1945 replies to this topic

[TeamGladiator]

This weekend marks the first i550 regatta for 2013 in North America.  We will be sailing in Olympia, Washington as part of the "Black Star Regatta".

 

For anyone in the area, please do stop by and check out the boats and the racing.

[Occams Razor]

Congrats!

[TeamGladiator]

What a great weekend of OD i550 racing!!

 

Olympia was a blast and we got some ideal conditions followed by some big breeze conditions on Sunday.

 

Seems that the boat is a touch faster than a Star (they were the fleet starting 5 minutes ahead of us) in anything over 12 knots.

 

Should have a BUNCH of photos from the support and RC boats coming soon!

 

Here is a little pre-race shot...

 

 IMG_0942.jpg   187.51K   78 downloads

 

 

[TeamGladiator]

And there might be a bit of a story about a missing nut behind this photo...

 

 IMG_0951.jpg   126.13K   151 downloads

 

Big news coming soon!!!!

[couchsurfer]

And there might be a bit of a story about a missing nut behind this photo...

 

IMG_0951.jpg

 

Big news coming soon!!!!

 

.......whatever he's diving for must be worth some $,,,did he find it?

 

...sorry I didn't make it down,,,sounds like a good'un!

[TeamGladiator]

And there might be a bit of a story about a missing nut behind this photo...
 
IMG_0951.jpg
 
Big news coming soon!!!!

 
.......whatever he's diving for must be worth some $,,,did he find it?
 
...sorry I didn't make it down,,,sounds like a good'un!

Not to expensive... But heavy!

[timber]

I've been in (T)acoma early Spring water. What, it musta been in the low 50's?? Who was the unidentified diver in mid dive in the photo. One lost nut probably had the swimmer thinking he had two nyloks himself.

Great news about the fun you guys had. What's the next stop on the i550 NW road trip regatta extravaganza?

There is an i550 with Carbon rig for sale in the SA Classifieds.

[TeamGladiator]

Apparently the "nut" disappeared somewhere along I-5.  Boat went in the water, keel went down, boat got moved away from the ramp.  Owner stepped on the boat and a grinding noise, followed by a slurping noise, followed by a THUMP, then ensued.  The keel eye bolt and end plate were all that remained in the boat and the keel was in about 12 - 15 feet of water at low tide.  No problem... fish a line down the centerboard trunk, dive into the water, loop line through top of foil, drop second line through centerboard trunk, fish that out with a paddle, tie lines together, then pull... pull... pull... rotate board to fit through trunk and pull... pull... pull... oh wait!  Its backwards!  Lower, rotate, pull... pull... pull... Install top plate and Nylock this time, finish rigging boat, haul ass out to the race course and then win the regatta... good job #250!!

[fdsailor]

Waiting for those pics......! 

[TeamGladiator]

Waiting for those pics......! 

Here are a few from Saturday... Enjoy!

http://janpix.smugmu...29151066_LSLGBR

[fdsailor]

That dark blue and green one is farkin' gorgeous, amazing

[TeamGladiator]

That dark blue and green one is farkin' gorgeous, amazing

Yes, yes it is! If you haven't seen it in person, the pictures are just the start.

[Dawg_House]

   

That dark blue and green one is farkin' gorgeous, amazing

Yes, yes it is! If you haven't seen it in person, the pictures are just the start.

 

  Stephen built the i550 as his high school senior project and he completed it in seven months.  If you only have seen the Black Star Regatta photos, take a look at his blogs and the news paper article. 

 

http://www.columbian...rocks-the-boat/

ttp://i550na.org/dave/blog

http://i550camas.blogspot.com/

 

Mat also in the NW has a fast build in process.

http://i550na.org/matt/blog

[TeamGladiator]

Okay everyone out there anxiously awaiting the photos from the first i550 gathering of 2013 in North America... Here's what you wanted... Sorry that there are a bunch of "Star" pics in there, but we were crashing THEIR regatta... big thank you to the Olympia, WA sailors who put on the party and for letting us take part in their event!!

 

 

http://janpix.smugmu...30628&k=kDh4hpv

 

https://picasaweb.go...StarRegatta2013

 

http://ssssclub.com/...sr2013boatssat/

 

http://ssssclub.com/...3-boats-sunday/

[leroy101]

does any body know if this would be a good boat for a river (noosa river) with sometimes shallow water, shifty winds and no waves.

[John D]

Mast stepping? Single handed by a 175 lb. guy?

[(p)Irate]

4 i550's sailing on the Derwent in Hobart yesterday. Launched by an article in the local paper which described them as, "the latest exciting Sportsboat." The SB20 sailors are shaking in their boots.

[Dawg_House]

John D,
For the past 3 years Wild Child (i550 #172) has been racing just 55 miles north of you in Merritt Island. He has an aluminum rig, so approximately 30-40 lbs. Totalxs is up in Jacksonville FL and Im out of Columbia, SC. I've purchased a used aluminum Viper rig that is heavier. The boat is not finished and Im more than 175 lbs, but I do not foresee problems raising the rig. PM me if you have questions. Photos from Melbourne Yacht Club website.

