Originally Posted by Gary Baigent  Here is some stuff that might be of interest (and illumination).
Smackwater Jack after launching, began by easily beating the brand new and impressive heavy displacement S&S 50 foot design Corinthian in light winds – which annoyed some of the blazer wearing set. Ross thought the Smackwater Jack’s daggerboard definitely helped the boat sail very high to windward in the light conditions but was quick to downgrade conventional boat owner fears by adding, “I’m not sure they are that big an improvement – if you put a keel on any of the new boats, they would be just as potent.” After the first Dunhill trials, which Smackwater Jack won, the rear guard set out to stop the yacht and Smackwater Jack was disqualified because of not having a category 2 safety certificate, then later was found to have insufficient cabin headroom. This meant late night alterations but this was nothing the crew was not used to (the boat, once the bare hull was received, was put into the water in five weeks) so the attractive original cabin shape was torn apart and a boxy adaptation made to meet the rules which would allow them to sail in the One Ton trials – which they also won. Later came the Southern Cross trials and the Whiting/Ross boat was expected to compete but the team was broke. Ross was frank, “We would have entered if only to get some more tune-up races but we couldn’t afford the $150 entry fee.” In the One Ton Cup, even though critics and disgruntled competitors of other conventional yachts had tried to thwart Smackwater Jack, the boat was still expected to take the Cup – but Red Lion won the series with a 2,1,1,4,3 placings. Moderate to light winds suited the light boats but a heavy weather race inflicted damage: Jenny H fell off a wave and fractured a forward ring frame which allowed topsides and stringers to collapse, Australian Farr board boat Hecate withdrew while Red Lion and Smir-Noff-Agen revealed damage when examined after the race and Smackwater Jack leaked and gave up.
This damage was perfect calibre ammunition for those who abhorred the new wave yachts and special emphasis was made on “capsizing” when the light boats broached under spinnaker. At one stage the Lidgards on Smir-Noff-Agen set a spinnaker in 50 knots of wind – so it was not surprising that the boat wiped out. The Australian Farr Wild Turkey was alongside surfing at 18 knots under main and jib alone and when they saw the Lidgards set their spinnaker and immediately get flattened, expected to never see the sistership again – but Smir-Noff-Agen recovered and went on to win the race. Jim Lidgard said to Sea Spray, “If we lift the board too far when off the wind, we start to roll but no more than a conventional keelboat. We had a couple of broaches but that was crew fault
Young’s Heatwave had rig problems, “Just before the 350 mile start in a rising south easterly gale, we fractured a spreader. Greg Elliott went up the mast to make a quick repair but by the time we got going, the fleet was out of sight in driving rain. Then strands parted on the forestay but everyone wanted to carry on, so we did, risking the rig, slogging on our own to Canoe Rock – to see committee boat Sirdar heading for shelter. We headed out to Channel Island knowing we were well back and after rounding near dusk, we set the spinnaker. The log reached 22 knots with the boat lit up like daylight from phosphorescence as we charged through the night. At daybreak we had caught the fleet and were very close to the leader. Seeing us overtaking them and into fourth place forced them to also set spinnakers. Everyone was pushing hard and it was a wild ride. We had a few broaches – but then later the wind fell away. Heatwave was not good in the light and I made our situation worse by going the wrong side of the course – and so we ended up a poor fifth. But I was happy, we had shown that Heatwave was the fastest of them all in a blow.” |
02-26-2009, 07:16 PM
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