Orlando regatta, quick update

We are still away on our travels and I found an unwatched computer so am taking my chance for a quick update. The Orlando NCR regatta weekend was great fun and very well run by everyone involved. I’ll have some photos and thanks to add once I get home. Racing wise I had an average Saturday and a decent Sunday which pulled me and Pond Sprite up into 5th place overall, out of 23 starters. So I am pretty happy with that. Pond Sprite went well, especially in the lighter wind races when she came through the pack for good finishes from bad starts… in other words the boat is better than I am.

Friday gave me a chance to get some more testing time too on a new design called Dragon. Dragon is a ‘long’ fairly narrow design in the current style and is also my test bed for a new style of una swing rig I have been working on which I call the OPUS rig. In the fresh breeze I was very pleased with the rig’s performance and ability to react to gusts etc. OPUS and Dragon drew some nice comments, more about this new rig and boat along with photos next week when I am back on the boatyard computer.

Until later,
Graham

Pond Sprites for Orlando… pt.2

Well the ‘Orlando Twins’ are coming along nicely. Both have been finished in spar varnish over the ply hulls and deck with the balsa hatch covers being spray painted in off white, lead bulbs to match. One of these boats is for sale and I just put details of this at the web site. Click on the ‘Specials’ link on the contents page at www.scalesailing.com

I am fitting my Spektrum DX6i radio control with tiny (3 gram) AR6100 receiver in the boat. I have sailed with this radio quite a bit now and radio range is as much as I need with a footy even with the shorter range receivers such as this one. Next I need to sort out a range of rigs ready for the event. I have three ‘A’ size rigs so far and need to build a small ‘B-rig’ in case the wind gets up strong. I like to use a small ‘A-rig’ rather than the rules specified ‘B-rig’ in windy conditions but over a two day event it is just too risky to go with a small ‘A-rig’ and lose the choice of a larger rig if the wind drops. So I will make the biggest ‘B’ I can! 

Only two weeks away now and I must admit I am getting pretty excited about our trip down south to race and of course holiday.

windy weather footys

Over the weekend I was asked for my thoughts on windy weather footy sailing by a group in Florida. I thought more people might be interested in a few ideas of how to handle strong wind conditions and  I can perhaps expand here on how I answered them.

The first thing to say is that the wind can get too strong for any size rig, even the tiny ‘B-rig’ as specified by the footy rules will simply be too big for extreme conditions. So these thoughts will assume that although the wind is strong it is not enough to change down in sail size. So we will look at how to tune the sails to manage the conditions better. Also this discussion assumes you are using a sloop rig with a main sail and a jib sail. 

Your main tool to combat strong wind conditions is sail twist. Allowing the sails to twist away from the wind towards the top of the sail will dump more air from the upper parts of the sails but maintain a good drive from the sails. The mainsail twist is controlled by the kicking strap or vang fitted from the main boom to the mast. The jib sail twist is controled by the ‘topping lift’ which is the line running from the rear of the jib boom up to a point on the mast or mast head where the forestay is attached.

By loosening the kicking strap the main boom will be allowed to rise and in doing so will control the amount of twist in the main sail. Likewise tightenning the topping lift will raise the rear end of the jib boom (you may have to ease the forestay tension a little) imparting twist in the jib. Set the jib twist to echo the shape you see in the mainsail, look from the rear with the wind filling the sails to see this.

Pond Sprite showing sail twist in main and jib

The balance of the boat in high winds will tend to gain more weather helm, in landlubber talk that means that the boat will turn up harder into the wind when you are close hauled sailing close to the wind. Using more twist in the main than the jib and flattenning the foot of the main more than the jib are ways to control this ‘luffing’ into wind. Also you can move the jib pivot further forward on the bowsprit if you have one to combat weather helm in strong winds.

Sail foot curve is generally reduced too in strong winds. Set the outhauls (rear bottom corner sail attachment on booms) to allow about a 1/2″ curve from the sail edge to the boom at the mid point.

For a strong wind racing day I like to have a rig (about the size of the original Kittiwake I rig) which is set up with the ability to add a lot of twist in the main and the jib. The rig can then be detuned to be almost like a B rig and tightenned up considerably if the wind does ease a little. Then if the wind does get even stronger you can still change down to a rules size B rig.

Victor V12 with nicely set twist in a blow

Those windy days can be enjoyed, not avoided with the right set up and tuning, give it a try… footys on a B rig can handle just about anything, just make sure they are watertight! And unsinkable is a plus!

Graham

inauguration

What a wonderful day it was yesterday to see the mass enthusiasm for the new President. As a still relatively new immigrant to these shores I have been drawn into the whole process since the beginning of the primaries and thoroughly enjoyed it all. I am one of those people who enjoy watching politics in action and this cycle has been well worth watching.

I know that as time goes on I am feeling more attached to my new country but for me it has been a very slow process. Not because of the people I know and love here, not because of my friends and the people I meet day to day. But because of the leadership and direction it has taken us in. To my British view it has not looked or felt good. With the promise of this change however, whichever way it had gone but especially as it has turned out, I have felt a growing attachment and of pride in what has gone on here. Until yesterday I had only lived here under President Bush. I am very much looking forward to at least the hope of seeing America become again what it should be. I think it will under President Obama.

