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scooper
Joined: 28 May 1987 Posts: 537 Location: Massachusettes
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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npiankov,
I'm very impressed with the design of your board. I can see how you solved some construction issues in what looks like a well thought way. Sometimes working out a design is half of the project.
I'd love to take a look at it, maybe try it out sometime! I couldn't sail today, mothers day, but I live about 20 to 30 minutes from Pleasure Bay, so hopefully I'll see you there one of these days, especially if I know you're going. Also, let us know if it helps with your vulcans or other moves.
Anything that lets somebody learn and make progress on a light wind day has got to be good! |
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OliverTwist
Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 211
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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I have to agree, npiankov did a great job on that simulator. The Drop's I'm getting rid of is a fragile board. I put a ding or a crack in it almost every time I take it out. Land work will be rough on it. I also have an old plastic board that might work well if you cut off the tail and then fit some wood inside to reinforce it. I'm taking it to the dump soon. It's yours if you think you can use it.
I haven't been catching the best days due to work. I've mostly been sailing my 9.9 on my Formula board. |
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scooper
Joined: 28 May 1987 Posts: 537 Location: Massachusettes
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, a 9.9 is a huge sail! It must be fun, though, to plane in really light winds.
It sounds like you are still using the drops board. I don't think you should let me cut it up unless it really has no value to you. I have an old, delicate, hollow HyPer Tech that is outdated but still fun in some conditions because it is so light, and flat on the bottom- not much rocker, I moved the mast base back on the board to try to update it a little.
I think the plastic board might work. If you're taking it to the dump anyway, it would probably be worth a try. what size board is it? Worst case is that I cut it up and end up throwing it out myself.
Thanks! |
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npiankov
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 82
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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The simulator was definitely fun to build. No doubt, the building process has value in itself. But I am really happy that it does seem to be doing what I think it's supposed to. I can't really tell whether it's "exactly right", as I can't do a Vulcan and don't really have a point of reference, but back in Egypt people who can do them all supported the idea of practicing on that simulator.
Problem with Vulcans is that there are too many things that have to happen at once: jump, body twist, sail throw and catch etc. Around here we just don't get enough days when all this can be practised on the water, so I think I should be able to save quite a bit of time playing on the simulator in 10mph winds.
BTW, I used to have a 10.0 and a formula - just sold all that stuff. That gear is way too big and fragile - I'd rather be fooling around with a 5.5 in those conditions, either on land or on the water. |
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OliverTwist
Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 211
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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The board is an O'Brien slalom board. It has a tapered, rounded pintail. I would have taken a picture bu t my camera needs charging. I found it in the neighborhood with a 'Free' sign on it and took it as a possible paddleboard, but I have way too many boards compared to storage space, so this one has to go.
Next time out I think I'll go for the small-sail freestyle play. Uphauling the 9.9 is not easy. One thing I like about working with the big sail is how easy a 7.5 or smaller feels after. |
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scooper
Joined: 28 May 1987 Posts: 537 Location: Massachusettes
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not sure what the O'Brien slalom boards are like but I think it would work as long as it isn't like an old windsurfer classic, and it sounds like it isn't with a pintail etc. Thanks for the offer!
I usually use a 5.2 or 5.7 on 123 liters for light wind days. It can be pretty challanging to mess around with a few tricks, probably good for the learning curve, but not really exciting. I borrowed a big sail and formula board from a friend once on a light wind day and had a lot of fun getting on plane with very smooth water. It felt like I really shouldn't have been planing. |
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npiankov
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 82
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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Planing in no wind sounded exciting to me too when I took a plunge last year and got the formula and a 10.0 Retro. It did plane in conditions where I wouldn't have been even close with normal gear. But for me the planing aspect of it got old fairly quickly - every planing run is pretty much the same as the one before it. And there is very little you can do with a formula besides straight-line planing. The sail is enormous as is the board, which makes most maneuvers impossible. So I got rid of it having sailed it maybe 10 times total.
I like lightwind freestyle though because there is always a newness element in it - you can do something you couldn't do just a month ago and I like that part of it a lot. Some of the tricks I do now feel like pure magic when the sail just flies up to where it's supposed to be and it feels so cool! (When it works!) It may also make one a better sailor (pretty much helps you recover from near falls etc), but I don't think that's as big a part of it as just the tricks being fun themselves. However, some people like them and some couldn't care less.
Regarding the slalom board and the simulator - you need to make sure that there is a center strap option for the back foot and that the straps are fairly close to the mast. Some slalom boards, if they were advanced enough, would not have those maneuver-beginner strap positions. Maybe you can put your own inserts in. |
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OliverTwist
Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 211
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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I just checked. The rear strap has two positions, both on the center line.
I went to the lake today with my Go 140 and small sails. There was light wind but it was sailable. I got all rigged and ready to go when someone showed me the sign that said the lake is closed until tomorrow due to algae treatment. Bummer.
I have Friday off and it looks like good wind from the north for the cape. Where's the best place for a beginer-intermediate in N wind on the cape? I usually use the harbor side at Kalmus but it's small and I don't like sailing across the channel with the current and the ferries. |
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scooper
Joined: 28 May 1987 Posts: 537 Location: Massachusettes
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Chapin is good in a N, NE, or NW at high tide. According to the tide chart for Friday it will probably be good from around 11:00 to 4:00 roughly. It's not really a beginner/intermediate location but you might consider trying it. There are smallish waves that break on a sandbar but they're pretty far out. You can sail inside of them if you do relatively short runs. Near the lower tide you'll be sailing over a shallow area with very flat water, easy to stand and very user friendly. At high tide some chop makes it in past the waves and the water will mostly be overhead, so it's a little more challenging. All this is assuming you stay inside of the waves and don't venture out, (the wind is blowing in so it won't push you out into the waves). If you're in the foot straps and want to take a run out into waves this is good place to try. They never get big enough to be punishing, at least from what I've seen.
Pleasant Bay in Chatham has some decent sailing an a NE but I'm not really much of an expert on those launches. I've looked at some of them but I've always ended up putting in at the mouth of the bay, (the cut), which is not beginner friendly. |
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OliverTwist
Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 211
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 6:20 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, scooper. I think I'll try Chapin. My goal is to sail waves so it's nice to have the option if I feel up to it. I went to Pleasure Bay once and the wind was good, but no one else was there. I don't like to sail alone at an unfamiliar site. I also didn't know where to park or launch. |
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