New Firefly Website is open.

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Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: New Firefly Website is open.

Post by Rupert »

As far as I know, only 2 plate weights were allowed, one steel, one Ali.
As for the 3 (6?) masts, here goes
Rotating with wood top, Reynolds
Gold rotating Proctor
Silver fixed proctor.
However you could say
Original non tapered Ali
Reynolds
Gold rotating proctor
modified gold fixed proctor
silver fixed
longer silver fixed.
All the Proctor masts are C section, but the gold section was very stiff and had little taper. They weren't very popular.

Why they never allowed a fixed Reynolds, I will never know!

3 booms, too, of course, the Reynolds with wood stuffed inside it, the C section and the 2520 (?) section with the track on the bottom.

The rudders are pretty straight forward. The original boat had a week shedding wave hating swept back rudder. Fixed or lifting. It was decided maybe 20 years ago that it would be nice to gybe occasionally without a swim, so a rectangular blade was allowed. Very rare to see a Firefly at an open with a swept back blade now, but they are great in very light winds for initiating tacks.

The home club field had a request for just 1 club, I think?
Rupert
Michael Brigg
Posts: 1663
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: New Firefly Website is open.

Post by Michael Brigg »

Why they never allowed a fixed Reynolds, I will never know!
The original reason that they converted was not due to disatisfaction with a reynolds but rather the lack of a manufacturer. I don't think at the time anyone saw any advantage to using spreaders on a reynolds, whhich were perceived as a "faster mast" than the gold proctor. Also they cant take internal halyards.

Rupert said:-
The MK1 is the original
Don't forget of course the aluminium decked boats that used to dissolve in sea water, and if you magnify the article shown on the original Firefly site reporting the prototype firefly race it describes the boat as being designed with the racing rig, deck stepped bermudan untapered mast (90square ft I think), a "Cruising rig" Gunter rigged at 75 Square feet and a Reduced rig of 60sq feet (equivalent to a 4-rolls reef and an equivalent jib.)

I first sailed Fireflies as a junior at Itchenor competing for the "Bantam Cock" trophy, in which this reduced rig was absolutely required. The Trophy only ceased (along with the reduced rig) when the club switched to 420's for junior racing in 1985. (Not a good move I thought as this is far too powerful a boat for the average 12-15 yr old)
Last edited by Michael Brigg on Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Michael Brigg
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: New Firefly Website is open.

Post by Rupert »

True about mast and decks, though they were screwed (with brass screws...) to the MK1 deckframes. When sailing at Tamesis in the mid-late 70's, No114, still with the Ali decks, raced there. I can only think salt had never been added to the battery!
One of my favourite bits of Firefly news archive is of decks being put onto the hulls, complete with all framing, onto the empty shell. Its no wonder it is impossible to get the deck off the frames to replace it! In fact, from what I've seen, it was easiest to take the deck off frames and all, and start again, though you'd need a damn good cradle not to loose the shape...
Rupert
ACB
Posts: 223
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:45 am
Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk

Re: New Firefly Website is open.

Post by ACB »

Skyfly, F3000, came to us with a small mainsail as well as a woodentop mast and some ancient Ratseys and I have to say that when Alex started sailing her, at ten years old, it was very necessary.

It was still quite handy last year, when he and his crew were thirteen...

Image

F 3163 "Aquarius",
IC K229 nameless for the time being
I14 K377 "Mercury" - long term rebuild project
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