Mittwoch, Juni 29, 2011

Whovever has written this shite, he/she is right!


Some marketing guru must have written this article, taken from the SA frontpage today: Sailing Anarchy Frontpage and except of the thoughts about going back into motorbikes (did ride earlier in my life) I can find myself in it. Especially as I am of that "certain age" group which is being mentioned. I had the pleasure to go out already two evenings this week from about 7pm- till 9pm in a good 12-15 kn breeze and it gave me everything I needed to clear my mind and to be one with the boat in these difficult commercial times. I even managed a foiling jibe though I did not feel ten foot higher afterwards and did not celebrate as the manouver must have looked a bit rough and not as elegant as the great masters in the class are circling it into the water. It is just difficult to train an old dog a new trick but I feel, that I am getting there. And isn´t the "journey the reward"? Certainly for me. Thanks SailingAnarchy for bringing this up and spicing my day.

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Born Again

There sometimes comes a time in sailor’s life where things need to change. Where we wind up searching for something else to keep our passion flowing.

Remember when you were a kid? You were first to the newsstand to get the new sailing magazine, and you read it cover to cover? Eventually, that puppy-like enthusiasm wanes, and you drift away to other activities, where, in tackling something new, you once again experience that same excitement of childlike learning.

For most sailors, this means golf. Which is a shame, golf being possibly the only sport more boring to do than it is to watch. But if you don’t like golf, there are few other pastimes that a racetrack refugee can try. The possible exception is motorcycling, man’s greatest expression of freedom where you can look bad-ass, even if underneath your helmet you are a financial controller with thinning hair. But you can travel, experience the oneness of man and machine, and leave your troubles geographically behind as you yank open the throttle. But where to go? That dream of oiled girls flick-flacking down the bar as your bike pinks outside is just a dream, and if you do manage to find a place like that, then good luck, keep it a secret and don’t come back.

But if you don’t, what’s there to be done? Well there is something, my friends, something that combines the technical nature of golf with the desirability of gold and lets you ride out like McQueen on any Sunday.

And that’s Moth sailing. And you can do it and I can do it in the same way we can ride a motorcycle or hit a golf ball.

More and more sailors have discovered that Moth sailing is the place to go to get fired up once again. Unique enjoyment in a boat which is just as much fun to cruise around on as it is to race, a boat that only weighs 65lbs all up, where the mastering of a foiling gybe makes you feel ten foot tall and is significant enough to celebrate afterwards. Where, after many, many years, your childhood dream of flying finally comes true.

Right now there will be a sailor rigging a Moth, heart beating a little faster than usual in anticipation of that stunning acceleration and the deafening silence of flight. His polished black carbon boat is gorgeous, people comment on it and he replies with a brief explanation of how it works, but it is brief and that’s because this is his time, and the newness of sailing is back!

On the water and in the right conditions he will be doing some 12-17 knots upwind and cruising in the mid to late twenties downwind. Sure he falls off, but progress is good, the boat is a nautical gym and so he’s getting a good work out too, and all those years of sailing aren’t wasted, in fact they help.

You should be this guy (or girl)! It may seem difficult, but everyone who’s tried agrees that its not nearly as hard as it looks – it’s the class’s biggest secret. Furthermore, when you buy a Moth you are joining a very helpful club full of support and encouragement from both association and manufacturer alike.

In a short space of time, the Mach2 Moth has sold well over 200 boats, and while you may think they all go to the young guns and the rock stars on YouTube, you’d be wrong! A great deal of customers are sailors of “a certain age” who want, with the time they have available, to sail the most exciting boat on the market today. Blessed with Harley Davidson-like residual values, the boats cost a lot less than you think and a good few seasons’ sailing can be had for not very much money.

Yet we all like a holiday, so why not pack up your boat and travel? Events exist in locations to die for. Italy, anyone? Oh, the Cappuccino culture would fit in very well with a couple of afternoon races on Lake Garda, especially if you take the family. Or maybe Hawaii is a better fit for you, where the 2013 Worlds are rumored to be? And the boat can go on the plane with you!

Off the water, I’m afraid you will be online late into the night learning from the blogs and forums of the mothosphere, with that same exhuberance that you once hit the glossy magazines. So you may soon need reading glasses, but it’s a small price to pay to master an 11-foot nautical combination between a motorcycle and an airplane.

Interested in learning a little more? Check out the new Mach2 Moth USA site for all kinds of great info today, or hit up East Coast Mach 2 Dealer Anthony Kotoun here. Photo of Anfernee by the excellent Amory Ross.
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Photo: Me and my Moth. Photo credit goes to Alan Hillman at pro-vela Moth Sailing School

Mittwoch, Juni 22, 2011

Hej, I am a father and this one really touched me...


I will not take the honor away from SA who brought this up on their frontpage. But I know that not everyone checks in at SA every day or even has it on his favorites. I got my eyes wet this morning, reading this story. Good for a clear view. Read yourself this amazing story. Great Opti story from the SA forum

And I will keep my eyes open for the kids in the club coming weekend when we are running the yearly regional Opti regatta with all the parents and helpers from the little sailing club here in Schleswig. And I can give back for all the help the juniors are giving me when running our Moth regattas in spring and autumn. It would not be possible without the Lüttsegler team in the HSVS.

