Foiling into rocks

Today is a bad day for Idefix VI, she foiled into rocks due to a navigation mistake. She is no more new, the gantry got ripped off and is also broken, the centerboatd got split open and possibly the hull is leaking at the centerboard fitting. The skipper feals quite miserable due to the whole situation, the worlds are in two month, need to get everything fixed fast....

Idefix VI launched

Idefix VI had her first sail. She did quite allright, got foiling in winds of 12 Kts at 310 degree. The battens poped out during the first sail out, so came back and increased the mast curvuture and tightend the battens. The trampolines are equipped with inflatable devices which have much to much boyancy making it very difficult to climb aboard. Maybe it's a question of getting use to it. There also some trimming to do with the stabilizer, Idefix VI had a tendency of takeoff with to much pitch and then stalling and falling back down. Moving forward helped but the stabiliser needs to give more lift. The wand itself worked well. Overall quite a bit of tuning needs to be done but she has great potential.

Sand Storm

Yesterday Idefix III had a rough ride in winds of arround 150/20Kts and a Sand Storm. Sailing upwind went quite well but when bearing away off wind she got quite out of control, her nose shooting up like a rocket into the sky then plounging down like a submarine. Was kind of difficult for Jokey to stay on board, he got thrown off quite a few times. Idefix sails upwind at a speed of arround 10Kts but when bearing away the speed increases to past 20Kts meaning the foiling lift more then quadruples. Think would be an idea to adjust on the go the length of the wand so as to reduce the angle of attack when downwind by shortenning it of about 10cm.
Also Idefix VI arrived yesterday from Perth so will be preaparing her for the worlds in Dubai.

Idefix III on Idefix IV

Today took place the trial of loading a Moth on a Carrier. A Moth on a trailor floats very well, upright and stabile, the wheels acting like floats. Loading Idefix III on Idefix IV was very easy. Rigging Idefix III out a sea proved to be challenging. The Carrier did not naturaly turn into the wind even when attached to a boy from the bow. Getting the mast up went allright but it is impossible to move arround the Moth in order to complete the rigging. Setting up the sail was also difficult as it was not possible to walk arround the sail to tighten the battens. Rigging the boom was also not possible. Rigging a Moth on The Carrier is difficult, setting the foils was also not possible with the current layout.

Idefix III is seen here loaded on Idefix IV (The Carrier). The height is fine but the length of the Moth inbetween the poles was tight. Windage is also a possible issue. Using The Carrier to carry Moths is possible so as to carry the Moths to a beach and do the rigging on the beach after offloading the Moths.

ADSC race at The Club

As usual on Friday's we participated at the ADSC race. Simon Savage also joined so that's two Moths now in Abu Dhabi. Winds 310 at 12 Knots, great conditions. Managed to do my first complete foiling jybe. Simon is progressing real well. We ran two races in perfect conditions, Barry was the Racing Officer.

The new wand holder manufactured out of POM's, a very hard plastic. It's got a V cut to hold the carbon tube with elastics. Simple and works great ! It is also very smooth.

Poor Turtle

Yesterday went out training with winds 200/15kts and strong tide then when sailing back Idefix III hit a turtle which was 50 cm below surface. As foil born, under the shock the gantry which holds the rudder broke. The rudder axe bent like boiled spagetti and the tiller also cracked. The damage seems non repairable. As I battled to sail back with a damaged rudder I did not stop to see what happened to the turtle, hope she survived the shock.

Tuesday afternoon when sailing at The Club with a few lasers my wing bar snapped where I previously had repaired it with glass fiber. This time I use carbon, this should make it strong enough to last.

Training foil jybes

At this stage still not managing to foil and jybe nor foil and tack so went out training. Great weather as usual here in the UAE, winds at 330/15, rising tide, temperature 30C. Got out OK to training area formed by four channel boys and started practicing jybes. However at one stage got thrown into my main sail still holding my stick. The stick went threw the main making a 30cm slice which I have since then repaired. Did some practice, got arround the jybe foiling however on new side I allways touch the water. Foiled threw a comple tack also but touched the water on new tack.

Foiling home however a further incident happened. My boom broke where I had fixed after the barge accident. I was close to Reem Island so ended up with Idefix III on a rocky beach on Reem, refer to picture. I disrigged Idefix and attached everything and started swimming towing Idefix back to the Club. Thank God a bunch of Filipinos on a motor stopped and towed me back. So once again in the scenario of foiling, breaking, repairing, foiling, breaking, repairing.............................

Commodore's Cup Dubai

Friday we sailed two races in light winds, both in displacement mode and in foil mode. Finished last on the first race and 3rd on the second.

This week end drove up to Dubai for some racing with Idefix III. Yesterday with 20Kts of wind we attempted to break the "round the world record". However after 10 minutes, Idefix III dived nose first and the port shroud snapped. There was no waves, flat water, but the wand was adjusted to sail real low due to the high winds. After falling the mast got wrapped arround the hull on the crown and then snapped. So Idefix III needs once again special care so back to epoxi work.