The UK Update -- 29 October 1999


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Dear Reader,
      Welcome to the UK Update. In this issue we are introducing our new sailing tips section, featuring an essay on Sailing to the Telltales.

The UK Update features items of interest for cruising sailors, general information (weather, hardware) for all sailors and a question/answer and letters to the editor column. While we will not necessarily publish every question and letter, we will answer them all. Those which have a broad appeal will be shared with all our readers. Please address your letters, questions or comments to us through this form or by e-mail to Newsletter@UKSailmakers.com.

  

UK WINS DUPONT SAILMAKERS CHALLENGE
SEASON-OLD TAPE-DRIVE INVENTORY TOPS THE FLEET

      On the last day of the 1999 DuPont Sailmaker Challenge, UK Sailmakers came from behind, closed yesterday's 12 point gap, and went on to wrestle first place from Quantum Sails.
      Strong starts and good boat speed seemed to pay off on both the inside and outside race courses. Skipper Geoff Baker and crew members Ted Kaczmarski, Dave Gorwitz and Philip Smith had their act together capitalizing upon Kaczmarski's strong local knowledge. His experience as Annapolis Yacht Club's head coach, paid off in the shifty inside conditions, just as skipper Geoff Becker's ICYRA All-American sailing background made him feel right at home with the short course agenda.
      Anticipating lighter air inside, loft owner and avid Melges 24 sailor Scott Allen, equipped the boat with a slightly smaller 3/4 ounce asymmetric spinnaker. The sail ha less of a tendency to collapse and allow its foot to drag as the light breeze all but disappeared in the inner confines of the harbor. Other competitors' max size chutes tended to end up in the water much sooner than UK's slightly smaller lighter higher cut rendition. On the outside course, Team UK used a full sized class spinnaker.
      UK Sailmakers skipper Geoff Becker showed aggressive starting talent as well as an ability to turn a small lead into a harbor wide gap. Company president Butch Ulmer said, "local loft owner and crew alternate Scott Allen, had Tape-Drive technology fine tuned for the Melges 24," - - and it was obvious that Becker and his crew were able to deliver.
      The "inside" race course more closely resembled a steeplechase than a yacht race. Dockside spectators loved their up close in-your-face vantage point and the crack of Kevlar sails filling with puffs. Moored vessels, tour boats, unsuspecting mega yachts and anything else afloat became and obstacle of the course as well as part of the show. The crowd loved it, and the crews were glad that outside races were weighted with a factor of five, lessening the impact of harbor anomalies.
  

 

SAILHANDLING TIP: HOW TO USE TELLTALES

     The following is an except from the UK Sailmakers Encyclopedia of Sails. The 56-page booklet covers trimming tips for all sails including spinnakers and crusing spinnakers along with sail care tips, rig tuning technique and sail construction. The Encyclopedia is available in full on our web site at or you can buy the booklet from our electronic store on our web site.

SAILING TO TELLTALES
      No indicator has been developed that approaches the sensitivity and effectiveness of telltales along the luff of the jib. These yarns or "ticklers" monitor the flow of wind across the sail.
      Telltales are used for fine-tuning your genoa sheet trim and to fine-tune the course you are steering. Telltales are only an aid when the sail has wind flow across both sides, i.e., when sailing angles between beating and beam reaching. When sailing lower than a beam reach, the sail is catching wind instead of working like an airfoil.
      Telltales come in pairs, one on each side of the jib. The best set up is to have three sets evenly spaced along the luff so that you can see how the wind is flowing at different heights of the sail. Telltales should be anywhere from six inches to 18 inches aft of the luff, depending on the size of the boat - the bigger the sail, the further aft the telltales should be. Also, the farther forward they are, the more sensitive they are.
      All UK Sailmakers sell inexpensive packets of green and red telltales that stick on to your sail. When applying telltales, always put the starboard one of each pair higher than the port one. This will help you figure out which is which when reading the telltales from the cockpit.
      The most basic way to read telltales is to get the yarns on both sides of the sail streaming straight back. If the leeward one stops streaming, head up and sail closer to the wind. If the windward one stops streaming, fall off. When the yarn streams straight back, it tells you that there is attached flow over the sail at that particular point. If a telltale stops streaming and hangs limp, there is no air flow and that side of the sail is stalled. If the telltale dances around, flow is turbulent.
      By concentrating further on interpreting the telltales, you can get even more information. The following are four different "settings" for telltales:

