Thread: Concord Ryde S/C looking for new Adult 8ft trainer - OzRacer?

Originally Posted by RossV

Rick,

If you can get yourself to Australia, we would be delighted if you could visit CRSC. If we are lucky, other PDRs might visit en masse (AlexN?)

Bring your foils and rig and you can build a PDR in my carport, I gather it would only take a few days.

Best Wishes

Ross V

That sounds like it would be an adventure! I built a PDRacer in ten part time days once, which included the spars, foils and building the sail as well as the completed hull. MIK and I worked out a process that would shave off over half that amount of time. I'll have to save my pennies, so maybe next year.

Rick.

Originally Posted by woodeneye

I've not sailed the PDR in chop, but I've sailed scows and they, both PDR and Ozracer, are scows. Just heel it, power up and send it!

Howdy,

I was really regretful we couldn't find a sailor and boat in the right place and time. I sent a ReallySimpleSails.com Oz sail to Alex just in case the situation changed.

Some of the best comparisons with other boats sailing the Oz have been in rough water. Doesn't seem to bother it much upwind. The enormous stablity from the rectangular hull means lots of power to overcome waves.

I think the weak point is likely to be quite different.

Because of the high rocker, particularly in the tail end, that gives it great weight carrying ability, it does speed limit it downwind. I suspect the firebug in the stronger stuff might go 30 percent faster in stronger winds downwind. I've had the Oz up to 9 and 10mph on gps, but it doesn't have the free spinning acceleration feeling of more regular rocker configurations

That would have been great to see what really would happen

Best wishes and thanks for running the event.

Michael Storer

Michael,

Thank you for taking an interest.

While the outcome was disappointing, CRSC does include in its membership, a number of members who detest paying the "premium" on one design, plastic boats. By definition they impose a form of inertia on improving the breed. Thankfully, we has NS 14s, Bugs and some homebuilt Herons to leven the Spirals and Tasers.

Before World War 2, dinghy sailing was almost as much the preserve of the elite as "yachting" was. Look at an International 14 of the period, not to mention the brilliantly constructed Sydney Harbour 18s of that era. Our sport became accessible for mass participation with the plywood designs of Holt, Spencer and others. The $000s extra which sailors are now compelled to pay, to be competitive in the classes of "plastic fantastics" supported by Yachting Australia seems - to this simple guy, to be strangling the sport.

When children built their own boats, guided by their parents, they made a real commitment to the sport, and stayed in the sailing community. Now, we train 100s of Juniors. Come year 11, they focus on HSC, then Uni. They disappear. They form their families, and maybe they come back to sailing, should the kids eventually be interest. The demographics of sailing clubs appears, from feedback we received regarding this event, not just CRSC - Is woefully skewed. This is unhealthy for the sport particularly in building its future leadership.

Mike, in trying to rebuild the culture of building simple boats and racing them, you are contributing something hugely important. I am sure that at times it seems like a hopeless task, against the mass of plastic and the avowed disinterest of people like YA. Keep up the good work and thank you.

I think we are in line Ross.

Sailing would be way more popular if the expense is pulled out of it. (For the second time after the '60s plywood homebuilding revolution that brought many of us into sailing)

Relearn some old lessons

As I hear of boats, I will keep suggesting turning up for a casual race at Ryde.

MIK