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It's the penultimate event of this year's Thames Area series - Sunday at Henley can only mean exquisite river sailing, a super friendly club, cakes rating 10 on the Zoe scale and a lawn fit to eat them on.  I'm imagining it'll be the usual 3 races, 11am start and John Meds claims to be a fully paid up member so pester him if you need instructions or more info.

Hope to see lots of you there (especially 'local' boats from Ranelagh, Twickenham, Desborough and Burghfield).

Mike D
N3496

Draining the boat - it's the same as mine so just sit in the right place - ie just by the thwart and crew in front and the water should drain out pretty fast through the transom slots.  If you go further back when it's light, the water will come in.

The place to stick the fore/aft level is on the centreboard case top.  I think that should work.

As for the centre main, it's worth a try.  If you're sailing mostly at sea, it probably just about has an advantage - easier to gybe in a blow for instance - though it does make fore and aft movements for the crew on the run in a blow more restricted.  With more inland sailing, most people think it's not as easy to move around the boat and roll tack, and that's why 9 out of 10 owners prefer aft sheeting.

Mike D
N3496

Big thanks to Vyv and all at Starcross for hosting v.enjoyable meeting.  For those not there 17 boats, 3 races on Sat in f2-3 and lovely conditions.  Sadly no wind today.  Well done to Jon Ibbotson who won.

Mike D

Rick

Good to see you're having fun in one of the only 5 Numini ever built.  They do wobble a bit on a run in a blow - I thiink as a consequence of the light weather performance being so sparkling.  John's advice above is all good stuff.  Depends on the conditions running - up to top of force 2, the board can come pretty much right up, the leeward shroud right off and some of the windward one too, with next to no kicker.  Both of you will be sitting as far forward as possible.  If you can be bothered, pull on some jib halyard as well.  As the wind increases into force 3-4, you just need to make the boat more stable and manageable: 25-35% board down, leave the windward shroud on, more kicker and both move back a bit - you just behind the thwart, your crew just in front.  As it begins to plane, you can both edge back to encourage it.

At the top of a force 4 and beyond - what you were sailing in - you'll want at least 50% board down, the leeward shroud will probably stay on, plenty of kicker and both of you come back together to keep the nose out.  As the gusts come, move back even further - you could be right off the windward quarter and your crew on tip toes anywhere behind the thwart up to the transom and delicately moving around to keep the boat level.  I have quite long legs and I have a single windsurfer toe strap mounted 30cms from the transom that I lock my aft foot into with the front one under the rear part of the ordinary toe strap.  That gives me a more stable platform with the emphasis on weight back rather than out.  The saving trick is to pull in a lot of main quickly when the boat really wobbles.  It always seems to stabilise it and then you can let it out again.  If the wind gets up still further, just start praying!

In general terms, the less kicker and plate you have and the further out you can get your boom, the faster  you'll go but the more you'll wobble!

Mike D
N3496

James

Paper Darts were very dependable at the time and if this one has been looked after well, it could be worth going for.  On balance though, don't expect it necessarily to be as quick as your Crusader.  It's two generations before in terms of boat development.  

Mike D
N3496

Vyv

With crew lined up, that's me confirmed, so count me in for catering.  Thanks.

Mike D
N3496

Hmmm, why is it that everyone thinks Numinous is a weight sensitive design?  We all know that Graham and Zoe (who don't weigh much) are unbeatable in theirs in light airs, but I think they'd be the same in any other shape because they're very good.  The rest of the current Numinous owning group are all, I'd guess, sailing with more than 20 stone.  Granted, none of us are pulling up trees at Burton Week but we are all doing at least ok and John and Mandy were convincing winners of Salcombe week in 2005.  Anne and I at 20.5 stone are definitely quicker in ours than we were in our Chapter.  I think the jury's still out on this one.

Mike D
N3496

I think you'll find the reason why there are more jibs around than mains is that a new jib makes more difference to boat speed than a new main.  You can keep a main going until it begins to fall apart without major loss of speed whereas a dacron jib loses premium shape much more quickly - so people buy them more often.

Mike D
N3496

Rick

See Nigel May's post of a few days ago - N3490 for sale.  It's a Numinous by Brett Dingwall with superspar carbon mast.  I have an almost identical boat - just a year newer, though with a Chipstow mast.   All Brett's 5 Numinouses are lovely to sail and go like a dream especially in the light to medium end of the windscale.  I don't agree with comments elsewhere about them not carrying weight so well.  Anne and I are about 20.5st and we go as well as my ability allows, and we're certainly quicker than in the d/b Chapter we used to have.

Mike D
N3496

Vyv

If you're able to find a max 9 stone-ish crew for the weekend that'd be great.  If that doesn't work, I'll chase up Fran's kind offer.

Is there a pub or b&b close by (am too old to camp!)?

Mike D
N3496

Flipside and I would like to be there if anyone (not more than c.9 st) fancies crewing for the weekend as Anne is still not fit to sail yet.  Please email me on michael.day@hrp.org.uk or call evenings 020 8783 9243.

Mike D
N3496

Could someone who was there summarise the main decisions:  What was decided on the National status and rule re-write issue?  Did the sail change measurement proposal go through?  Thanks ...

Mike D
N3496

You don't need the brass strip.  If you want to save weight and stay protected, go for some black nylon equivalent from P&B.  It's v. cheap and you can stick it on with impact adhesive, the odd small screw and copious quantities of tape to hold it in place till it dries.  Fill and varnish the old holes first though.

Mike D
N3496

Well, that's a big well done to Tom and Liz - as dominating a performance as I can recall - and big thanks to Graham for keeping the virtual fleet in touch with events on the water.

MIke D
N3496

Well done Graham and Zoe - Numinouses (Numini?) rule!!

Mike D
N3496