     1. Bow-down Speed-building Mode: Leeward telltale dances and windward telltale streams straight back. This mode is used for building speed when coming out of a tack or when going through steep motorboat chop.
     2. Max Speed Mode: Both telltales streams straight aft.
     3. Pointing Mode: Leeward telltale streams aft, and windward telltale dances between straight back and 45° above horizontal. This mode is used when sailing to windward in flat water in winds over 10 knots.
     4. Pinching Mode: Leeward telltale streams aft, and windward telltale stands straight up. To be used when trying to get over another boat or make it around a channel mark.
  TELLTALE PERSPECTIVE
      When sailing to windward, the degree of course change between "Bow-down Speed-building Mode" and the "Pinching Mode" should be about 5 to 7 degrees. If the telltales go from one extreme to the other after a two-degree course change, put a bit more tension on the luff. The rounder entry angle will broaden the gap between stalled from sailing too high and stalled from sailing too low.
      Remember not to sail with the telltales in the pointing or pinching mode in light winds or in wavy conditions. The boat will lose too much speed. In heavy winds when the boat is overpowered, you can reduce heeling by heading up into the pointing mode.
      Use your telltales to fine-tune your lead position. With three sets of telltales along the luff, you'll be able to shape the jib like a trimmer on an America's Cup contender. In general, on a beat the lead is in the right place when the lower two sets stream straight back and the inside upper telltale dances about 45 degrees above horizontal.
 

Les Voiles des Saint-Tropez' Regatta
     (Née The Nioulargue Regatta)

     CRISTABELLA, a masthead Sydney 46, has won the Nioulargue Trophy and came first overall in Class B at San Tropez last week, steered by her owner JOHN COOK. Second to CRISTABELLA was the IMS 50 INNOVISION which was part of the winning Dutch Team at this year's Admiral's Cup and more recently first overall at the IMS Worlds in Sardinia; CRISTABELLA had some serious competition indeed!
     Cristabella's sails mark the coming of age of a new technology in sails: composite, continuous-fibre construction. UK SAILMAKERS Hamble and Cowes lofts are the only sail production facilities in Britain licenced and equipped to use this new technology.
     UK Hamble built CRISTABELLA a Light/Med No.1, a Medium Heavy No.1 and a No.2 genoa. John Cook specified high modulus Kevlar Edge continuous fibre tapes for the structural elements of his sails, combined with a skin of medium modulus kevlar, in a balanced construction, for extra durability.
     CRISTABELLA also had UK Matrix 0.4oz VMG Running Spinnaker which proved a versatile and fast sail in the varied San Tropez conditions.
     Using other make grand prix sails CRISTABELLA had struggled for speed and height against sisterships and similar sized boats, like the Corel 45.
     At this regatta John Cook was delighted with his new technology composite sails because they gave the boost he needed to win. John said that his new Tape-Drive sails "gave a great speed advantage and better pointing..."
     This follows a remarkably successful British season for Composite Tape-Drive sails, used by the winners of the Swan, 1720 and Farr 40 Europeans.
  

 

SCOTT ALLAN FINISHED SECOND AT EAST COAST MELGES 24 CHAMPS:    ISN'T DAZZLED BY LOSS

By Bill Wagner
Reprinted from the Annapolis Evening Capital

      In sailboat racing, sometimes it's good to get a throwout and other times it's not.
      Scott Allan and his RAZZLE DAZZLE team are wishing all seven races had counted during last weekend's Melges 24 Atlantic Coast Championship. Allan skippered the Annapolis entry to all top 5 finishes, but wound up one point behind winner Mike Dow due to a throwout.
      Dow, sailing FLYING TOASTER out of Grand Traverse Yacht Club in Michigan, tossed a seventh place finish for a final total of 17 points. Allan dropped a fifth and wound up one point behind.
      "We would have won had there been no drop race. I guess we sailed too consistently," said Allan, who operates the UK Sailmakers loft in Eastport.
      Race No. 6 proved decisive as Dow finished first and Allan fifth.
      "It was a real back and forth regatta. We were virtually tied the entire way," Allan said. "We were unable to cover (FLYING TOASTER) in that sixth race. Dow caught a shift and we didn't."
      Winds gusted to 25 knots on Saturday, causing numerous breakages and mishaps in the 22-boat fleet. "Safety was a big issue during all the races," Allan said. "Keeping the equipment together and the sails from tearing was important."
      Geoff Becker, junior program director for Annapolis Yacht Club served as tactician aboard RAZZLE DAZZLE. Phillip Smith and Dave Gorwitz worked as trimmers while 9-year-old Peter Stewart performed all-around duties.
      "Peter is an outstanding young sailor and he's great to have aboard because he's so light (65 pounds) that he can move around the boat and you never feel it," Allan said.
      Allan, who boasts the 1967 Congressional Cup championship on an impressive lifelong sailing resume, bought his Melges 24 three years ago. He is the reigning CBYRA High Point champion.
  