 SRS_2011-04-16_15-10-28_ET1.jpg   143.48K   35 downloads  SRS_2011-04-16_14-27-04_ET1.jpg   170.07K   40 downloads  SRS_2011-04-16_14-26-39_ET1.jpg   106.97K   37 downloads


(p)Irate
Congratulations on getting four boats in the water. Just remember, without pictures it did not happen. Any updates on the other Tass boats? A November Facebook post has five boats completed, a sixth boat almost done, another one purchased and three more being built. Who owns the boat pictured below and which boat was flipped in the youtube video?

 Bellerive YC.jpg   112.99K   43 downloads

[TimFordi550#87]

A shot from FLIP-apolooza Part II, which happened on Mother's Day, to get the boat back on her feet in order to FINALLY finish the project.

 

 

Attached Files

•  IMG_1791.JPG   632.22K   14 downloads

[TeamGladiator]

4 i550's sailing on the Derwent in Hobart yesterday. Launched by an article in the local paper which described them as, "the latest exciting Sportsboat." The SB20 sailors are shaking in their boots.

That is GREAT news!  Another OD fleet is started!

 

Any link to the article?

[TeamGladiator]

Mast stepping? Single handed by a 175 lb. guy?

Easy... fully rigged we are at 28# for our masts... deck step with a Melges 24 base/hinge and you just walk it up and tighten the spinnaker halyard/jib halyard once its up.

Rigged the boat Friday by myself in about 40 minutes.

If you keel step it might be a bit harder, but still shouldn't be an issue.

[TeamGladiator]

does any body know if this would be a good boat for a river (noosa river) with sometimes shallow water, shifty winds and no waves.

So long as you have 4.5' of water its fine... thin, but fine.  No waves is good... although the boats handled well in big breeze and waves a few weeks ago in Olympia!

[TeamGladiator]

A shot from FLIP-apolooza Part II, which happened on Mother's Day, to get the boat back on her feet in order to FINALLY finish the project.

Looks really good... looks a lot like ours... congratulations!

[TeamGladiator]

We had 3 boats out yesterday at Vancouver Lake Sailing Club (VLSC) for the Foster's Cup... good times with close racing and loads of fun on fun boats with fun people!

 

Next up is the big PIYA regatta at VLSC on the first weekend in June...

[(p)Irate]

(p)Irate
Congratulations on getting four boats in the water. Just remember, without pictures it did not happen. Any updates on the other Tass boats? A November Facebook post has five boats completed, a sixth boat almost done, another one purchased and three more being built. Who owns the boat pictured below and which boat was flipped in the youtube video?

Bellerive YC.jpg

The orange boat is Hi Viz built by teacher Matt Westland and his team of students at Claremont College. It was commissioned by the Bellerive Yacht Club as a training boat.

[TeamGladiator]

(p)Irate
Congratulations on getting four boats in the water. Just remember, without pictures it did not happen. Any updates on the other Tass boats? A November Facebook post has five boats completed, a sixth boat almost done, another one purchased and three more being built. Who owns the boat pictured below and which boat was flipped in the youtube video?

Bellerive YC.jpg

The orange boat is Hi Viz built by teacher Matt Westland and his team of students at Claremont College. It was commissioned by the Bellerive Yacht Club as a training boat.

That is freaking awesome! How has the response been from the membership at Bellerive YC training on it? Are more boats being built?

[(p)Irate]

(p)Irate
Congratulations on getting four boats in the water. Just remember, without pictures it did not happen. Any updates on the other Tass boats? A November Facebook post has five boats completed, a sixth boat almost done, another one purchased and three more being built. Who owns the boat pictured below and which boat was flipped in the youtube video?

Bellerive YC.jpg

The orange boat is Hi Viz built by teacher Matt Westland and his team of students at Claremont College. It was commissioned by the Bellerive Yacht Club as a training boat.

That is freaking awesome! How has the response been from the membership at Bellerive YC training on it? Are more boats being built?

Not sure of the answers to either of those questions. Need one of the actual Hobart i550 owners on here to help on that.

[timber]

A shot from FLIP-apolooza Part II, which happened on Mother's Day, to get the boat back on her feet in order to FINALLY finish the project.

Tim, the boat looks great! It is the first kit that watershed made. You've done a great job. All of the kits we've made are either done and sailing or really close to getting wet. Chad in NE Missouri has built a beauty from just the plans and is probably pacing up and down the driveway waiting for his mainsail to fall off the truck.

Gordo in Canberra, A.C.T. has been having fun with his i550 "tonka" with a number of good results and some podium appearances. The Portland i550 mafia has an active schedule this summer as Team Gladiator has posted earlier. Jon on Flathead Lake in Montana has a great looking boat with a Special "Flattie Attractor" appendage. There is a group in Croatia with multiple boats sailing, too.

We (Susan and I) are absolutely thrilled that all the hard work you builders have put in has been so pleasantly rewarded.

Who knows, the i550 may be an International class in a few years?

