I make no apologies for showing off this pic of Anne and I out practicing last weekend with the new spin. I like this pic so much that I'm having a 3ft long framed version for our dining room wall.........
It was a brilliant day for sailing and we really got to grips with the shape of the new kite. Also Anne seems to have finally overcome her 'fear of flying' and thoroughly enjoyed the 'screaming' broad reaches! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />




Next step: get Anne to trapeze lower and with her feet closer together!!

Picture by Graeme Sweeney Photography

John,

Any chance you could arrange for us to use that picture on our F16 website ?

Wouter

No problem Wouter, I've bought the rights to all 10 pics that Graeme took that day. The only requirement is that he is given photographer's credit each time it is published. I have the original 10Mp files of each photo.

John,

Nice pic. ANd good job getting the other 1/2 out to play.

One question. Is it a trick of the light, but it looks like the foot of the Kite is VERY full and there is a hell of a lot of "return" in it, almost like it needs sheeting a little further back ?

Simon, I think it might just be the angle of the photo....

Here's the reverse view:



I suspect that some of it is that Anne doesn't have enough 'grunt' to be able to really sheet the kite enough for reaching. We've also been playing around with luff length/hoist height and since this photo was taken we've taken another couple of inches of slack out of the luff which changed the flying shape quite a bit.

Grant Piggott built this kite for me based on the latest T spins. It's very different to the Landy spins that I've been using but seems to have loads of power and be quite stable.

John,

Are you willing to upload the orginals to our F16 gallery. I can download them from there, stick the photographer credits on them (in the best corners) and republish them while adhearing to the deal made.

I've you are interested in this them e-mail me privately (without attaching the pics) and I'll fix you up with an upload account.

Wouter

I've already put smaller versions of all the pics in my album on the F16 site. If you don't mind the sizes - each is 8 or 9Mb - I can put the originals on instead (or alternatively give me a max size that you want and I'll size them accordingly before putting them up).

I really want to have the orginals. These are always handy for webpage design etc. They don't need to be one for long. I just need a day or so to download them and then they can be removed again.

So please put on the originals in your own own user folder and give me a sign. I'll download them and then give you a sign, so you can remove them. Thus saving disk space.

Thanks,

Wouter

John, re. the "grunt" required to sheet the spin, from the second photo it looks like the sheet is running directly from a single block at the shroud to her hand. If that is the case, you could mount another auto ratchet block on the forward beam, one for each side, that is how we do it on the Inter 20's and we have lots of girls crewing them, all with enough grunt to trim in all but extream conditions. I ran double auto ratchets (one on the shroud, one on the beam) on each side, so with every jibe they would release and not hang up the lazy sheet. I usually had my 10 yr. old son trimming, or I could do it with one hand, on a 260' I-20 chute.

Great pictures by the way, could you have your wife talk my wife into giving it a try??

No Timbo, the sheet runs through a harken ball block at the shroud, forward to a carboratchet on the main beam and then out to the crew. Anne is just a 4' 11" wimp! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We've actually discussed putting a second autoratchet in place of the harken ball block, so I guess that's what we'll be doing.

Wouter,

I tried sending you a PM but got the message:

"This user has exceeded their private message quota and may not receive any new private messages."

Wanted to tell you that the F16 site refused to accept pics larger than 2Mb.

Ahh; always the grunt thing when reaching!

Still looks from this pic that the sheeting angle is quite high. How would you compare the kite's of Landy and Grant (gran built my last 2 kites for the 17 BTW)

Yes, the double auto ratchets make a big difference when the wind is up. When you are setting the spring tension, make sure you put the beam block on heavy tension and the shroud one on light, so on light days you will only be clicking one block, not two and when you release all pressure, the beam will release, even though there is still tension from it to the shroud block, otherwise it won't freewheel when you release the sheet and the gybe will be ruined....not that I've ever done that.... ;^0

Thanks for that particular tip Tim, I'll bear it in mind when setting up. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Send me a private e-mail, we'll try a different account.

Wouter

Hi John,

you are a lucky man, I can only dream of doing such things with my wife. But I usualy wake up before I get to that bit. Oops did I say that, I am sure I was talking about sailing?

Regards Gary.

It's a bit early to say really, Simon. I do like the GP Sails spinnaker, though I think the acid test is going to be the Nationals! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Not long now..............

John,

you got a second set of Autoratchets on your boat or do I need to bring my own ?

I'm still planning to hook up with you for the Nations cup.

Wouter