A third and a second were the best I could muster in a full range of conditions.
The positives:
- The boat is equally as fast as Phils over a range of conditions around the course
- I was using my old small set of Alexander sails and still did okay
- I still have an IC (which in the conditions, and given our current world champ damaged his beyond repair, is something to be happy about).
The negatives
- I really hadn’t sorted a few things out on the boat properly – laziness, lack of motivation, and a focus on family and Uni meant that a lot of my changes and fixes weren’t completed or tested very well
- I really haven’t spent much quality time in the boat this season.
- I had no where near the pace that Hayden had in the windy stuff – but then again, I never really have in those conditions (thinking back to Mannering Park and the Worlds)
Where to now:
I have a month of shed access before the home renovations start (and the shed fills up with furniture). In that time I want to strip and completely rub back the boat and reskin it with a lightweight carbon cloth (vacuum bagged down) to:
- Add some strength to the hull where I think I have sanded back through carbon previously
- Clean up a few bumps and lumps in the hull
- Achieve a better finish to the boat presentation wise
Any suggestions or comments on this?
I am also going back to Dave Alexander and sitting down with him to go over my mast and rig set up and get a set of sails sorted out and the mast dialled in. I don’t seem to be very good at this, and want to work with someone local to get it right (Dave A was in Sydney last year which is why I haven’t done this already). I should add that I mean no disrespect to Lindsay Irwin, his sails are great, it's just I'm not good enough to explain whats working/not working so we can get things right from interstate.
