Home - Graham Vials - Third sail

Third sail

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago

Third sail
All photos copyright of Norman Tate. Seems everyone likes to take photos of the new boat! Think I have a fraction too much kicker on in these shots. Just a tiny bit too much.Had a really good sail on Wednesday. Third sail out. Its been really hard to get any decent sailing in. I only have Wednesdays off, and am normally coaching at weekends... so I'm in the lap of the Gods as to whether there is any wind or not.As it happens this Wednesday was perfect. Gusting 15 - 20 mph and hardly anyone else on the lake. Getting better at the foiling gybes, with probably 50% success rate at the moment. Still rusty and I have to make a real conscious effort not to just reach around, and concentrate more on turning corners!!!I've had a couple of teething problems with the boat. Nothing major but just frustrating. Glad to say that all problems are now sorted and the boat is brilliant. First problem I have had was with the tramp on the port side pulling out. Same side pulled out on each of the previous sails. There was simply too much flex in the top side of the "sail track" which retains the tramps. Amac at Bladerider was brilliant and sent an immediate fix. I simply glued the extra reinforcement on and absolutely no problems! You can't hardly tell that I've added the reinforcement because it came with the same non-slip already painted on. For all the new boats being made they'll have to increase the amount of carbon in this area, but its nothing major. Joys of getting the first production boat. Still, I'm glad to get these areas sorted before the worlds.The other problem I had was with an irritating leak. After the first sail I realised I had a problem with half the lake inside the hull. Glad to say there was enough water in there to make finding the leak relatively easy! As it happens I took Amac's advise, and half filled the boat with water and waited for it to leak out (or rather pour out) of the offending hole. The culprit was the hole where the mainsheet bridle goes through the hull, and the kicker fitting. Really glad it wasn't anywhere more complicated like the centreboard case or the internal wand mechanism. Easy fix, and I was really pleased to find the boat bone dry at the end of the 3 hour sail on Wednesday.It seems everyone gets really obsessed with the weights of the boats, and then doesn't mind that an extra kilo of water is being carried around in the hull.Apologies for missing the inlands. No excuse.... forecast put me off like everyone else. Stupid really as I don't mind the lowriding racing. Its obviously not as good as foiling, but its a different skill and would be a shame if we became a fleet that didn't race in anything less than 8 knots of breeze. Having said that I can hardly talk having not turned up. Full Story »

Comments are currently disabled