CVRDA

That's what comes from following instructions!

The Contender isn't eligible for CVRDA otherwise I would have sailed mine last year. You can sail them in Bristol Docks but it's a real challenge to beat a Laser around the course unless there's lots of reaches, which of course there never are. Once there was a good reach and I got a whole lap in fr...

We've put 2 dates in for the CVRDA next year, 21 April and 24 November.

Ok Pat, here's my go at captions.
1. Water's nice, I think I'll go in again.
2. Why's Lyn sticking her tongue out at us?
3. We really need more wind to get these masts working.
4. Shall I get out now or later?
5. Plenty of room over there, I think I'll go and join them.

Or was it the old joke about the dodgy pie in the pub? Sorry to hear you've both been unwell, I suppose the only solution is to keep the boat upright! The Harbourmaster regularly tests the water and it's usually very clean. I'm not sure he tests the mud though..... At least we will not have everyone...

Glad you enjoyed it. I think I was right in trying to crack on with the races in case the wind got up! Hope there was someone taking pictures!

People are getting bigger, fitter and stronger. It's one of the things people forget when they propose deleting the Finn from the Olympics, saying that the Laser is too similar. There are many youths now who outgrow the Laser before they turn 18.

An RC Laser cost more than my Laser!!!

And what about different rigs. An old Finn could sail with a wooden mast, an alloy one or a carbon one. I would suggest that if it's sailing with a carbon/kevlar rig it will have a lower handicap than a Needlespar/Dacron. I was wondering about getting the wooden mast out and sailing with the origina...

I agree entirely with Rupert. Whilst replacing the centreboard on the Finn I removed the flaking varnish on the foredeck and repainted the hull. With one coat of varnish and primer on the bare deck patches they're now a nice rich reddish colour - but the rest of the decks are light straw colour, pre...

Well done Alan, I've always longed for a Taylor although I think the wooden ones looked even more desirable than the glass ones. It's amazing to think that they're eligible for CVRDA, they were the very latest when I wanted one. I suppose it just shows how old we're all getting. My Finn's now got a ...

I saw the picture and assumed it was a Fairey Gannet or a Swordfish, as the topsides didn't look high enough for an Albacore.

There's another tactic that helps on older boats. I used to right my Finn (which also floats very low after a capsize) by getting on the centreplate and pulling it up in the normal manner but only until the mast came out of the water. Then I'd get off the plate and pull it up the rest of the way fro...

I've just done a similar repair on my Finn. It's very easy to do, especially if you can get a veneer of the correct thickness, and, as Rupert says, epoxy makes it very strong and paint covers it up (although I was so pleased with the repair I was sad to cover it up). I certainly wouldn't now advocat...

Brandy Hole is on the River Crouch, just downstream from Hullbridge. The boat is an undecked plywood dinghy about 11' long. It was rigged with a gunter rig almost identical in size to a Heron (which of course is keenly raced further down river and round the bend at Eyott Creek). The mast was bamboo,...