Getting a GBE to Cat 3

[Clipper 375]

http://s227.photobucket.com/user/Waione_photos/media/misc%2016/20161127_110059.jpg.html

[GregW 28]

 

 

"Was used in anger a number of times, most memorably a singlehanded blast back from kawau while as hung over as f&ck. Think it was 1 hour 15 mins from bee hive to north head? Actually, i must have a photo, a crew.org guy took some as i went past. I’ll try and find".

 

I remember that, I was parked in Torpedo Bay with a broken rudder waiting for the 40kt + westerly to ease, when you sailed past. Looked a good rig for those conditions. 

[Adrianp 137]

This is why you need an inner forestay with a deep reef! 

 

 

[ScottiE 174]

see - ali rigs are good - nice and flexi!

[Island Time 1,313]

This is why you need an inner forestay with a deep reef!

Je&^# Adrian, thats a bit scary!

[Clipper 375]

That was minutes (maybe seconds) before it snapped. 1 of 2 masts that came down that day due to deep reefed mains without inner forestays

[Freedom GBE 27]

Wont forget that day. Easy 25 knots on the start, fractional kite up. Wind got up, sending it through a small gap between the wharfs and a container ship. Couldnt slow down or go forward to drop untill behind the container terminals. Pumped and like so far ahead of the fleet. We didnt reef to second reef because we didnt have the inner forestay set up properly and had the lecture form the inspector. Bare headed, so overpowered, couldnt reach, only point upwind or smoke down wind to Narrowneck. Now blowing 40+ which wasnt in the forecast at all. Attitude passed as per pic above, we tacked rather than gybed and busted the top slides on the main. 

 

Race over, limp acrross to Okahu Bay under gib only. Couldnt go upwind.tried motoring but then the prop bushes burned out. Managed to reverse into Okahu Marina and waited for hours until the wind dropped.

 

I recomend a cat three inspection from Tim Clissold.

[Clipper 375]

I stayed on the mooring that day

[NZTiger 20]

That's a pretty convincing argument for the inner forestay. 

 

Just out of interest, if you dropped the main when trying to make progress in 40 knots and sail with the heavy weather jib only, would a GBE be controllable both upwind and downwind? and would you still get the inverted bend in the mast from the heavy weather jib pulling the crap out of the normal forestay? (assuming you didn't have an inner forestay)

[Clipper 375]

Mast supported by the sidestays, so no issues under jib only mast wise.

Downwind no issues.

Upwind would be damn near possible to point as bow keeps getting blown off and a tack would be impossible id say. Light boat, lots of windage, not much sail.

Ive done 14 knots in flat water with a storm jib only (broad reaching)

[TimB 7]

"Upwind would be damn near possible to point"

 

Surely that is meant to be IMpossible?

 

tb

[Clipper 375]

Yip, impossible

[erice 732]

a certain light-weight multi guru friend of mine keeps commenting that the rig on capricorn has far too much windage, stays + diamonds, for such a short rig

 

i always tell him

 

it's a trimaran with more beam than the designer recommended

 

and a square-head so fat, the sail's almost rectangular

 

it doesn't lie down to dump invisible monster gusts

 

it just spits the rig off

 

after 2 normalish rigs exited stage right

 

belts + braces has stayed the course

 

 

am hoping the fwd diamond

 

takes the place of an inner forestay..

[Deep Purple 530]

 

am hoping the fwd diamond

 

takes the place of an inner forestay..

It won’t. Faces the wrong way

[MartinRF 76]

I hope the outer diamonds are fixed to the spreader tips. It is not unusual to overlook this important detail. It does not replace an inner forestay but is important anyway.

 

The actual staying does not look overdone to me but there is a lot of other things adding clutter and drag. Lazyjacks, halyards etc, some of which will be out of the way when sailing.

 

/Martin