Here are some photos of todays sail after all said and done. No action photos cause there wasnt anyone to take them. Enjoy




Another blade under construction at Vectorworks Marine Inc.


[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC01998.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC01999.JPG[/img]

The blades MOLD
[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC01994.JPG[/img]

Oh just a bunch of Superwing mast just hanging around waiting for boats.
[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC02000.JPG[/img]

Here is Matt McDonalds, designed V20. Rumar has it he is talking with Phill Brander to make a Blade 20! Lets see what these to guys have up there sleeves! Cant wait the outcome of this project.
[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC01993.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.sefl3s.com/robi/blade2/DSC02001.JPG[/img]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing. Glad to know that 701 is back. What did you have done?

Mark.

Some minor cosmetic damage. Matt McDonald repaired it in less than five days.

That is such a good looking boat!

Welcome back to the water Robi.

A few tips,

Stitch of tie a long spinnaker cloth ribbon to the very top of your leech, about 1/2' or 4/5' inch wide and 1.5 foot long. This will really help you in trimming the twist of the sail just right. It is relatively easy to oversheet the squaretop. When that happens the boat will move forward with what appears normal speed, HOWEVER, if you would slack the sheet just a little and have the top twist of by some 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 inches) extra than you'll find that the boat feels lesd bound up and speeds up. Funny thing is that you will feel underpowered as the boat heels less and you may even have to send your crew down to the leeward side BUT the boat speed is definately higher. The ride become smoother and more agile as well. A hooking top (no twist or even pulling the head to luff) is very draggy because of detached flow around the top and a very big top vortex that tries to equalize the overpressure on the windward side with the underpressure on the leeward side of your sail.

With the right trim you boat should accellerate noticeably in the guts. We all have to find this magic trim on our own boats and the only comments I can give anybody is to look it. It is there, you just have to find the trim that does it on your boat with your sail/mast combo. Currently I'm only halveway, I can feel that there is more there but I haven't found the sweet spot myself yet. A fellow Taipan F16 sailor overhere did just find it this past weekend and came 2nd in his local club race.

Also if you are sailing with a spinnaker up you really want to bring your mainsail traveller in alot more than you have in the pictures. Both for speed and keeping your mast straight/on the boat. In most conditions the traveller car never goed further out under spi than 10 to 15 inches (250- 400 mm). Keep the mainsheet firm.

You know, I was about to ask that question. I am going to start a new thread for it.