MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Fotoboat Calendar

Well done Matts Biggs and Stoppers, the month of JUne will never be the same !!!

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/photos/?s=64&PID=24834


Posted: 26/10/2007 09:54:51
By: WVM
Cracking photo - who says flat is fast !!


Posted: 29/10/2007 15:16:09
By: JohnB (3404)
Ah but water depth does help. the reason the wiped out just behind us is that their foils drew more than ours and as I looked back at this monster gust saw the wipeout. We picked it up and blasted down the river at an all time B14 record peaking at 28.1 knots with little tidal assistance bettering our 26.2 knots over 300m. at the grafham Grand prix. Only problem was as Pete went in to drop the kite, we hit the bottom as he released the pole, resulting in the boat standing on the tip about 1.0 m. clear of the water with the mast hitting next as the pole retracted saving both. Other than the plate shifting back (crushed) about 5 cm. (had to kick it loose on arrival ashore and still using it now though fully repaired), we were intact and watertight and finished the race in 3rd having been upside down for a while. A manic event where a lot of the photos in various calendars got thier photos from that one event. Clair and Matt recovered and did well. 
On another note we look to have 2 high wind weekends which are a refreshing change to the drifts of late. Where are the Hollingworth detailed results! See you all soon as we swing by in the B14.
Bye for now


Posted: 29/10/2007 16:07:00
By: Barnsie
28.1 kts - crazy. I once got timed at 22 kts in a Hobie 18 in a force 5 - it must have been really howling on that day to get a single hulled boat up to that speed!


Posted: 29/10/2007 17:00:44
By: JohnB (3404)
Yes. At 26.2 knots at Grafham all was fine and controlable. However, the extra bit at Starcross made the CST mast creak and want to explode but it survived on the leech tension. See the B14 fotoboat calender April, that is a shot of us doing the run and look how open the kite leech is. I had to sit up due to gluing ones eye on the bow and occasional small wave! I have race Tornados and Hurricane 5.9s to the point of pitch poling many a time and this was faster. Just want the flat water at Grafham to see if we can get back to those speeds next weekend. 22 knots in an Albacore though is saying that it is 7 knots faster than a Merlin (Merloin upwind 5.96 knots our best and 14.5 downwind) at full tilt which is silly but apparently he has proof! Bit like the RS 300 gybing with the GPS on the boom and claiming top position from us last year, where we did 26.2 over 300 m. The thing is there is more to life than being a speed junkie but hell it is fun when you do not break the kit.


Posted: 29/10/2007 22:13:55
By: Barnsie

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