Photocredit goes to the great photographer from Argentine, Mr. Capizzano

Montag, Juni 20, 2011

Three is a Moth Nest

We had Carlo up here in the North and I think that three Moths are already giving the impression of having a little nest. Some great sessions on the water and a lot of tinkering on the boats had been done last week. Sunday, Carlo was pushing for another session in abt. 15-20kn of wind but horrendous rain from time to time. But it made the water fairly smooth and we did some speed runs. I got used to be above 20kn quickly and launched it up to 23.9 whilst Carlo managed for a short period 26kn. We had downloaded his tracks from the Speed Puck to my Mac but we failed to download from the SC1 which I am using. Must "steal" K´s Speed Puck next time as I am not even able to take a shot of the max speed this morning from the SC1.

I was thinking about how big the difference is between 23 and 28kn, the speed which our friends Harald and Markus released recently. For me this is a very big gap and if will need some "balls of steel" and longer lasting gusts in the 25+ kn wind range. And yes, I was using the orange MSL10 and the soft mast which is a combination that feels good to me in stronger wind. The day yesterday definitely brought the fun of Moth sailing back to me which had been lost a bit due to much necessary work on our two boats to have them shipshape at all time. For example the #3627 "broke" it´s boomvang strap for the third time. I know it was my bad as I did the splicing. Glad to have Carlo taken over the job at last and it will hold together, I am sure.

One thing is puzzling me these days: It is Kieler Woche Kieler Woche 2011 results and I am not being tempted to be there. After 28 years of participations in FD, H-Boat, IMS, the interest has faded away and I am at present totally happy to spend short periods out on the Moth on the Schlei or going to our local races.

The next two weekends are being spend with and for the Youth in our small community and sailing club, the HSVS. See also the homepage from the youth group, the Lüttsegler: Lüttsegler Homepage HSVS Coming weekend we are organizing the yearly Optimist-Liga regatta, were also Europe´s and Teeny´s will take part and the weekend after we will cruise/race with a 36´and a 39´footer down the Fjord to a place which cannot be reached by cars. Overnight will be spend in tents and we will have a great BBQ and singing some shanties.

Freitag, Juni 10, 2011

Am I standing still?

Lot´s of things have happened since my last post here. E.g. I had taken part in the pro-vela Moth Fest and maybe I have not reported because I could not find any good photo (of myself) anywhere. So there would have been a lack of evidence. But it is OK, I give you a great shot of Harald, who flies high on his DIY Moth. He even had build the foils by himself. And though there shinned a little bit of jealousy through one particular post after Moth Fest about Harald "winning" the KA sponsored MSL 13 sail, I think he deserved it. Anyway, I will not mention the war, Moth Fest was a big event with 40 participants, with WAG´s and Kids and some great sailing in good atmosphere. At the last weekend, there had been an official regatta and if you like to read more about it, there is a report in German language at: www.mottenfieber.de/node/424

After Moth Fest a lot of tinkering on the MACH2 boats # 3627 and # 3835. Simon P. brought me back on the water quickly with a split second decision for a warranty part. Thanks for that one. Went out on the water a couple of times. Even possible one afternoon together with K. with our two boats. Great fun but my rope splice for the bottom boomvang rope gave up and she had to come in early. Bloody me. With new Marlow ropes (not available in Schleswig) from Peter B. it was no problem to do a better one this time and hopefully we will have more time to spend on the water together with the two Moths.

Yesterday I had a sailing session in abt. 15-20kn gusting. The 29ers out did a lot of capsizing and so did I. Nearly every gybe went wrong and I ended up in the brink. Is it because I am way too focused on the instructions and after being able to follow them around at about 60-70%, I am lacking in the last bit. The most important ones? Weight out on the wing, stable platform, proper steering, sheet control. Yeah, one day.

What gave me inspiration for the headline this time? Yes, it is about the speed which I am not getting out of my boat. Both my Moth friends Markus and Harald, see his post: Harald´s Blog reached 28+kn on the water. Both are using an MSL13 as far as I am informed. I had ideal conditions yesterday with some gusts really taking me down the Fjord but my boat made a lot of noise and never reached more than 20,9 kn/h per 10 sec. average. One should know that I had prepared the foils before with a bit of wet sanding. I had cooked a camber soup the night before and the sail now looks better and the cambers are not dropping off like before. It feels like there is a barrier and I do not think it is in my head as I am so used to do the 18-20 kn/h runs, that I am not scared a bit. Any hints or tips, please leave a comment. All well appreciated.

Looking forward to the visit from Carlo and Gaby next week and maybe having three boats out on the water one afternoon in the "back of my garden"*. Than off to the Moth regatta in Horsens. Søren promising a lot of fun and best weather and flat water in the Horsens Fjord. Let´s see, if Per E. wants to keep the Swedish Moth Girls for himself or if he sends them over to Denmark to play with us. The invitation had been send out.

*In the back of my garden" is a phrase which I am connecting to an early 18 Footer video (way before Youtube times) which I have had on Betamax and which had been shot in Australia. Ian Murray, now connected with the America´s Cup had been the star of the scene and I think he was sailing the Color 7 boat. Good times. The second photo in this entry shows "bottom of the garden" sailing as per today in Schleswig. Photocredit to Randolf Teppner.