Ok back to boats…

Pond Sprites for Orlando… pt.1

As mentioned in the last post I have just started to build a brace of Pond Sprites. These are serving a dual purpose in checking my latest laser cut parts plus providing two boats to take to the Footy National Regatta in Orlando in March. The prototype Pond Sprite came second in last year’s Sheboygan Footy Fest against some very stiff competition. Since then the design has gone through some changes on deck to give easier access to the internals with a single bigger hatch. The sides and bottom are now ply rather than balsa which is so much easier to finish smoothly and tougher too to resist the occasional bump. This is a medium width boat, 105mm (4 1/8″) at the waterline with a low rocker and blunt rounded bow. She handles very nicely, beats hands off and is very good down wind.

In changing to ply sides and bottom the weight will increase a little which will suggest the use of the lighter Lithium Energiser AA batteries to lower the battery weight. This new version of the boat is taking into account the change in the battery rules (for racing footys) which will allow any size or type of battery to be used. Once the rule is in effect I will most likely change to 3x AA Lithium Energiser or 4x AAA batteries of any type. I will do the same in my Kittiwake K2 also.

In the photo above I have just added the decks which are taped down while the glue dries. Next I will be fitting the rudder mount and fitting the keel fin. Then will come the finish, I am pondering how to do these two boats. I like varnished wood and usually varnish the deck and paint the hulls. I have found that all varnished wood can be difficult to see at distant turns when I am racing. However, I am thinking that a varnished hull with painted deck will make a change and will be easily visible. I also might do something outrageous and artistic… we’ll see.

Graham

sailing and building 2009

The building season is well under way here in the chilly northern parts of the USA. Snow has been on the ground for weeks here in south east Wisconsin and the lakes and ponds have been frozen since mid November. It would be easy to get frustrated especially as I read about the footy activity going on right now in Florida. But that would get us no where so I’ll enjoy the evenings in the workshop knowing that the grass doesn’t need cutting or the vegetables watering… it’s just that the snow needs moving… argh.

So I am planning ahead and in a day or two will be starting to build two Pond Sprites to prove the laser cut sets and photograph for the kit CD. One of these boats will be my boat for the Footy National Class Races in Orlando in March. Those of you who like a wooden removeable hatch rather than the taped down plastic type hatch will like the Pond Sprite. The boat will be testing a type of laser cut frame which will make into a simple and snug fitting hatch.

The Pond Sprite is narrower in beam than the Kittiwake K2, around 100mm or 4″. The hull form has less severe curves than the K2 and less rocker. With it’s signature curved plywood transom it is a pleasing shape but distinctly different to the K2. In fact that’s the original prototype in this blog heading photo. The rig will be of a two sail sloop design with a large jib which gives it good balance downwind. The Pond Sprite took second place in the Sheboygan Footy Fest ‘08 against pretty stiff competition. I think on that day in a good wind it’s great strength was down wind performance, it romped away from the field at times.

When will the kit be ready?… well if things turn out as planned I am aiming for mid March after the NCR event in Orlando. This is already a well tested boat with a number of rigs already sailed in varying conditions. One of my club mates commented when he first sailed Pond Sprite that it handled like a bigger yacht, meaning that it tracked well on a course and was easy to sail. I know I like it and I hope that you will too. Watch this space, as they say.

Graham

a new look

Well it’s 2009 and I decided to give our web site a new contents page. This will make the main pages even easier to find and will bring what were previously ’sub’ pages to the forefront too. Just click on the photos in the contents page to jump to detail pages about the kits, boat parts, products pages, general information, free plans and of course this blog. I hope you like the new look and find it even easier to navaigate. www.scalesailing.com

Happy New Year from us both to you all,
Graham & Jan

footy filosophy

I’m not sure if it’s because the two words start with the letter ‘F’ but Footys and Fun seem to go well together. Just pottering about should be fun of course, that goes without saying, but racing? I have raced both Marbledeads and International One Metre model yachts and those classes can be fun but have a habit of getting very serious rather quickly! I raced the old ’575′ yachts back in England too and yes without a doubt they were fun just like the footys.

For me what makes the difference is the relaxed nature of the racing with regard to the rules. Now this doesn’t mean that the racing is a free for all or a barging binge, but it does mean that it is very rare that the racing is aggressive and verbal. Many footy sailers are complete newcomers to sailing in general and yet they do turn up at regattas and are openly welcomed and encouraged to have a go as best they can. Seeing experienced skippers and beginners racing together and getting along is very pleasing. Somehow the overall foolishness of racing these little tiny boats deflates the big egos and encourages the newbies… brilliant!

