Ross 930 off shore

[nz moth 0]

Hey, what would a Ross 930 be like off shore doing open water races?

[Battleship 100]

f*ck'n scary I imagine but a few have done it before, I'm sure rope peddling car wrecker will pipe up sooner or later as he has plans for SR.

Pepe did the last Round North Island and was going well till the backstay failed.

[Deep Purple 512]

Toyed with the idea of bringing Wild Oats back from Nelson via sea but after talking to a few people decided to truck.

 

Admittedly as much to do with my lack of experience rather than concerns over the boat.

[wal 27]

Plus Tony Harold and Bill Kidman did RNI on Malpractice

[Guest]

Just about any boat can go off offshore if you know it and know how to manage it correctly. You don't really even need to know that, assuming you have a good skill set already, but it would improve your chances of making it to the other side.... of the water knot the pearly gates.

 

But bureaucracy going out of it's way to do nothing except cover it's own butt and stupid dipshits with misconceptions based on nothing more substantial than the smell of their own turds do and quite often cause many boats to get blocked from doing that. Shame really as those dicks are f**king NZ yachting, sadder still is it very much appears they can't see that.

 

There is no sound reason a R930 can't go offshore assuming the crew are up for it and the boat's been prepared properly, just like any other boat.

 

Where and when are you going Moth?? Let me get my tweaking finished and I'll put up a case of Mt Gay that I'll beat ya there

[Guest]

I asked Murray Ross that same question a few years back. His response was something like "of course the 930 can do off shore but not with me on board"

[Guest]

I do recall that mad Frenchman disappearing early one morning on his way to Noumea, single-handed on Blue Dude the Young 8.4 after about 24hrs of prep after purchase. I still think I'd rather go an 8.4 tho - slightly less tippy.

[Murky 1]

I'll put up a case of Mt Gay that I'll beat ya there

Knot specific to 930s but that will turn out to be the most expensive case of Mt Gay in the history of yachting - even for the one who wins it.

[TimB 7]

Redline is intending doing the triangle race, Wellington/Akaroa/Napier/Wellinton. Problem I see with smaller boats offshore is that by the time the boat is loaded with the mandatory requirements (extra anchors and warps, liferaft etc) and food, water etc it is well on to being overloaded. Needs careful management.

 

Cheers TB

[Guest]

Toyed with the idea of bringing Wild Oats back from Nelson via sea but after talking to a few people decided to truck.

 

Admittedly as much to do with my lack of experience rather than concerns over the boat.

 

I wondered who got in before me!

 

Well done Sundreamer

[Guest]

Malpractise sailed to Oz. She's actually up for sale at present.

I'd rather go to sea in a 930 than a lot of other designs. Add a heap of deck beams, brace the windows shrink the main and you are off.

At least with the narrow beam she's less likely to roll.

[Guest]

I'll put up a case of Mt Gay that I'll beat ya there

Knot specific to 930s but that will turn out to be the most expensive case of Mt Gay in the history of yachting - even for the one who wins it.

My biggest concern would be a couple of days of no wind. The temptation maybe too great.

 

Correct Jono. I can tell you from 1st hand experience that if I have 2 reefs in and my No3, which is really a No.4 size but as we have no 3 it's been upgraded to make it feel more important, and we get 60kts over the deck we do lean over a fair way but then stop and sit there until the gust/wind decreases and off we go again. It's that tame you can do it all with a beer in your hand without spillage. I've had the spreaders in the water three times and close as (it may have gone it, it was an exciting moment so I didn't see exactly) the masthead once. On all occasions there was less than zero hint she wanted to go any further. She popped back up with enthusiasm. That's more than I can say for other boats I sail or have sailed on. Even better the keel didn't fall off nor did the hull snap in 1/2

 

Yes TimB, the amount of safety gear needed to be carried in some spots is becoming a hazard in it's own right.

 

Go Moth... Go Moth... Go Moth (best if done like they do on US talk shows chanting with hands waving in the air)

[Guest]

Malpractise sailed to Oz.

I'm told she was shipped over.

