Last weekend, Ann and I took the Falcon out for its first proper open at Lake Bala in Wales. The weather forecast the week before was a bit mixed, and suggested that it wouldn't be an ideal weekend for either sailing or camping. We actually ended up with great sailing on two of the three days, but I think attendance suffered a bit due to the forecast, with a mixed fleet of around 15, made up of F18s, Nacra/Inter 20s, a Nacra 6, 3 As, a Shadow and a few others.

On Saturday morning, Lake Bala was a 4 mile long mill pond, without a ripple in sight. After several postponements, the wind suddenly arrived just before 4pm and gave every impression that it was going to set in for the day. Unfortunately, after a mad rush to get on the water, the wind gave up and swung through 180 degrees half way through the start sequence, leaving us with a downwind drift to the first mark, and the rest of race being a lottery of holes and massive shifts.

Sunday morning looked like it would have the opposite problem: an overcast sky, and a strong wind blowing straight down the lake onto the exposed shore of the club left us thinking twice about going out. Once we got out there, we found the conditions to be more or less perfect - flat water, and a strong but pretty much steady wind. I was so excited that I managed to capsize on the first tack of the first race.

The next three races went rather better and gave us our first opportunity to see how the Falcon stacked up against the bigger boats. The answer: very well indeed, with some close racing with the F18s, two 20s and the Nacra 6. On the water we got a 2nd, a 1st and a 3rd, and I think these stood on handicap too, despite Phil on the Shadow finishing uncomfortably close behind in all races.

Monday saw similar conditions, although the 2nd and 3rd races saw some big lulls, with the wind intermittently dropping from 15 knots down to about 6 knots. We had trouble in the 2nd race, finding more of the 6 than the 15, and then running over our spinnaker sheets. We made up for it in the last race and after a very close race with the leading F18 we managed to finish with a 1st (on the water and on handicap).

We finished 2nd overall, behind Pete and Jess Findlay on an Infusion, and ahead of an F18 from Tresaith in 3rd, and Phil on the Shadow in 4th.

The Falcon attracted quite a lot of interest, especially after it became clear that we were giving the bigger boats a real run for their money on the water. We got nothing but compliments on the boat, both on the performance on the water, and on the build quality and setup (well, one of the F18 crews said, "I don't know what it is or where it came from, but it can go back there because it shouldn't be that fast", but we took that as a compliment).

We're still getting used to the boat and there's definitely scope for driving it harder downwind thanks to the additional bouyancy up front, but we're really happy with the performance and the results this weekend!

In two week's time I'll be doing Rutland on my own, so we'll see how it goes singlehanded.

Paul

Nice write up Paul. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I have mixed memories of Bala though

It's a bleak place when it's raining hard and there's 25mph out of the NE!!!

Congrats on getting the speed out of the Falcon so quick too! Pete Findlay is certainly no slouch on an F18.......

Glad to hear you had a good time. However, I'm just a little bit concerned that you are probably going faster than before. As for the £20 entry fee for a 3 day event maybe others should take note!
I'm leaving for Rutland on the Thursday morning for the 'A' Class Nationals. Thursday afternoon Chris Field will be giving away a few of his tuning secrets and on Friday he has been given permission to borrow a Club RIB and do some training. I'm sure if you could there sometime on Friday he would keep an eye on you if you wanted to go for a Sail.

Do you know that Chris Field is a A class measurer? Maybe worth asking him if he could measure your Stealth while he's there...

Chris is extremely proactive at measuring the UK A Class fleet and I've never seen or heard of him charging for this service. It's just a shame our self appointed UK F16 measurer doesn't follow his example!

I was not self apointed. I made the offer and it was excepted. I'll measure boats if required; but I do have a day job.

I've made offers to do boats at events I will be attending; no-one has taken me up on the offer - if prople cannot be botherd; not my problem.

I've made offers, no-one took me up on them......

I am sure the associations would be more than happy to have more measurers. Are you stepping up Mark?

The fact that you haven't attended any event but the ECPR over the last two years *may* be a factor

Nearly true; I was in Mumbles for the 2008 GC as well.

You offering to become a measurer too?

Whenever enyone has asked and I have had to decline as I am working I have always told them that they can also contact Dave Chivers who is the main catamaran measurer in the south east.

I have given out his email address; as far as I am aware, no one has contacted him.

Er why are we giving Soobie a kicking when no one is even interested in measuring boats in the UK, all the F16's are all basic manufacturers boats and all would come in within a 5 or 10 kilo band of weight. To bother to measure the boats would simply be more trouble than its worth.

Sadly, I think we've got to get them measured for Como.

Paul

Just my two cents worth: learning to measure is not difficult but does require practice to be efficient, so there is no reason not to have a number of measurers. On the other hand, I've seen no real reason for measuring. All the boats I've seen are well within the formula. We in the U.S. are moving to have measurement certificates provided by the builders, which, imo,is the best option.

Measuring is necessary, if we want to be taken serious and if we want honest racing as sooner or later people will try and bend the rules.

As Pete says, work is in progress so the measuring has no impact on the owner/buyer (except that he has to pay a fee ofcourse :-) )

Gill

Well I have no intention in 'paying' to have my boat measured prior to the F16 Euro's. The organisers can carry out as many checks as they like when ever they like whilst I'm at the event.

I Know what you're saying Gill but a measurement form wont stop a cheater.

Mark,
Are you saying you'd travel all the way to Como knowing that you have no intention of complying with clause 8.1 of the NOR?

8.1. Each boat shall present a valid measurement certificate at the time of Registration and Equipment Inspection.

John
Maybe you should read the NOR again, this time without your rose tinted glasses on, there are so many errors that I reckon the whole event is a bit of a farce.
So in reality I think I can enter due to having a "Class Pass".

This is what I was up to last Monday

Hey Mark, I think we'd better -measure- that new F16 you are on, something don't look right...

;^)

This one has been measured

Just what I wanted to say Mark. I don't think you have an issue to have the A cat measured? It's same isn't it?

I know it won't stop all cheaters, but still I think it will make racing more fair. It might look unnecessary now as most of the teams there know each other and are friends, however things will change sooner or later and it you don't plan on buying a new boat every year paying a certificate once isn't that much compared to all the other expenses sailing brings along....

Looking forward to see you at Como!

Gill