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MarkWest
35 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Oct 2004 : 09:50:39
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I noted from the current Y&Y that congratulations are due to Bruce Bonar & John Lester of Rutland SC for their contribution to the Rutland result in the recent TOP CLUB competition held there. They were that club's low score in the medium handicap fleet.
We seem to spend a lot of time on this board grumbling about our techie problems. Whilst this interchange is necessary even vital at times it would be nice if we could all find time for positive items and even some discussion of our sailing techniques would be interesting for all.
I know a project was hatched at Queen Mary to try and hold a one day 'calibration event' to try and establish the various measurements for determining rake and rig tension. has this happened yet or can we help plan it on this board. It would be really good if we all had some 'numbers' before another nationals comes around.
Every where I go people make favourable comments about the boat. Many remember it fondly as the backbone of an enjoyable sailing holiday. Perhaps its that 'beginner boat' tag which covers up the fact that whilst an easy boat to learn on, like many larger dinghies, its a challenge to sail fast and can be very rewarding when it goes well.
So has anyone else seen any bits of news about our class or got any stories to tell from this season?
Cheers
Mark
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MartinPotter
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2004 : 20:32:23
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I have posted one or two questions/comments on this forum before but in response to this one, here is my testimony.
Middle aged, overweight, unfit, and not sailed since a (very) brief taster course in my teens. I moved to Cornwall and wanted to get 'involved' with the sea. Joined the St.Ives club and crewed for a few people before buying the first boat I found - a 470!!!
After a few (!) scares I bought a new Laser 2000 which was great, and I set about reading every book, magazine, website I could get my hands on. No matter how much I practised, read, learned, sweat, bled, the best I could manage, (apart from in extreme conditions when the extra weight helped) was sixth or seventh. (We are a small fleet of 12-15 boats on a good day.) One problem was the lack of regular crew, and every event started with explaining what a tack was, a gybe, and how to right from a capsize!
I decided to get rid and buy a single hander to see if I could do better and we booked a holiday earlier this year with Mark Warner.
I'm (much) too big for a Pico, but found sailing a Laser quite easy, and in fact I won the end of (first) week regatta which was quite gratifying. Still, I couldn't really get to 'love' the single handers, and by the second week, found myself taking out new friends for fun trips on the (largely ignored) Stratos's. The Mark Warner staff were quite dispariging about the 'Strap-ons' as they were known, and I had to re-rig most of them as they were set up all wrong. However, by the end of the week I was convinced I had found the boat for me and with a totally novice crew, won the last race of the week in a F5.
I came home, sold the 2K and bought No. 370, a three yr old bout from Notts. Since then I have had two firsts, three seconds, four thirds, and I'm loving every minute of it. Not only am I competitive in a blow, but I can even get in the top three in a 1-2 which is unbelievable for me! All this has been achieved without any kind of tuning or checking of set-up as there seems to be little or no data to work on.
Our fleet by the way consists of four Lasers, three Radials, A GP, Wayfarer, Solo, Ent and a few others. Many of the races we contest are courses where we can't really gain any benefit from the kite so we freq1uently sail without.
Now, do we put this down to great helmsmanship? I don't think so. This is a fantastic boat, and everyone I've sailed with has really enjoyed the experience - especially with the kite when we frequently get her up on the plane. Sadly I suspect that the PY will eventually start to drop as more sailors post results but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
If my experience isn't testimony to what a great boat the Stratos is, then I don't know what is.
Martin |
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MarkWest
35 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2004 : 20:28:01
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Thanks for that Martin.
It's interesting that you mentioned the attitude of the holiday coaches. These wouldn't by any chance be of the 10st Blonde "Yoof" type would they? I notice that there are a lot of these likely lads and lasses to be found sunning themselves around the resorts of europe. I wonder when someone will tell them that the only reason they are there at all is due to the exorbitant holiday prices paid by overweight middle aged fathers and harrassed overstretched mums looking for a little respite from the daily round of school, work, taxi service, banker, and nurse maid which they perform for their own indolent progeny. Maybe it would be good policy for the holiday bosses to make it clear to these vain sports "professionals" that their personal choice of extreme speed machine doesn't actually make them a better person than their client. Interesting that the Pro's at your resort couldn't even rig a simple asymetric like the Stratos properly. The more I hear about Stratos the more obvious it is that it is a very competent sea boat. We have a great time whenever we get it into salt water. Question: Is there an international following for the boat or is a UK only class? |
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MartinPotter
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2004 : 11:56:27
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Indeed Mark, they were mostly blonde (although I detected a strong whiff of lemon juice whenever I was near them!) I am indeed that person you describe so adeptly, and I agree with your sentiments entirely.
To be fair, the Mark Warner guys and gals were terrific, but they were mostly Windsurfers, who had been given a crash course in Dinghies back in the UK and were only interested in the Cat's and their new L4000. There was also surprisingly little interest amongst the guests in the Stratos (mostly very new sailors who were pushed into Pico's and Radials)which is perhaps why they had gotten away with rigging them properly for the first half of the season. They had three on the beach and only one on a mooring when we got there, but after a few days (and a bit more interest shown from guests) another one or two were put on the water.
All of the kites were rigged completely wrong, which was only descovered when I attended one of their 'Kite Clinics' and was taken out to the one on the mooring. The staff weren't aware it was 'unlaunchable' which suggest to me I was the first person to try it that year. Another boat on the beach had a pin missing from the starboard block, which would have been really intersting to discover on the first hoist or gybe!
I'm not aware of any other countries sailing Strat's but more and more training schools I notice are switching to them from Wayfarers, presumably because of their 'rightability' after a capsize, and the assymetric.
A final note. I chalked up my second straight win of my sailing career on Saturday, (the other one achieved a few weeks ago) which I would never have thought possible in my previous boat (L2K). I LOVE this boat, and am looking forward to next season, with the goal of winning a series rather than just a race. I'd like to make it to a Stratos event if possible, and even the nationals but living so far down in Cornwall, it's not going to be easy. I would expect of course to be thoroughly trashed by almost everybody but I'd do it for the experience.
Regards
Martin |
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MarkWest
35 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2004 : 20:39:29
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| Oh I don't know... We seem to take the boys to Plymouth for weekend training etc fairly often. I tow my Strat with a 1500cc Renault kangoo and its very easy to tow! Any way I feel a cornish weekend comming on for next year. Fancy organising an open? I reckon there could be 6 or 7 of us would make it down if we got the date right. |
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Paul
16 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2004 : 13:53:37
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We would be up for a weekend in Cornwall so long as it's not in the silly season. We towed our trailer tent down to Cornwall in the summer and the Strat is much easier to tow than that.
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MartinPotter
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2004 : 20:21:22
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The Laser Stratos nationals at St.Ives Sailing Club Cornwall.........I just can't tell you how much I'd love to make it a reality.
I'll discuss it with my committee but we are a very small club, with very limited resources and no available boat parking.
I sailed in the L2000 Coastals at Mounts Bay (Penzance) last year and seeing the organisation required, I don't think we could do it.
What we 'do' have, is the most beautiful bay in the UK if not the world ('officially' one of the Top Ten). Friendly locals, good beer and of course - Pasties!
You are of course welcome to visit our club at any time during the season to sail with us, and we'll allways find a way to squeeze you in to our pen. If you are coming to Cornwall and plan to visit St.Ives, let me know and I can guarantee you a warm welcome.
Martin |
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Stratos in the news
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