I'm also told don't do it in a Pedigree* 930 as it's too slow and anyone who does has rocks in their head. But as I pointed out speed has a direct relationship with the size of the booze locker and just how much drug testing is done at either end

 

* - Pedigree being the old Class boats with baby sails and keels. Under the new rules all 930's are class boats, being the progressive knot living in the 80's class it is.

[Deep Purple 512]

 

I wondered who got in before me!

 

Well done Sundreamer

 

Thanks , I understand there were a few watching and waiting.

[Guest]

I've crossed Cook Strait several times on Airship.

 

Cook Strait can be a beast of a place - the seas in particular can get very heavy... particularly in the Karori and Terawhiti Rips. The first time I ever went through the Karori rip it was on a Young 11, Flying Circus. We went from 1 metre swells to 5 metre breaking swells in an instant... one completely swamped the boat, almost without warning. I wondered aloud "What the F*** was THAT!?" and was told, oh, that's the start of the rip.

 

I wouldn't want to hit the rip, or a significant sea way (5 metre plus seas) in a 930. Not if I couldn't turn and run with it instead of going into it.

 

When we've crossed the Strait on Airship we've watched the weather closely, and picked a window with favourable tide and winds and then just scooted across. No sweat.

 

But 40+ knots upwind in a seaway is not a fun place to be - pretty much ever, but ESPECIALLY in a small lightweight yacht (like a 930 or similar). If you are racing offshore you're going to need to do those sort of conditions, sooner or later.

 

The two main factors that would intimidate me are:

 

( a ) being so light the helm needs constant management in those conditions. An Autohelm is of marginal value - because the boat reacts so dramatically to changes in wave pitch, angle and period and wind direction and strength, it is very tiring being on the helm upwind in 40+ knots for an extended period in a 930. You have to do soooo much thinking and adjusting.

 

And ( b ) being so light there's a LOT of slamming, a lot of noise, and a lot of shock load variation on the rig and hull and crew. Again, okay for a short time, but two or three days of it would be very very gruelling.

 

Cruising offshore in a 930 allows you to run or hove to (and yes you CAN hove to racing too). However cruising offhsore the fuel carrying capacity also comes into it.

 

I do "Coastal offshores" in a 930 - the White Island Race, The Three Kings Race, The Coastal Classic, Wellington to Nelson etc. But transoceanic Offshores (to Fiji/Noumea/ Sydney Hobart) ummm, no thanks.

[Guest]

Interesting comments Bardy.

 

5mts seas are fine, it's the shorter sharper ones that are the Ahole.

 

I'd have to totally disagree with your comment (a). They are tame on the helm to windward in a blow and my AP, even the old little slow one, had no problem what so ever going to windward in any conditions. I'd say that's more a function of how the individual boat is set up than the boats in general, as what you describe I just don't see or anything close to it with mine. My AP does little more than stop the tiller flopping side to side and 95% of the time I can aim the boat with one small finger only on the tiller, in almost all weathers, with the boat trimmed to the conditions obviously.

 

Yes they can slam but it's reasonably easy to tweak out the real worst of it if you want to.

 

Cruise one offshore? You could but there would be better options. Race one offshore, zero reason why knot.

 

Any other 930's get what Bardy describes?

[Ptown 14]

My experience is a bit limited in the 930 but I've raced her in 40+ and once in a race where peak measured was 57 (when Recreation got smushed) and the helm has always remained very manageable

 

I've only used the auto in nice conditions but i'd pick she'd manage just fine.

 

That said, they are twitchy bastards but that is 90% of the fun! It's the sea state that makes me most nervous though.

 

I've never done any blue water and have no inclination to (the thought gives me the willies) unless one day I get the balls to do something like White Island

[Guest]

Twas pondering Bardys comment on the way to the orifice and I've decided it's more likely the Redline set-up that makes her harder to steer in a blow rather than a general 930 thing. Having sailed a few and thinking about it there is some noticeable differences when holding the steering stick. Squid for example is just as chatty as mine but a lot heavier when wiggling it. Squids blade is a lot different than mine so that could be it and/or overall set-up.

[Changed 10]

KM will the hull lay-up be OK for cat 1?

[Guest]

KM will the hull lay-up be OK for cat 1?

Yes.