Regards to all,

TR

[timber]

There are so many I've not mentioned. Canadians, The Chicago area boats, Houston, Tijuana, Irkutsk, Japan, NZ, all of South America, South Africa and Egypt. And Switzerland and Italy. I gotta stop now.
TR

[TimFordi550#87]

DId I forget to mention, to mention Memphis?

[Laker]

Yes, but we will always have Paris.........

[monsters inc]

Started cutting on mine here on Vancouver Island not long ago, #239. Viper aluminum mast , hoping to finish by next spring.

[Dawg_House]

N E W B I E,
Where is the proof? We need PHOTOS.

Monster, welcome to the group

[leroy101]

how does the i550 go against a shaw 650?

[Tokyo Trash Baby]

Gets hosed. No comparison at all. Different in every manner.

[leroy101]

what about the viper 640?

[timber]

90 cm is a big  difference in waterline length= speed uphill. Down wind nobody knows . . . . yet.  Phrf may settle in around 140, we don't know yet.

 

We can use the Viper mast,  sail area is about the same at 22 m. Some asyms might be as big as 55 m.

 

$15k vs. $35k

 

And I'm never going back to Memphis.  

[TeamGladiator]

how does the i550 go against a shaw 650?

Gets hosed. No comparison at all. Different in every manner.

That would be my comment as well; the boats are pretty radically different.

 

what about the viper 640?

Viper 640 = Melges 24 in speed (roughly); the i550 is a fair bit slower uphill for sure, but will break loose down wind a lot earlier.  We saw in conditions that would not allow the Melges 24 to plane (but the i550 was able to do so) that the i550 was faster downwind.  The best "off the shelf" comparison is going to be to the Open 570; similar waterline length; similar wetted surface (the i550 has a bit less); similar weight and sail area.  I'd really like to see the two boats sailed side-by-side.

 

90 cm is a big  difference in waterline length= speed uphill. Down wind nobody knows . . . . yet.  Phrf may settle in around 140, we don't know yet.

 

We can use the Viper mast,  sail area is about the same at 22 m. Some asyms might be as big as 55 m.

You can use a Viper mast, but it is a FRACTIONAL hoist rig; if you want to maximize the sail area on the kite you will need to add some rigging.  Either another set of spreaders or a set of jumpers.  I am assuming that the top of the Viper rig isn't designed for the extra load of a mast head kite.

 

As for speed comparisons that we know of from side-by-side or on the same course sailing:

   Star v. i550:

       6-10 knots: Star is marginally faster upwind (longer waterline, points higher); i550 is slightly faster downwind, but has similar VMG on W-L courses; net same around the course time

       15+: Star is about the same upwind; i550 is significantly faster downwind, with better VMG on W-L; the i550 gained about 3-5 minutes in a 30 minute race

    Lightning v. i550:

       6-8 knots: same upwind; faster downwind with similar VMG; net same

       8 - 12: same upwind; much faster downwind; the i550 gained about 3 minutes in a 20 minute race

 

Hopefully we will have some more comparisons soon, but if you are looking at "ratings" PHRF should be the same/similar to Open570 or Star, Portsmouth should be same/similar to Lightning or Star.

But who cares about ratings??  Build a fleet and sail OD... way more enjoyable!

[juswannagofast]

Can't wait to get my fingers sticky.......

[TeamGladiator]

Can't wait to get my fingers sticky.......

That is so wrong in sooooo many ways...

[juswannagofast]

I would have chosen the name Sticky Fingers for it, but a Whitbred 30 already has it.

[TimFordi550#87]

I was going to name mine "Exile on Main Street," but it was already taken....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so I went with Magical Misery Tore.

[timber]

Team Glad, thanks for the comparative observations. The evidence of a sweet spot for the boat is growing.
Who is going to put running backstays on their boat and helmets on their heads and do the double dam up the Columbia? Portland you know ya wanna.

[Dawg_House]

DID YOU SAY - STICKY FINGERS?
And I know there are fans in the i550!
 boneswhite1.png   109.86K   0 downloads

 CarolinaSweet_copy1.png   47.29K   0 downloads  CarolinaClassic_copy1.png   49.93K   0 downloads

----------------------Carolina Sweet ----------------------------------Carolina Classic


 Tenn_Whiskey1.png   47.7K   0 downloads  MemphisOrig_copy1.png   47.84K   0 downloads

----------------------Tennessee Whiskey------------------------------- Memphis Original (Just for Susan)

 hats1.png   85.49K   0 downloads
They started in Mt.Pleasant, SC
About a mile from Charleston Race Week.
http://www.stickyfin...om/Default.aspx

.

[timber]

How about someone naming their boat "snake Hunter" or Honey Badger for our friends on the Vipers?

[TeamGladiator]

Who is going to put running backstays on their boat and helmets on their heads and do the double dam up the Columbia? Portland you know ya wanna.

Uhhhh not so much... I've photo'd this race and it would be a handful in the i550... No more than a Viper640 or Open570, but still a handful!!

But Rumble and B-Lock... Don't let that stop your crazy asses!!