Thornbury files

[roland_trim]

Atum, E-Numbers adn EJ went for a pleaseant ride on the escalator last night. Wind dropped as we launched and the promising 3 descended into a cunning drifter of boat  vs tide. The racing was a sailing version of utlimate wipout -  only those lucky enough to score a gust on their voyage from the shore shelter to the windward mark actually got around it, failure to round delivered the boat back to the start line. Great enterainment value to watch, a ba$%^rd to sail.

Atum fought gamely in conditons not entirely suited, but gave the Kirks a run for thier money retiring after one lap. We think E-Numbers retired after hitting the windward mark twice (turns took them past the gybe mark). EJ had a new mast and not enough uppers on, consequently had issues tacking (like 100m backwards in the tide at every tack trying to pop the main).  After an hour we technically failed to reach the windard mark. EJ retired happy to have a new stick in place and being the only Cherub present to not capsize.

Looking like next weekend will be a hoot.

[Banshee Ambulance]

Sounds great. I am hoping that I can get a finished Thunderbird 4 to Thornbury within the next year.

[Tim Noyce]

Fingers crossed Sundays forecast of ZERO improves!

[roland_trim]

Too many negative thoughts moriaty...
Thorbury appears to generate it's own wind.

[phil_kirk]

We technically finished the race last Sunday. 

It was quite light and Sarah comented that we were only just keeping up with the church on the shore for about 10 minutes.  We found that we had rigged the kite halyard inside the elastic around the jib and so only has a fractional kite to play with.  The wind died on the second lap and several boats didn't make the windward mark. We sailed a bit further up the shore before tacking out to the mark. We did drift onto the windward mark whilst trying to round it.  Once we had cleared ourselves around the correct side of the mark we did our penalty turn.  We capsized next but were the right way up for the gybe mark.  using the apparent wind from the tide we were able to sail towards the leeward mark until we reached some moving air.  Finished not too many minutes behind the 800's after 2 hours of racing.

We did find that the E5 drifts really well and can make way in the very light to on wind conditions. Our capsize was just due to limited static stability coupled with high roll damping (not correcting a heel early enough.

[phil_kirk]

We had a great sail in E-numbers on Sunday against some thornbury 700's 800's and Atum. The wind started breezy and dropped through the evening but with a couple of sudden reappearances just to keep us on our toes. EJ was there but was concentrating on improving her mast issues and overcoming illness.

We think we are starting to get the hang of our stead and were staying closer to the 800's Atum and even some 700's.  Our competativeness was helped by not having to short tack up the shore against the tide. Instead the race started with a white knuckle 2 sail race reach to Bennets.  We caught Atum after their swim and were looking good until we swam on the second lap.  Close behind Atum on the final run we were able to sail lower and go for the next mark. We dropped for the mark (the next leg had been too tight for the kite previously). Atum proved that the leg to the finish was kiteable and opened out a few boat lengths for the finish.

The second race started with breeze which fell off as dusk approached. In the lighter airs we appeared to stay closer to the 800's upwind.  We crossed the line at 9:30 ish and were packed up for a late drink.

While we are still a little wobbly we are making progress and getting better at ballancing all the forces.
Looking forward to the nationals.

[phil_kirk]

We had a fun sail at Thornbury on Sunday.  Lots of two sail reaches in the course but we are getting more confident with sailing the boat. Our leeward mark roundings from reach to beat went well, gently hardening up onto the new course at speed with the racks pasing over the low mark.

We were quite happy in the boat, that was until the trapeeze lines untied themselves from the mast and I fell in via the tiller extension.  It appeared that the 4mm dynema at the top of the mast had come unspliced through repeated load cycles.  Everything was recovered and we managed to sail in unaided although it feels weired not to have trapeeze lines next too you.

[phil_kirk]

Sorry we were there Monday not Sunday. it all gets a bit confusing after a while!

[roland_trim]

Shame you missed Sunday, it was brill. Exactly the reasons we joined Thornbury - big expanse of water, a steady big wind and a heart thumping with joy.

