Hi all,

that's right we have a new F16 owner in OZ, Bill from Canberra has bought "Altered". <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Now I am boat less. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

But not for long I hope. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Yes it will be a F16. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

It has to be I still have the trailer and one mainsail. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Regards Gary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Gary,

Well done. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Will the next be a Blade ?

Regards,

Peter

p.s. Heard on the Somers grapevine that you got 10th place in the Fireball state titles. Is that true ?

Hi Peter,

I hope it will be a Blade.

Yes I did get 10th. in Fireball Titles, thanks to my youngest brothers good crew work we where able to be competitive up to the middle of the fleet.

Was a real blast from the past, we hadn't sailed a Fireball since the early to mid 80's and never together.They use to have spinnaker chutes when we sailed them, chute would have made it more familiar but we had some good rides in up to 30kts. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> The small spinnaker was certainly easier to handle than the F16.

Regards Gary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Hey Team,

I've sold USA #300 as well (and after only a couple weeks with lots of serious interest...), to Andrew and Elizabeth from New Mexico.I really appreciate this community - I learned to sail and race with the advice given here.The F16 is flat out the best boat I ever owned.

Sailing with Andrew in San Francisco Bay for the last time, I felt ( this is REALLY not like me), pretty damn emotional ( also cold and scared given that the tide was ebbing at 5kts. and the wind was 12 - 15kts.true and blowing under the Golden Gate and out into oblivion)...

I'll miss you guys ( not you Doc cause we'll see each other as I swim around my Moth and you kick everyones butt on the course...).

I will be back. Promise.

Oh, one last question: Wouter, have you taken a serious look at the Foiler Moth ?


Paul Kilkenny
S.F.Bay Area
NorCal, Seppoland

Yes and it is a very interesting concept. Would love to give it a try sometime. But I don't have the money to own for soon if ever.

Wouter

Paul, have fun on that foiler. I dunno about anyone else, but I will surely love to see some photos of that lil monster.

They have a Moth Fleet in Nor-Cal? This I've got to see! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Why don't you talk two of those Moth guys into connecting their boats and be the first to have a real foiling cat?

Looks like it's been accomplished.

Foiling Cat

Terry, do you have any more information on that foiling A cat? There was a Dr. Sam Bradfield (I think) in Melborne (I think) who was working on foils for a Hobie 18 about 10 years ago. I don't know what happened to it though. That A cat sure looks cool! How fast does it go??

I know nothing! [Sgt. Schultz, Hogan's Heroes]

Seriously, simply did a Google search on foiling cats.

Tim,

I think you'll find the A Cat belongs to Dave Carlson, posts on the general forum as 'dacarls'.

Here's a link to his webpage:

"Cheetalope"

ICARUS is the foiling cat I remember, but here is a lot of information on another one: http://homepages.rya-online.net/ejcchapman/default.htm
There was a huge discussion here a few years ago: http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...;amp;page=7&fpart=1&vc=1

I have watched the (former???) world champion in action on many occasions. He is truly a master of these boats and even in his hands it looks very difficult at best. I think mastering an i14 would be a piece of cake compared to these things.

I personally think foiling is not something that the wider sailing community either wants or needs. Foils on rudders such as the F14 or i14 are a different matter as anything that makes the boats more sailable should be encouraged.


Tiger Mike

Thanks for the info. Sorry Dave, I thought it was Sam Bradfield.

And Dave, about that air curtain, we need one in Bombay, there are about 1000 mosquitoes on board when we get on the plane after they service it. That would be a great place to test your system!

Now, what do you think about using a newer, lighter A cat and smaller, carbon foils? Would that make it easier to get up and stay up on the foils?

Hey, if Andrew and Elizabeth of New Mexico are attending this post let me know where you sail or something. Post here, or PM me on this site, or I'm in the book in Santa Fe.
Imagine, two F 16's in New Mexico, that's almost a fleet !
I've been out twice this spring. Sunday it was white caps from beginning to end, boy did I get tired. But I was able to hold on to it and realize some of the F16 abilities like converting gusts to velocity with out much flying. I think it was in the low twenties (MPH) most of the time. No I didn't get up the courage to pop the spin, I was the only boat in the lake. I was moving pretty good with just the main down wind and managed to pull off a jibe with out pushing the tiller too far in the wrong direction when I switched sides. One of the questions I've had about F16, could I manage in white caps as well as I have learned to do on H16 solo? My feeling now is that the Blade is more stable, at least if you have all the stuff in the right place. I seems to be more forgiving because of the full round hulls and the extreme buoyancy. Once you get flying high and the boards aren't too deep, then I think it just slides down wind rather than catching a rail (H16) and digging in.
Will Lints

Yes. I do so. But I always say that it is best to get up there in smaller steps. The F16 rig can be quite powerful when not trimmed right and the boat only weights 110 kg, if you loose your footing then she will accellerate from under you or you will be waterskiing along side her. Once you work out how to depower the rig properly then she will become quite calm and will be easy to sail solo even in big winds. Spinnaker sailing (solo) is the same. Just plan a path towards those extreme conditions with small steps and learn each step. Personally, after about a season of sailing I started to sail her solo in all conditions and pull the spinnaker in all conditions as well. I did work my way upthere through various intermediate stages. It can be done and with some commitment it can even be done quite rapidly.

Wouter

Spinnaker wise, I have 2 problems; 1) once I get going I can't figure out where the wind is, and 2) the lake wind shifts tend to put me on the wrong side of a jibe. I know there was a discussion last year about foot straps and also some mention of "chicken wire"? Nothing like floating away from the boat and knowing there is nothing I can do to correct the situation.

when setting the spi' (after rounding the windward mark) I center my traveller about 12-14" from center and sheet the main. Then sail directly downwindand and hoist the spi', after locking down the spinlock a quick pull on the downhaul to let off pressure. Sheet in on the spi and come up so that you have the tell tales on the bridal wire flowing 90 degrees. I generally sheet in and sail up until i "heat up" the spi, then let out on the spi' and sail lower until the tell tales flow at 90 degrees.



If racing buoys, best to sit on the hull near the rear cross beam and sail as above. In distance racing you may want to trapeze where a foot strap is (IMHO) a definte must.




When sailing, and especially solo, NEVER (repeated for clarification) NEVER let go of the sheet (main to windward and spi' downwind) or you certainly will be floating.

And I agree with Wouter, this has been my first year sailing a spi' cat...at first it's a bit intimidating (especially with high gusty winds), but with incremental steps (and several bow-stuffs) you'll get the hang of it.

Having had a sail on a foiler moth and a conventional narrow moth, the foiler is easier to sail in general. The boat speeds up quicker and the righting moment is increased without having to hike harder. The loads are a lot less downwind because it is much faster downwind, which makes it easier to sail downwind. Downwind is the hardest part of sailing a conventional narrow moth.

Tback, I've got a few stuffs, most of which aren't too dramatic, but I'm trying to remember the jibing situation where I'm starting to float and if I push the tiller then I'll be further off the hull on the down wind side and I don't think I can pull on the spin sheet because it is already slack. I would need to drop the tiller so I could 'hand over hand' the line until I'd be into the side stay, without a tiller. I don't know if I'm painting a clear picture but on the trap wire with spin I don't think I can survive a jibing wind shift with out something extra to keep me attached to the boat.