There is a wonderful word which regulates the best of gentlemanly sail boat racing, corinthian. The word corinthian is to be found in the names of so many yacht clubs around the world and for good reason. It is an ideal, to be lived up to by participants in amateur boat racing throughout the world. I understand it to mean racing with the most basic respect for your fellow racers and their boats. You race to win but first you race fair, give others room to race and do it with good humour. It can be as simple as the difference between calling “room please number 10″ in good time when you have to tack because of an approaching bank rather than barking at the last moment ”ROOM number 10″

Now anyone who has been following the recent Footy Rules ballot could be forgiven for thinking that this fun element wasn’t reflected in the debate. Well I think that is true but without a doubt the few volunteers we have who have taken on the task of administering the class are doing their best to mold the rules to reflect the wishes of the majority of the registered owners as seen in the ballot.  There are those who don’t like the likely outcome but that’s democracy right? I voted against changing the battery rule but now that it looks like the rule will change I am excited about the possibilities that the change will open up.

I suggest that we all get behind those officers who are trying to move the class forward and welcome the new rules openly when they are published very soon. We need the guys who are working so hard on this to survive the process and stay with us. Without Angus, John, Flavio, both Bills and others we could lose the energy and direction which has brought our new class so far so quickly. Tell them on the forums that the normally silent majority is behind them and accepting of the new rules.

I am convinced that the Fun will remain in Footys and the rapid growth in races being organised will continue. We will be organising the ‘Sheboygan Footy Fest’ here again in May 2009 and hope to get another good turnout. In the USA Florida is packed with great racing being organised by a host of clubs. New Hampshire ran races this year and a group in Michigan is trying to get a start. If you are in a club with a few footys get some informal racing organised. It’s amazing how quickly the unbelievers change their minds about these small boats when they see what fun they can be around the course.

See you at the pond,
Graham

Copyright 2008 by Graham McAllister Designs.
Text and photos may not be reproduced without written permission from Graham McAllister Designs.

the Kittiwakes

I have had a few questions about compatibility between the original Kittiwake kit and the new Kittiwake K2. Probably the most important aspect being whether the sails and rig of the K2 will fit on the earlier boat. The simple answer is yes, with a few small modifications.

The mast is the same diameter on both boats so the new rig will drop straight into the mast socket in the earlier Kittiwake. However to handle the larger jib sail it will be necessary to add a bowsprit to the hull. To do this you must first remove the brass screw eye at the bow. Then sand off the finish on the raised deck support strip so that a wood dowel bowsprit can be epoxied in place. The bowsprit is 3 1/2″ long and 1 1/2″ will project in front of the bow. Sand or file a flat on the bottom of the bowsprit to give a larger gluing area and epoxy it down. Add a couple of small brass screws if you like. That’s really all there is to it.

I am making the new K2 sails available at $19.95 the pair, taped and holed ready to use. Also a full conversion kit which includes the sails, carbon tube booms, carbon strip forestay, aluminum mast tubes, various fitting parts,
thread, bowsprit, extract from the K2 instructions, drawing and photo CD showing assembly of the rig is available for $29.50

The hulls are the same so you can expect the balance of the converted Kittiwake to be the same as a K2. The keel of the K2 is a little longer with the same 7oz keel weight so a K2 will be a little ’stiffer’ and able to handle a little more wind than a converted Kittiwake. This is not really a problem though because you can quickly change back to the original sails and rig by making a new jib pivot thread which will then slip over the bowsprit. The control line guides for the main and jib booms all stay in the same place. You will just need to make sure that the lengths of the lines work for both rigs by adjusting the K2 rig connections to suit.

For the racers… about the possible rules changes
There are a group of proposals currently being voted on by registered Footy Class members. None of the changes if they are accepted will impact the Class legality of either the Kittiwake or the Kittiwake K2.

The most significant is if the 4x AA battery restriction is lifted. If an owner  changes to lighter batteries in our designs the performance will not be adversely affected. Lowering the overall weight in this way will automatically improve the ballast-to-overall weight ratio and make the boat a little stiffer. I would most likely stay with the heavier batteries in many conditions because it looks like a little more inertia is a good thing in footy racing.

If the rig choice rule is changed the kit rigs will be unaffected and the alternative rigs available as free download drawings at our web site will still all be relevant. We will always add details of more rigs as I make and test them. So come what may you will continue to be able to enjoy the extra fun of class racing your ScaleSailing footy.

All the best,
Graham

an auspicious week

Quite a week in so many ways for the great and the small. We have a brand spanking shiney new president to carry our hopes forward into the next decade. I must say that as a newcomer to these shores I have been fascinated with this campain and deeply drawn into the process. Despite not yet having a vote I cheered along with the rest, feeling very proud that my newly adopted country is bold enough to take this step. Good fortune to you Mr. Obama.

On the small side, well it’s big for me, we passed the 300 Kittiwake kits mark. Orders are starting to flow for Christmas too so I can see # 350 not so far away. The sudden influx of orders though has meant that I am currently out of stock of K2’s while I get the next batch together. The seamless transition I planned last time didn’t work out, best laid plans of mice and men etc. So I am taking names for a pre-order list and I do expect to be shipping again in the last week in November.

I will be away from the business from 8th Nov. to the 14th Nov. so won’t be able to answer emails during that time. Our autumn break in the woods with a roaring fire and dark skies beckons… I just might sneak a footy along