Sunday was a steady force 3, with gusts of more. The sort of "wind tunnel" breeze that makes Cherub sailing so fun that we decided not to race. Instead we did lots of tacks against the stopwatch whilst Atum went around the cans like a rocket ship (finishing ahead of the entire mono hull fleet).

Things ended badly for us when the t-foil hold-down rope chaffed through and a multiple swimming session followed. We learnt lots from this session, most importantly that the boat is fast when everything works, we have a "it's windy" tack we can rely on and that H is too light to counterbalance the wind when the boat is static - from force 3 upwards we will now be water-starting as standard. The new retracting bridle and altered spinni fly-away worked at treat when recovering from a swim.

[phil_kirk]

Bums on racks when coming out of a tack or gybe is a must for us too.

Glad your enjoying the sailing and that the boat is working better now.

You may be pleased to know you are pictured in yachts and yachting September edition in an article about insurance cover. The picture was taken at last years nats after your mast had folded.  I wanted to tell the magazine that there would have been no insurance claim made and that you had made the thing your self. if you get bored you can tell them yourself.

[Banshee Ambulance]

Will anyone be at Thornbury over the weekend? I am just settling in to the new area and would be keen to come and have a look round the club if there are any Cherub sailors there to show me.

[phil_kirk]

We are not there but Tim unerman may be. 

The gate is opposite the anchor inn and is only opened by members for access.  If you hang around when people are arriving you can get in.
Alternatively park in the car park by the gate and walk up the drive at any time.

Sailing over the weekend
Sat first start is 15:05
Sun First start 16:30
You can expect people to be arriving about an hour before these times and people will be there for ages after.

Sociable lot. 

[phil_kirk]

While we have been getting to grips with the 05 rules cherub we have spent less time sailing the ent.  but in recent events we have really gone forward in the ent.  More boat speed all round the course.  As an example we were able to beat 4 usual top 10 placers or national champions on the weekend with a race to spare. Even more trophies to engrave now.  Success can be expensive.

Has anyone else noticed that their cherub sailing is paying off in other classes?

[Tim Noyce]

This is a good point Phil. I have noticed that after sailing the Cherub it definitely makes your boat handling superior in other classes. I think the result of this is that you can focus on sailing rather than worrying about keeping the boat upright.

I think of it this way... sailing an 05 Cherub in 12 knots of breeze is about equivalent of sailing most other boats in 20+. Another thing which I feel has made a difference is that with the Cherub you do most of the steering with sails and weight balance, this is because you have to. When you transfer this into more 'normal' boats you end up fighting the rudder a lot less and so end up going faster!

Maybe this explains why when I have sailed 2303 the rudder has survived... let my Dad have a go and it broke! ;-)

[phil_kirk]

Saturday:

Blasting about in lots of wind in Born Slippy.  Managed to tame the boat for the second race when the wind was picking up further.  Sarah had a go at helming but learnt the hard way that the helm gets quite sensitive at speed while the crew gets less sensitive!

Sunday:  with a few Kirk refinements.  Born slippy was much more organsied. Having learnt a bit about Born Slippy we entered one of Thornbury's long distance races. Most of the way to Sharpness and back.  Sarah was helming, I was crewing and trying to do tactics, imparting  my Cherub helming experience and being my normal competitive self.  It was relatively light winds with a little bit of fordecksville interspersed by some gusts and some calms. Tactically we were brilliant, ( well after the start anyway) and got ahead of atum before the second mark and caught the 29er by half way.
Atum had a guest helm of a well known Thornbury 700 sailor and a guest crew of a well known Chew cherub helm. They were on a learning curve as well as us.

There were some great moments where we we storming along either up wind or two sail reaching with me right out on the wire, bow out of the water but most of the two and a half hours we were sitting on the side deck. The race was won by a Feva! So a little more work to do. 


Thanks go to Roland and hayley for lending us Born Slippy. We've had a great weekend sailing her.