Cherub Encyclopedia

Addictive

Cherubing is highly addictive and can have many side-effects, these may include great boredom if sailing a lesser class of boat, spending whole days in work thinking how can I modify this to do that or where can I get some cheaper pro-grip. Later stages of the addiction may also involve taking an angle grinder to parts of your beloved cherub followed by plenty of carbon in an never ending quest to get little bit more from the boat.

Angle Grinder

One of the three essential power tools (see Belt Sander and Dremel). The angle grinder is usually the first step in any repair or modification job. We probably aught to warn you to keep you fingers, pets and small children out of the way when using it.

Ass of Fire

This is the technical term for the feeling experienced after a Cherub social. Particularly bad cases are caused by the annual chilli challenge at the dinghy show.

Bog

A mixture of epoxy and filler which can be used for fillets and sticking carbon or foam. When using medium density filler you end up with something the consistency of chocolate spread.

Belt Sander

One of the three essential power tools (see Angle grinder and Dremel). Pretty much any job on the boat that was started with the angle grinder can be finished with the belt sander. Especially useful for removing decades of horrible paint jobs and trapeze hook injuries. Be warned: most belt sanders tend to have violent reactions to carbon dust eventually, and many have gone up in smoke. We advise operating them near to an wide open space (like a garden) so you can get them a long way from the boat before the flames get too bad.

Cable Ties

You'd be stupid not to have a variety of assorted length and size cable ties in your kit bag as they are one of the most versatile items known to man.

Carbon

Carbon is the wonder material which has revolutionised modern skiff sailing. It is available in a variety of weights and cloth patterns but at the moment is disturbingly expensive. Big savings can be made by ordering in bulk so email the list before ordering as there will always be someone to share an order with.

Code Brown

A state of emergency whilst sailing which seems to happen more regularly in Cherubs than other classes. Code brown incidents have ranged from letting go of the mainsheet whilst twin wiring to hitting the wake of the Red Jet at Weston. The alarm should be raised by loudly shouting 'CODE BROWN' so as many other sailors can turn and watch you in your moment of terror as it will more than often result in getting wet!

Coffee

One of the essential food groups.

Colloidal Silica

Colloidal Silica is a thickening compound which is added to epoxy to help prevent epoxy runoff in vertical and overhead joints. It can be used in conjunction with other fillers to improve strength, abrasion resistance, and consistency of fairing compounds, resulting in a tougher, smoother surface.

Curry

The staple diet of a cherubber while on the road at events. Hotter the better! (see ass of fire)

Dremel

One of the three essential power tools (see angle grinder and belt sander). The dremel is a great little gadget that can be used for sanding very hard to reach corners, precision cutting of small plates of carbon and stainless bolts. Priceless.

Down the mine

When travelling at high speed a capzize can be caused by the bow going down and the boat flipping over. Maximum style points can be achieved by the mast tip hitting the water first, directly in front of the boat. (ask Patrick Cunningham for details!) (also known as Pitchpoling)

Ductape

Another one of the kit bag essentials. There are very few things which can't be fixed using ductape.

Dagger Rudder

The favoured design of rudder in the cherub fleet. All the benefits of a fixed rudder but none of the hassles of a pivoting rudder. When leaving the beach you can lower the board enough to give steerage but the helm remains neutral as the board is vertical at all times.

D2

The shrouds which attach to the mast just below the lower spreaders. These are used to control the bend in the central section of the mast.

Epoxy Resin

Epoxy is the resin of choice for laminating for the majority of cherubby tasks. It is a 2 part adhesive comprising of a resin and a hardener and is available in various 'speeds'. Working times vary from around 90 seconds up to 12+ hours for some laminating resins depending on which type you buy.

Save all your icecream tubs, yogurt pots, mixing sticks etc as buying all the consumables can be an unnecessary and expensive business.

Fillet

A rounded join between 2 faces made from bog (see above) which is used to increase the strength of a join by increasing the surface area for bonding and also making the final laminating more aesthetically pleasing. Tactics employed for making regular and smooth fillets have included using magnum icecream sticks to smooth the bog

Flip-Flops

An almost standard form of footwear worn by the enthusiastic cherubber all year round.

Foam

Fetal Position

If all else fails then assuming the fetal position can be the only answer. Be this on the floor of the cherub in a squall or on a sofa the morning after the night before!

Garage

The place where Cherubs are born. Don't worry your car was designed to be waterproof.

Genium

The material from which a Genius is made. Also, the act of near Genius. Many acts of Genium have taken place in the cherub class, such as using the wonder material Genium for many structual applications and quick repairs.

Glass

Grin

This will be near impossible to remove once you get off the water from a days cherubing

Heat Gun

Heat guns are an industrial form of hair drier which are an essential part of any serious cherubbers kit. They can be used to help heat resin when the conditions are sub par to enable the resin to go off quicker. They can also give the resin a thinner consistency but beware as they will go from runny to set in a very short period of time!

Heat guns are also very useful when it comes to removing paint from older cherubs. Paint is heavy and therefore slow and many old cherubs have gained many layers of unwanted paint over the years. This can be heated using a heat gun and then scraped off easily. *Beware of not getting it too hot as it is possible to deform laminate and cause considerable damage!

