Cameron

Removing the teak is a great move (HL used to have it on the tops of the coamings). The only places to leave it are the handrails on the cabin top and foot chocks on the seats... Foot chocks are a fantastic addition.

Most people seem to think the boat has been raced hard and trashed... but they have never been onboard

HL has never had the post from day 1

Nice work! I always preferred the original name. While your into interior mods.... I'd chop out the pole by the galley. It's not required structurally and without it opens the boat up I believe Colin Maddren used to own/race Cheap Transport in it's glory days. Trevor Dunn owned for many years until recently. I believe he was responsible for the name change and the "Laser Kiwi"

Will be requiring a life raft from Dec 2022 until end of March 2023 for a tour to Fiordland and Stewart Island. What is the most cost effective solution? Hire? Buy and sell? or does someone have one not being used? Would need to be 6-8man.

Speaking of postponed events... is there ever going to be a prizegiving for the 2021 Triple... whoops I mean Double Series? When did the 2022 Triple Series dates get announced? Now found them on the website but don't recall an announcement?

Does your Lotus have inhaulers? I'd suspect not... just tracks running fore/aft beside the cabin. As such your sheeting angle is limited by where the track is fitted to the deck, you can never get a narrower sheeting angle then what the track is without inhauling. The problem with tracks set at a relatively wide angle is attempts to help the boat point higher by sheeting the headsail in harder just lead to a very closed leech and removal of twist which tends to stall the sail. A inhauler gives the ability to narrow the sheeting angle without reducing twist or closing the leech. Think of i

yep... found out who all my mates were... and had to do it all by myself!

"Self Polishing" isn't that code for polish yourself? as nobody else is going to do it for you!

So I take it your "modified bolt" is mounted vertically in the tiller to lift the pin 100mm? If so the autopilot will have massive leverage and I expect the "modified bolt" will either crack the tiller or get very sloppy very quickly...

Draft can be reduced by unloading all the extra crap that inevitably build up onboard!

Yep... your on to it! But do think about how you can utilise existing sails more effectively when reaching... ie whisker poles, storm jib as a staysail etc

Especially for those that feel the need to compensate!

It's funny how everyone adds prods etc etc and concentrates on downwind and reaching performance.... but I'd suggest for a great overall result you want a strong upwind performer for the RNI

So pretty good boat names on the Two Handed trophy...