Video of Blade F18

Yes I know this is the F16 forum and not the F18 forum, but since the Blade F18 is closely resembling the Blade F16 design I think I can post a link to the Blade F18 video here.

It is flat water, but take a look when the guys push the whole of the leeward bow underwater; without really throwing up much spray or losing much speed at all. The boat just recovers gently. I say the design looks like it is spot on in the bow design ! This series of events is about halveway into the clip.

http://www.thebeachcats.com/videos/Blade-F18.mpg

It this link only brings you too the video page then it is the 6th video link from the top.

Hey guys is the Blade F16 much alike in dive recovery ?

Wouter

That is what it looked like when I sailed with Matt on his Blade. When the bow goes in, you slow down a little but if you just take a step to the back (in the video you can see the crew take one step back as the bow stuffs) it pops right out and you keep going. It is not fast to stuff the bow, but at least you don't cartwheel. And I notice they have foot straps on it already...but with the light wind the crew was forward and not using them.

Mmmm, Robert Palmer.....Nice video.

(The clicky above didn't work for me - you may have to go onto the beachcats site and open the video page)

http://www.thebeachcats.com/videos/BladeF18.mpg

Wouter

I think I found a new hobby....collecting Blades.

Phill, can I request a Blade F14 and Blade F20, too?

Seriously, what areas are reninforced to bring it up to weight? Very nice looking boat. Any mfgs committed in the US?

In the video, I've noticed the skipper is sheeting with the main traveler. Is this the norm when flying the spinnaker? Is there any other cases when the traveler is used and not the sheet? I understand the concept of mainsheet tension to oppose the pull of the spinnaker.

On a windward/leeward course, skipper would drive off instead. But as they wanted to keep their course and go high, letting the traveller out effectively reduces heel in gusts.
The same can be done with the mainsheet to a certain degree.

Jamie,

As the spinnaker halyard is 1000mm above the hound point, I am never to keen to let the mainsheet out in the gusts. The mainsheet acts like a back stay & if you play the traveller, the mast stays put in the gusts. And believe me the gusts were getting quiet intense that day & when you see the kite flogg in the video, we had decided enough was enough & we were loosing to much height as we were racing on a river race.
I unfortunately learnt my lesson a few years ago racing the Tornado in a olypic qualifying event & let out a little too much sheet in a "big" gust ( I had already run out of traveller) we nose dived & the mast broke about 2000m below the hound.
The mast you see in the video is a "Capricorn" section & much stiffer than our previous Marstrom T section.

A bit later on in this footage we nose dived the boat while sailing with slightly "cracked sheet". the bow actually went in a litle deeper than shown in the video, but did not stop as you would normally expect. I think a gust got us a little square on & a little off gaurd.

We survived that was the main thing.

Last year a Capricorn did the same thing right in front of us & cartwheeled.! .

What was most disappointing about the video footage on this day was about 1hr into the race we went thru the gate at Point Sturt & headed to the Nerung mark - none of the boats in front of us were game to fly their kites, as we were behind the eight ball & need of some gain we kept the kite up & I trapped of the back of the boat with Carina sitting in front of my front foot ( on the rear beam) I was exciting to say the least, but Phill Brander could not stand upright in the power boat to get any footage. I'm pretty sure any footage here would shown people how potent this design is in a short choppy seaway with the boat literally out of control on accaisons.

It certainly was a ride i wont forget for a while.

Regards & happy sailing

Marcus

Here's a short link to the video page.
http://www.TheBeachcats.com/videos.html

It would really help me out if everyone would use that link to refer to videos on the site, rather than linking directly to the video. It also helps the visitor by exposing them to all the videos, rather than just the one you link to.

Enjoy, [color:"black"] [/color]