Hi all,

had a great sail on the FCA Blade one up today, in a club race on the Gippsland Lakes. Wind around 20 kts. Very choppy mostly .5m or so I guess.

Learnt a couple of things, when gybing in high winds with kite up and the main traveller near centre to depower. Tipping over is easier to avoid if you release traveller on the way through the gybe.

First gybe of race, capsize was caused when main flicked over and countered my pulling away so much that I couldn't stop it heading up the small amount, that made the main tip it over. On the 3 following runs I released traveller in gybe and was able to avoid capsizing. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

After the race I decided to unleash the BEAST <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />.

All runs in race I had sat on deck and sailed down with room for error, never realy pushing a bow under, but not going as fast as possible. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

So I pulled centre boards up to rope hole height and jumped on trap, foot in strap on back corner of boat, with kite up and main centred. It was WILD <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />, the Blade just sat up on top of the water and went faster and faster, bows occasionaly knifed through a wave but never enough to slow down, the usual slapping of water on hull was gone, only a incredible wooshing noise, unreal ride. Best ever on a F16, my heart is still pounding <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

The major control problem was actualy keeping the boat tracking straight enough to keep in control, it was so loose it could have spun on the spot, no lee helm or weather helm, just extremely touchy steering. Interestingly this situation had come up in discussion with Greg only a few weeks ago. He felt that this would be the limiting factor for one up downwind speed for the F16, as early on the F18's some skippers trapped downwind, but found it so difficult to maintain smooth straight steering from trapeze at top speed that it is now considered best to steer from the tramp. And most F18's do with the kite up.

Control was questionable, but it sure was a huge BUZZ <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />