, 5% maybe even less. I just find it sad...

Yeah I agree that the numbers are good but what were the other invited classes? What's the competition? It's a bit like the American world series baseball, the best players play and they talk about who's playing but they only play in that competition because any other competition is run out of town.

Hi All I'm making a new dolphin striker for the bowsprit on my cat. I want it as long as possible to provide support but as the boat is moored, the tip will get splashed or submerged by passing waves if it's long. I know that they use Dynex for fishing nets & lines, but in my mind being dunked & drying with the accumulated salt buildup would be different from the normal net usage. Anyone know if this will result in greater than normal chafing? I know people use dynex for this very application but does the salt buildup result in a shorter lifespan? I haven't done calculations yet but I'm thinking 6 - 8mm dynex on a 2.2m bowsprit with a dolphin striker length of max 800mm (to waterline) so about 20 degrees of angle at the end, flying a masthead assy at the tip and masthead zero at the midpoint, 1750kg boat.

908 notification emails (although I guess a fair few posts are from you), must fill up the inbox pretty good. I hope they're all filed and cross referenced!

Opps, knew it was soon...

There's a boat weighing happening at the RPAYC in two weekends. You'd need the proper spreader bars though, don't know if the cranes usually have them or not. I raced John Partrige's F-28 for him in '99, from memory we won the first rainy drifter race by a mile on handicap and never featured after that!

Are you talking about the full aero, jib endplate snuffer (not that I know the answer)?

Nice one Ras, that's gone into the rigging & rope folder! There was another lashing method I've seen done that involves half hitches but it goes through the middle of the cascade (between the strands) and it means that the lashing can't slowly rotate around the cascade and loosen. I'll see if I can find it.

Multi's don't go down