Flat Stanleys new owner

[Banshee Ambulance]

I still have yesterdays kite run in my head! It makes the time in the garage worthwhile!

[Will_Lee]

Yeehah!

[ross_burkin]

Less garage more sailing please! Boat park repairs are fine during the season and a tidy up come winter time. This is coming from the guy who is going to be putting his boat into the garage fairly soon.

[Banshee Ambulance]

Had a nice sail yesterday, good steady force 5 which was perfect. We are starting to get to grips with the cherub subtleties,  gybing, windward hoists, apparent wind etc. However, one thing is still not quite there - tacking! We cant tack and keep boat speed at all. We have tried keeping the boat flat, rolling the boat, backing the jib etc but we just stop dead in the tack and have to accelerate out. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Tim Noyce]

Due to the design of most of the cherubs being very flat, they invariably do slow down a lot in the tacks compared to other longer boats. We've basically found that the only way to get through and out the other side is to really throw the boat into tacks. You really can't come in slowly and tease it round, or roll it round unless it is really light, you really have to fully commit and go for it! In a single wire boat you really must tack it wire to wire, with the twin wire boats you need at least one out on the wire coming out the tack, and both if possible. Try bearing away slightly to get the speed up before going for height out of the tack. Obviously don't go over the top, but keeping the speed on is essential. Letting the jib out and then squeezing it back on when you speed up also helps.

Would be nice to hear other peoples views though. I'm by no means an expert!

[JimC]

roll it round unless it is really light,

http://www.devboats.co.uk/halo.mov

[Tim Noyce]

Sorry, what I said got a bit muddled, It meant to read that "we don't roll it round unless it is really light"!

[Banshee Ambulance]

Finally got a picture of us sailing:

[ross_burkin]

Looking good!

[roland_trim]

Nice. Did you drop before cowes?

[lucy_lee]

The power of Flat Stanley!

There are some v similar photos taken in 1994 of the same boat at teh same club in the same conditions on the website.

[Banshee Ambulance]

Does anyone have an old ratchet block going spare I could have at a reasonable price? Hoisted yesterday to find the kite ratchet wasn't there. Missing, presumed dead.

[Tim Noyce]

Let me have a look when I get home. I have an old Freddy one with loads of life left in it somewhere, I think it resides in my kit bag!

[ross_burkin]

Missing, presumed stolen I would think.

[Banshee Ambulance]

I have got into the (bad) habit of leaving the old kite rigged on the boat. I know the two spin sheets decided to part company and presumably the block came undone from its fastening around the shroud base. So if anyone has a spare plese let me know.