Heat Shrink Tape

Heat shrink tape can be used alongside peel ply to help consolidate a lay up (especially when using a boom or pole mandrel). Laminate in the same way that you would normally with peel ply, but then wrap tightly in heat shrink tape. You can then heat the tape with a heat gun which will tighten down onto the mandrel and consolidate the laminate.

Be careful when wrapping the peelply and heatshrink tape to make sure that you don't disturb the laminate. Any wrinkles will cause weak points when sanded and can't be easily rectified once the epoxy has gone off.

Jelousy

This is what many non-cherubers experiance when they are left behind on a windy day as you shoot past them

Kevlar

Laminate

Mandrel

A cylindrical mould to aid the production of masts, poles, booms etc. The class currently has access to Mast, Pole and Boom mandrels. Enquire for details.

Mast Head

The majority of cherubs hoist their kites from the mast tip… go BIG or go home!

Nomex

Oh!

The noise made by a SMODy when he helps you lift your boat. It helps to warn the uninitialed that your boat is very light or you can find that a helper has hit himself in the face wth your hull.

Peel Ply

Peel Ply is the fabric used when laying up composites to ensure that the laminate is thoroughly wetted out with no excess resin. A Peel Ply layer also applies pressure to the composite structure during fabrication and curing allowing any air to escape eliminating the chance of any air bubbles. Where Peel Ply fabric is used, the laminate will be smoother and will achieve a higher fiber to resin content thus increasing strength. When the peel ply has been removed it provides a distinctive pattern finish which also works as a non skid feature.

Pro-grip

Pro-grip is often used by the cherubber to help keep their feet planted to the side of the boat when sending it (see also toe loops)

Parcel Tape

Brown parcel tape is another essential piece of laminating kit that every cherubber should have in their artillery. Epoxy resin does not stick to brown parcel tape so it is hugely useful when making mandrels. It can also be accompanied with release agent and wax for improved effect.

Pasties

The essential breakfast for any serious cherubber after a big social event. These come in many varieties, favourites including cheese and onion or a simple cornish. Teamed with a couple of litres of water they comprise a true hangover cure!

Procrastination

How Cherub sailors use the Cherub Encyclopedia.

Queue

You may experience one of these to get to the bar after a hard days cherubing.

Resin Infusion

Sending it

Travelling at extreme speeds, usually offwind and out of control. You might hear bystanders shouting “Wow, look at that Cherub, they are really sending it”

Spreader Vision

The art of gaffa taping a waterproof digi-cam to your spreaders and filming to produce some unique footage. As demonstrated by Gav Simms on the video page.

Scratch

Cherubbers have really excelled in using scratch and have managed to make everything from hulls to spars using this wonder material. Also see Genium.

Stacking it

Its not very often that a cherub capsizes in a standard fashion and 'stacking it' is one term used to describe a wipeout. eg. Tim Stacked it at the gybe mark.

Skint

This is a technical term used to describe most of the student class members due to enthusiastic cherubbing and excessive beer drinking.

Stump

SMOD

Single Manufacturer One Design: 'nuff said.

Toe loops

Also known as fruit-loops these hold the cherubers feet to the deck in even the most extreme cases of sending it, most are constructed from either a rubberiesd webbing or a piece of hosepipe with a strong elastic through them to allow the loop to stretch/snap preventing foot damage when the cherub goes down the mine (see down the mine)

T Foil

Trapeze Wire

Outdated sailing technology that saw boats fitted with sufficient capacity to support a baby elephant standing on the deck. Most modern cherubbists now use dental floss or unicorn hair (2.5mm hertzog / lightening)

UD

Unstable

Most Cherubs do not float unaided in an upright position; even on a still day most Cherubs will roll over if not held onto. Please do not be alarmed if the Cherub at your club enters the water on it's side, falls or is pulled over once the trolley is taken away. After you have seen a Cherub sailing for a bit you'll realise the mast is very happy on or under the water.

Vacuum Bagging

Vinegar

It's a little known fact but vinegar can be used to remove epoxy from a multitude of materials before it goes off.

Wagon Wheels

One of the essential food groups when cherub sailing. Stu Hopson is the current record breaker consuming roughly 3 multipacks a day.

White Water Reaching

The now common term used to describe 2 sail reaching in a cherub. Aptly named due to the extreme levels of spray.

Wetting Out

Wetting out is the term used to describe putting resin onto the fibres in a laminate. It is essential that this is done correctly to ensure that there are no dry patches, but also that there is no excess resin. Recognised techniques of achieving this include using a trimmed paintbrush to allow stippling of the cloth, a small paintbrush roller to really work the resin into the fabric or some people use squeegees for a similar outcome.

To achieve thoroughly wetted out fibres it can be useful to apply the resin on a flat board. This allows the fabric to be worked vigorously without disrupting the main article that is being laminated. The fabric can then be moved and placed onto the area that is being laminated.

Whooping

The technical term for the shouting noises made by cherubbers when sending it offwind in a force 4!

Xylophone

Musical instrument of graduated wooden bars struck with hammer(s). A strange fact is that few cherubs (even of the same design) sound alike when tapped. Please do not try to test this statement with a hammer as it may result in serious personal injury.

The least common Chromosome amongst nationals winning crews over the last twenty years.

Zealot

Cherrubing can be totally consuming and great fun (see Addictive).

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  • Last modified: 2020/12/09 19:21
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