DrWatson

From 2:00 you can see Charal foiling clear of the water... I think we'll see record times soon being set for the Vendee

If the boat is inverted and two metres under, the increased pressure from the air inside the cabin being compressed should = the increased pressure from the water column pushing back against the windows, no? I'm putting my money on hydraulic shock, and windows held in by only a row of screws and a bead of sika to seal it as opposed to being fully bonded to the cabin structure. Properly bonded windows should be as strong as the deck w.r.t. load transfer etc.

Yeah, but I think with those big windows missing, and breaking waves on deck, you'll be taking +100 litres with every wave... doesn't take much before the boat is 3T heavier, then 5, etc etc.

Exactly. The pins will fit the chain but the shackle bow won’t. So to have the pin pass through the anchor shank rather than the bow, two shackles is how I've done it.

Yeah I’d wondered about that. I honestly haven’t looked at what is there in terms of specs, but for the moment trusted that the pogo yard would spec something at least half decent. Will set up some tweakers for next spring and report back then as it’s likely the easiest mod to make and won’t be bad to have any way.

That current windy prediction is going to produce a real tactical battle. How far can you get before it gets light? How far can you get once it's gone light (if you stay in? or if you go a little wider?) How far out do you want to be when it changes to N? (obviously around the corner but few will be there...)

Yeah me too, but I'm led to believe that KM knows his stuff with ropes, chains n whips. Our cruising set up is 16kg Excel Sarca, 2x certified green pin Bow shackles (monel siezed), 40m G4 8mm AQUA4 Maggi, spliced to 60m Lyros 14mm 3 strand laid polyester. 83kg total.

Exactly what i had in mind.

Longsleeve loose white cotton or linen shirts with large cuffs n collar. Medium brimmed straw hat I got from H&M in Prague for €5. it’s got a loose weave top that means it stays on even when it’s gusting 30. there’s never a pressure differential, apparently. A dab of zinc based sunblock on m lips n nose and smeared on the bits that went shaded all the time. I hate wearing sunblock. Feels ick. Next summer a pair of white loose long leg pants might also be employed. Dressed thus one looks a right royal tosser but it bloody works!

According to KM, yes... So I shall.

Anyone willing or able to share experiences or recommendations on these swivels? Apparently the 8mm one is rated to +6T breaking load. https://youtu.be/k_DcEtcqcRU

That could prove quite troublesome, I'm sure...

True, running down the Adriatic from Triest or so might be much better than burning money on crew or vacation on sailing it there. Current costs are about €8500 per year for fixed + sails and breakages (ignoring depreciation)...

That's what I've always done and it's a pleasure Fish, that's an important point about fully (experienced) crew or not. With only one or two on board, reefing or any manouvure takes longer and is more likely to result in more flogging until you've got it down pat (Ie have your method all sorted). With more/experienced crew, it is definitely easier and smoother for all those. Just noticed it on the last cruise, just one other experienced had made things (mostly) much better.

It's definitely a "how long is a piece of string" kinda question fer sure. Yeah that's actually a consideration I have - getting a Dacron main and jib for delivery. Even things like having a crew take the boat to Greece in spring and I go down and spend a few weeks there, but it's 2500NM to Athens so it's not something I can do in my own vacation time... So there's a certain amount of wear n tear to consider there, as well as covering the delivery crew - (anyone wanna do that run for me? lol) But I'm also trying to work out a "per mile" or "per year" costing. Guests have been saying "can

I know it depends on a lot of factors, but what sort of mileage/lifespan are folk getting from their sails before they're stretched out and not of good shape? Let's say cruising with cruising laminates, Main and Jib life? Of course if you spend your cruising beating into 30 knts it'ss be less than lifting nicely downwind in 12 knts, but nonetheless, some estimates would be a good start. At the moment I expect that If I sailed back to NZ, the nice sails I have would be due for replacement by the time I got to BOI.

Thanks all, will give these tips a go next time we're out.

65 series boats, and 22 prototypes!! holy crap! Nice to see Tanguy near the front.

In this part of France, sailing is very healthy as a sport. In all the villages around the coast there is a large engagement of the kids sailing lasers, hobies, wind surfers etc. Every Saturday and Sunday, and all school holidays, one can see literally hundreds of kids in on and above the water, being coached and just having fun. Sailing is very accessible and remarkably cheap - it's something many people in the area can relate to.

OK, so it's not a true Code0, it's not cut flat enough etc, but we're having trouble to regularly get a good clean furl on this thing. It's 75m2. Seems half the time we furl it in for a manoeuvre we get a bit of the upper leech that doesn't furl like with the rest and then it catches a bit of breeze, billows out a bit, and hey presto you basically get an hourglass on the furler with a 3/4 furled sail, which in anything over 14 kts is a bitch. It refuses to unfurl again because the bit filled with wind at the top wants to unfurl one way and the clew of course needs it to unfurl the other. O

This was the regatta that was going on when we were in Lorient a few weeks ago. The vid is in French (of course) but it's fun to watch anyway And the shots of the new IMOCAs foiling makes it clear that AT and BOSS won't necessarily have it all their own way... www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpKoJ-wCNyU

Not really a weekend achivement, but still some nice stuff. Headed off for a week on Firefly. Best mate came in from AKL on the Saturday. Departing at 0600 on a Monday morning. Caught the high slack to go through the Raz de Sien, then down to St. Marine. On to Groix the next day and a short nip up to Lorient on the Wednesday (blowing 30 NE - and some newbies on board as well so didn't want to give them a too hard day). Thursday, Lorient back to Camaret sur Mer, 100NM with a bit of everything from 28knts Quartering (nice) to 5knt variable (also nice) and 25knts on the nose against a 4knt curr