It seems like Booth has been working on a secret weapon for the Olympics, basically he recut his gennaker to go upwind.
(Would this also explain the whole pelican-striker discussion we had earlier?

Read the google-translation from the press release:
Team Zwitzerleven unveal revolutionary new sail for Qingdao

A snuffable hooter no less...perhaps Rick was on to something afterall.

This is an interesting development. I really admire Mitch's ethic in pushing development in the Tornado class - he introduced the Wild Thing as a secret weapon at the Tornado worlds in Houston back in the day.

Thanks for posting Tony.

Chris.

Terrific!

Can't wait to see how she runs.

If it lives up to the promise, I'll be looking for put one on my boat...get lots of light wind events here in SoCal and I have a hard time staying with I20's upwind (better boards & more sail area...unless..!)

I love the fact it is completely within the class rules and has the potential to turn the competition upside-down! Very clever of them Mitch & his team...a true innovator if ever these was one.

This is why we need multi's in the games! Without this level of development focus, these concepts would rarely get off the drawing board.

Mike.

Looks like a small flat kite to me.

Quite surprised that everyone has not gone this route.

Be interesting to see how much wind they can carry it up wind.

And at what point loosing area kills them down wind.

It is a risk for them, I know they changed the minimum wind rule for the Ollies this time, but not sure how low they will race in.

I assume it still passes the 75% girth rule. It looks like it does.



Good thinking batman!

Doesn't the Olympics frown on such innovations that remove some of the human from the achievement?

Who thought it up, an alien?

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

The sail looks somewhat similar to what they use on the VX40.
One thing I would really like to know is when they use it for upwind sailing, how does it tack?
Or maybe they just use it for a long single tack and then douse it?

It's not new. Rick White was doing it on his N6.0 almost 10 years ago.

Thanks for remembering, Dave.
Still using it on the Taipan 4.9 and Wave
And they sail very well upwind. When tacking I partially furl the sail.
I know he is dousing it, but furling is much easier.
Rick

Y'all are right, this isn't new.

Fboats use their screachers upwind in less than 8kt, as standard procedure.

Next?

I know...but the games have, at least on the surface, been less about the equipment and more about the athlete.

I can carry my latest Grant Piggot kite up wind, I can tack it wire to wire as well, but I cannot carry it high enough to pay (I think); it's just feckin scary when the wind pipes up a knot and I have to bear off 50 degrees before I go swimming. It's funny in a scary kinda way!!!!

You can head up also. Tried and tested with an old T spi <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

But then there is no way out of the head-up single handed; Coming in off the wire and dropping upwind will get messy!!!!

I seem to recall Mitch turning up at an F18 worlds with a fully battened jib then they adjusted the rules and banned it.
now some 5-6 years later it's class legal.

A quick measurement on the picture suggest a girth much closer to 50%

I seem to recall that the Tornado class rules actually do not contain a 75% girth rule as the other classes know it.

Someone has to check this but I remember the Tornado class only setting max lengths on the foot leech and luff of the spinnaker sail and limit area and shape that way.

Actually the hooter is a rather old racing sail. The ORMA tris used to have one as far back as in the 80's/early 90's. It is just that cats class rules disallowed such sails by rulings like the girth rule.

Wouter

From 2008 International Tornado Class Rule
GENNAKER MAX DIMENSIONS
Luff length - 9150 mm
Leech length - 8050 mm
Foot length - 4250 mm
Head to Mid-foot - 8750 mm
Half width – as defined by ERS G.7.5(b) - 3450 mm

Then apparently the max girth allowed is 81% of the foot lenght, but actually there is no minimum

Our friends over at The Daily Sail have an article about the new sail, I wont post the detailed pics here due to them being in the subscribers only section though.
http://www.thedailysail.com/ism/articles...tdsde&Login