CVRDA

Thanks Rupert, I'll give the oxalic acid a shot.

This isn't just a dinghy question, but I thought this is the best place to ask. My 1968 half tonner (cold moulded oregon hull, ply deck and cabin) is suffering from what looks like mildew and water stains in the grain of the ply on the cabin sides. One (a replacement cabin side) was only very lightl...

Yes, the two-time A Class "world" champ from the same era (he doesn't call himself a world champ, though, because international competition was scanty) who has the video of the Australis also said the Unicorn was a cheaper boat to build, at least as good to sail, and should have been chose...

According to the Fisher/White book, the Shark raced in the 1962 One-of-a-kind at Sheppey, winning all races from the Thai IV. It was designed to the B class but as a production boat and therefore was GRP although that wasn't as quick as ply. Dick Gibbs in the USA was interested in it commercially. I...

I've been talking to guys like John "Magnum" Claridge and Chris Eyre, who I think agree that the Mistral/Duflos type is seriously quick in something like 7 knots or so, compared to the Magnum style - and that's with the International rig, the Classic rig would move the Duflos' edge further...

Designed by Roland Whitehead; C Class cat designer and currently designing a Development Canoe. Got slammed on test by Y&Y - I didn't think they ever gave boats a hard time, but I get the feeling the "problem" was the fact that Bell wasn't a big advertiser. (This is a feeling reinforce...

I was sorting through the emails of people I've come in contact with as we try to revive a class I'm in, and I noticed how many of them I had found or communicated with through forums, emails etc. Then I thought how easy a Googlepages website is to put together. It makes one wonder; will improved co...

"pint chemistry"?????

Brit term for hitting the uni bar when you should have been hitting the chemistry textbooks???

I still have my first short board; a Bombora Mk 1, which was a Windsurfer One Design with the back 2-3 feet cut off, the nose bent up under heat lamps, and footstraps added. I must drag it out for the 30th anniversary celebrations! They were hard work, but the intensity was fascinating. The current ...

OK, apologies for bringing in something not a dinghy, but I thought you chaps would know how I feel. I have pretty much ended up running the Windsurfer One Design class here. This is the updated version (same shape, construction and weight, different centreboard and rig) of the original Windsurfer, ...

One thing that strikes me is that while as an Aussie I would be annoyed at club racing in a mixed fleet, the UK system seems to have proven itself. What country can claim to be so succesful at recent Olympics (although smart guys put that down to Messr J. Salsonstall rather than the UK scene itself ...

Jim C has sent me a spreadsheet of PYs which looks very interesting. Thanks Jim. The other day I found an old Laser trim guide by Ian Bruce - an Olympic Finnster and I 14 champ himself, of course - that said that the traveller should be centred in moderately light winds. Do that today and you'd be s...

Interesting, thanks Rupert for correcting me about the Prouts and ply. You chaps are right, I didn't give the cats enough credit for developing wing masts and rigs. Alan, you mentioned the changes brought in by Nacra. The Nacra 5.8 were the design of choice at the cat club here that had 20+ 18 foote...

Hmmm, I thought wing masts were seen on other boats earlier. Sandy Douglass was inspired by Curry to put a wing-style fairing on his Canoe in the '30s. There were Canoes (Bee McKinnon) and Moths (Fantastic) with solid wings in the '40s and early '50s I think). Dart-style skegs, OK. Tortured ply hull...

Following on from a mention in an earlier thread, I'm trying to get an indication of the speed of development. Below are a few ideas, drawn from Australian yardsticks and examples not because our boats are the best, but because our rules have changed less often (ie our 14s, Cherubs and Moths have no...