Mitch Booth's upwind gennaker... Options

[Tony_F18]

It seems like Booth has been working on a secret weapon for the Olympics, basically he recut his gennaker to go upwind.

Read the Dutch google-translation from the press release:

Team Zwitzerleven unveal revolutionary new sail for Qingdao
(IMG:http://catsanddinghies.nl/img/news/large/IMG_4018med.jpg)

[USA190520]

It seems like Booth has been working on a secret weapon for the Olympics, basically he recut his gennaker to go upwind.

Read the Dutch google-translation from the press release:

Team Zwitzerleven unveal revolutionary new sail for Qingdao
(IMG:http://catsanddinghies.nl/img/news/large/IMG_4018med.jpg)

now all he needs is a weedwhacker attachment on his furler drum and he's a shoe in for gold

[Cunningham]

Really?

[FDer]

Should be fun to tack

[Derek Grebe]

it will be interesting to see if the gains upwind outweigh the losses downwind

interesting stuff.

[TeamFugu]

In very light wind, I think the gains up wind could be greater than the losses down wind. Blowing dogs off the chains might not matter too much either but it will be interesting in the middle conditions where it will be too strong to use the genny up wind and the genny is too flat to go deep down wind.

[Derek Grebe]

what are the rules on picking the genaker on the day for the conditions?

i.e. having a 'normal' one and a light wind special?

is this against the rules?

[Luke Piewalker]

They are sort of allowed two gennakers, not really allowed to choose between them though.

8.3 The number of sails and items of equipment that will be approved during the
equipment control of the boat shall not exceed one mainsail, one headsail, one
gennaker, one mast, one boom, two rudders and two centreboards.

8.5 During equipment control a spare spinnaker may be controlled and placed in the
custody of the Class Measurer. On days when back-to-back races are scheduled
the spare spinnakers will be carried afloat in the Measurer's boat. In the event of
the first spinnaker being damaged after the start of the first race and accepted by
the Measurer as being accidental and significantly affecting performance, the
spare spinnaker may be retrieved with the authority of the Measurer and used for
any further races on that day. The spare spinnaker must be returned to the
Measurer after the last race of the day, and the first spinnaker must be repaired
for all subsequent races. A spare spinnaker shall comply with the requirements of
8.4.

Do the Decision 35's not use similar kites on Lake Geneva?

[Al.]

I'm guessing they've had more than one made- don't the spinnakers for the actual regatta need to be of "national flag" colouring?

[hurrisailor]

having sailed against mitch many times, I know mitchs trick if hes down the pan is to pop the kite up wind reach of twin stringing into a corner and try and get different breeze so he has carried his kite upwind before!

[Speng]

unless it blows DOC the whole time which case they're fucked. I'd imagine they'll be looking at the 2wk forecast right up until measurement time to decide whether to carry that kite or the more AP-ish kite. I'm not sure that someone that good should bang the design corner like that though.

[Luke Piewalker]

The rule on flagginess and that is Rule 8.4 that I left out for brevity.

It could of course just be an exercise in offbalancing the opposition by giving them something else to think about in the run up to the games.

[Doug Lord]

Seems a lot of people are using the idea:

Attached File(s)

 _MG_9514ta2.jpg ( 71.93K ) Number of downloads: 131

 

[jfunk]

If you can only use one kite for the regatta, then I reckon it's a furphy. They are just fucking with the oppositions minds.

Jay, Pease, you guys lurk here, spill the beans!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Cunningham]

Seems a lot of people are using the idea:

Not quite the same, I could be wrong but I think those guys are going downwind.

[tornado]

The rule on flagginess and that is Rule 8.4 that I left out for brevity.

It could of course just be an exercise in offbalancing the opposition by giving them something else to think about in the run up to the games.

So I wonder if all the concerns over having 40 lb midgets/dwarfs show up as crew for some teams have died off?

We voted on not instituting a crew weight limit last year.

[Jolly Roger Torn...]

Bloody Boothy, fucking with everybody again....Well the T class has been going with flatter and flatter kitesas long as it either blows under 10 or over 25 they'll be right....In that 15 knot wind range though they'll get shat on downwind so bad...hope he does take it to the games....will be interesting to see!

[Munter]

His "secret plan" for the 15kt range is to run square with the kite goosewinged.

[sailingkid]

His "secret plan" for the 15kt range is to run square with the kite goosewinged.

Really? I have tried that on my 29er and by the time you get it set the mains on the other side, and your nearly upside down! Although on a cat you might be able to stand further forward to get it to set better.

[Derek Grebe]

Really? I have tried that on my 29er and by the time you get it set the mains on the other side, and your nearly upside down! Although on a cat you might be able to stand further forward to get it to set better.

sailing kid, dear chap

look really really hard at the screen

can you see Munter?

look closer

can you see his tongue?

where is it?

yes - it is firmly in his cheek.





Good Grief!

[sailingkid]

sailing kid, dear chap

look really really hard at the screen

can you see Munter?

look closer

can you see his tongue?

where is it?

yes - it is firmly in his cheek.
Good Grief!

Go along with the joke! You just ruined it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Derek Grebe]

Go along with the joke! You just ruined it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

i thought you did that!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[XPAT]

whether it will actually be quicker in a fleet enviroment is the important question.

I would be surprised if he actually uses this? I reckon it is just a bit of a PR stunt to get the opposition a little nervous.

[Jay G]

[quote name='jfunk' date='Jul 22 2008, 03:20 PM' post='1798836']
If you can only use one kite for the regatta, then I reckon it's a furphy. They are just fucking with the oppositions minds.

Jay, Pease, you guys lurk here, spill the beans!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

They call the sail the Chupacabra.
Mitch/Pim and Johnny/Charlie have been working on this for about a year.
Last month they also sailed with PUR (trying to get a wild card to China)
Qingdao is a special place where we might see racing in very light and choppy conditions so it is good to be double wiring upwind while everyone else is sitting on the side of the boat.
There is a range of conditions where the sail is quite a bit faster uphill. Enough to make me start laughing in the coach boat.
They will make the call dependent on the forecast.

."In that 15 knot wind range though they'll get shat on downwind so bad.".....That's what we thought too. But.....If everyone is wired then maybe the lower drag solution is faster.
Jay
Pix to follow

[Luke Piewalker]

PLan B required?

http://www.finnclass.org/Olympics/OG2008/t..._in_qingdao.htm

(IMG:http://www.finnclass.org/Olympics/OG2008/DSC01536.JPG)