Well some of you are aware, I will be part of the Blade project here in the US. My question is, will I have a hard time righting the Blade F16? I weigh in at 180lbs. I once flipped the H16, but I was unable to right it, by myself. Will I have to get assistance from a righting bag?

I know this question will be answered once I am out in the water, but I would like to have all the necesary gear prior to getting the boat.

Robi

I am sure that you will have no problem righting your new boat single handed without any aids other than a righting line.

regards

john

Jeff Woodard Said he had absolute no issues at 175 lbs (79 kg) on his Taipan 4.9. Sounds like you are in the clear.

I think Jennifer weights about 140-155 lbs (65-70kg) and she has added a righting pole. Maybe she is lighter still, she looks kind off thin in the pictures.

An F16 at minimum mast tipweight would come require about 12 lbs (=10 kg) less to right so that one should be rightable by people weighting less than 60 kg.

Wouter

As Wouter said, I've had no issues righting at 175...well...since I resealed the top of the mast....first time I bit it, the mast filled with water and I was screwed.

Lesson learned...make sure mast tip is sealed.

Jeff.

Hey Robi ,

Dude, congrats on the Blade and welcome to the F16's !!!
I've gotta keep my weight under 150lbs., only solo my Taipan
and have had trouble righting the boat if the wind quits following capsize ( though less so since I resealed my mast).
I saw some good capsize recovery advice on the Aussie Taipan site under "Tips" page.
While on the subject and since i've been itching to tell this story... It was a Tuesday, San Francisco Bay , June of 2004.It was a warm day by S.F.Bay standards (maybe 65 deg. F ) and not too windy be standards of same (lets say 15 - 20kts.). I'm on the long , fast reach home to my launch at the south end of the bay ; zonked , cold and hungry from a day playing in the steep ebb of the greatest sailing venue on earth...I jibe into the lee of Treasure Island ( ja get that: Treasure Island...) , wiring with the kite and just on a WFO
blast that i'll claim later was 20kts + ! Quick scan ahead to find the tide bouy's to Sam's and my dock - Wow , ahead are two big square rigged ships sailing abeam of each other and with lotsa room for an F16 to pass between 'em . I start to dive below the leeward most man -O -War (King Of Hawaii or something), when I notice lotsa people on deck (tourists ? ) and the're pointing at me , and waving and I look pretty damn cool and need lots of attention generally so...About midway BETWEEN the two ships, with the tourists full on fixated upon
my brilliance - BOOM - I hear , no FEEL, the report of a cannon (I SWEEER !) !!! Hell ya i'm skeered at first but quickly realize i've sailed into( and am ruining) some sort of militeristic sea battle reenactment.In retrospect I probably shoulda just kept zooming between and away, but i'm embarassed and so I swing in and zip a quick jibe. Not positive about the sequence of events that follow , but think they went : A.) kneel on windward hull to unhook B.) Too long unhooking C.) windward hull becomes leeward hull D.) leeward hull torpedos into the bay as if dropped by aircraft during Battle Of Midway E.) Simultaneously, second big BOOM from abeam and white water pitchpole from USA # 300 with rag doll evacuation of narcissitic f16 pilot ! Guess it looked like i'd taken a cannonball broadside as tourists aboard leeward most ship are running from the rail with very authentic looks of terror on their faces !
can anyone beat that one... ?

PK

Hi PK,

I can't beat that story.

Know how you feel though it is so hard not to show off on an F16 especialy oneup. Everybody looks at you like your a single handed superman.

There is a narrow strait between where I live and an island which I sometimes choose to sail through. Nothing to do with the proximity of jetty's full of potential spectators or many other craft close by of course, it also has a 5kt. speed limit which I don't think applies to F16's? but does to the speedboats I pass. This seems to realy annoy them especialy when I trapeze over the hull of the ones with the realy big noisy motors, which means they don't hear me coming. One got upset a while ago and flattened throttle to race me causing his hat to blow off which he then went back for, I just kept going enjoying my sailing not intending to upset anybody, but it gave a friend on a keelboat an opportunity to heckle him as he picked up his soggy hat.

People have seen me on the beach afterwards and said "your that guy that was showing off hooning around yesterday". But I keep trying to tell them it's just what the F16's do they can't travel slow or with both hulls in the water.

Regards Gary.

Simply, You win.

Wouter

Paul,

Sorry to hear that you took a cannonball to the F16. I know the Taipans are built well, though--how did the boat fair?

Oh, and on the topic of righting, I'm 180lbs and have found it easy to right my F16 for the first capsize of the day; harder the second time; and really hard by the third time. But fortunately, more wind the better--in 15-20 knots it rights itself if you point it in the right direction.

Hiya Doc - How's things in the world of rods and cones ?

No cannonballs just powder, smoke and a big Boom (grappling for a topic upon which to comment as the mast tip wt.issue exceeds my technical knowledge and the Wouter as industry conspirator stuff reminds me of the "Grassy Knoll" hypotheses i've heard...)... Thank gosh there's a regatta this weekend !!

PK

I hear uncleating downhaul and leave it off makes righting the Taipan easier. I haven't tried that myself yet.

Wouter

Yep, letting off the downhaul makes it a little easier to right, though the main benefit comes from the rig being depowered once its back upright again. It gives you a more time to get back on and helps prevent it from blowing over again.

Hi all,

I tipped Altered for the first time yesterday (went round the front with the kite up). I couldn't believe how easy it was to right. The boat didn't want to turn right over like the Mosquito did, even though I spent some time trying to get the spinnaker into the chute it stayed on its side.

Watch out though, they drift pretty quick in this position.

Even though I am some 90kg.(14stone) I would envisage much lighter people having no trouble, as I didn't even use the end of my righting rope.

Regards Gary.