 

ARGENTINE IMS CHAMPS

By Luis Gianotti, UK Argentina
     The 1999 Argentinian IMS Championship was raced on the River Plate in front of Buenos Aires city over two weekends - Oct. 9,10 and 16,17.
     Six races were sailed over a number of different course and in all wind strengths. Four races were 10-mile windward/leewards, one was a 60-mile distance race and one was a short distance race of 15 miles. In the first two short races the fleet was very tight with medium winds from ESE. The long distance race was very windy with SE winds going from 20 to 30 knots. The last three races were sailed in light breezes from the NE to NW.
     The IMS cruising division was the biggest fleet with 34 boats in three divisions : A: 14 boats , B: 10 boats, C: 10 boats .INTREPIDO, a Holland 34 with full UK inventory of Tape-Drive and AccuCut spinnakers won Class C and finished first overall. A big help in her downwind speed was a new UK light spinnaker built for this event
     Another UK boat that did well was AMADEUS, a Frers 31, which was second in cruising class Class B.
     In the IMS racing division only six boats race. ADRENALINA, an ILC 25 with a full UK inventory ended up second after a four way tie was broken. MERCENARIO, a Frers 37 won the class . ADRENALINA's performance was very good considering that the boat is brand new and her crew was learning the boat in a fleet very competitive.

 

LORA ANN DOMINATES 1999 Stamford - Vineyard Race

     By Steve Moore,
     Editors Note: LORA ANN is an Express 37 owned by Rich duMoulin who races out of Larchmont YC. Rich has won countless regattas with LORA ANN including Block Island Race Week. The tactics and strategy of distance racing are challenges he especially enjoys. Steve Moore sails as tactician and watch captain on LORA ANN.
     The conditions for the Stamford Yacht Club's 1999 Vineyard Race were very unusual. Easterly winds blew for a week before due to a big high to the north and Hurricane Dennis parked to the south, which simply refused to go away. As a result, when the race began on Friday afternoon 9/3/99, the first leg was a 115-mile beat instead of the usual reach or run from Stamford to the Buzzards Bay Tower.
     Aboard LORA ANN our tactic was to try to sail on the closest tack to the mark except when we were headed for a hole. Shortly after our start, we sailed well over to the Long Island side of Long Island Sound, to get to new SSE wind which was filling in. As soon as we worked solidly into this breeze, we tacked back to starboard, which was the closest tack.
     The worst part of our race was at 3AM Saturday, when one of the thickest fog banks I've ever seen rolled in. The wind direction began to oscillate wildly and the velocity went up and down between 3 and 10 knots. In the dark with absolutely no visual frame of reference, it was almost impossible to keep up with these changes. These were the most difficult conditions I've ever steered through.
     The most unusual part of our strategy was the decision to pass Block Island to the south on the way to the Buzzards Tower. After we exited the Sound through the Race, the closer tack took us in the direction of the middle of Block Island. Next, the Saturday morning marine forecast suggested that the wind would shift to the SE later in the day. Since the seabreeze effect is very strong in Block Island and Rhode Island sounds, this forecast seemed plausible.
     However, it so rarely pays to go south of Block because you are adding a lot of extra distance to the rhumbline course. As we closed on the Island, almost every other racer in sight began to tack to starboard and head towards the Island's northern tip --seven miles NE. It got very lonely. If the wind went SE, we would be at least seven miles to the inside of the lift.
     Greed is good and the temptation was much too great. We headed south for "Terra Incognita".
     Eventually, after a couple of hours, the breeze finally began to veer. This shift continued so that, when we tacked to port to make our rounding several hours later, we were only .3 miles away from the Tower. Of course, LORA ANN's unmerciful crew chided me harshly for missing the layline from 30 miles away.
     The sail home was a wonderful contrast. We set the new UK 1/2 oz Matrix spinnaker and flew it all the way back to Stamford. We sailed our target boatspeeds and stayed on the headed jibe in the best current all the way back.
     We finished just after 11:07AM Sunday. The second boat on corrected time was PURSUIT, a 48 footer, that finished just 20 minutes ahead. We corrected out ahead by 46 minutes.
     Having the right strategy is important. But, it's a lot easier to look smart if you have good boatspeed. Clearly, one of the key reasons for LORA ANN's success is the speed we get from her UK Sail inventory. In particular, we set a brand new Tape-Drive mainsail for the first time at the start of this race. This sail is incredibly strong. The body material is a Kevlar Edge laminate with PBO tapes. The new main fits perfectly and goes fast. The shape was beautiful right out of the bag. The City Island Loft did a terrific job.
     In addition to the new main, LORA ANN's racing inventory includes the following UK Sails: ·
     Light/Medium 153% Tape-Drive #1 Genoa ·
     Medium/Heavy 153% Tape-Drive #1 Genoa ·
     98% Tape-Drive #3 Genoa ·
     .5 oz Matrix Cut Spinnaker ·
     .75 oz Matrix Cut Spinnaker
     These are the sails that are up over 90% of the time when we are racing. They have a great deal to do with our racing success. Not only are the Tape-Drive sails fast, but also they have proven to be incredibly durable. The shape has held up much longer than in previous sails of tri-radial construction. Moreover, The ripstop effect of the Tape-Drive tapes allowed us to continue racing with our UK #1 genoa, after the leech area was cut by a sharp spreader tip that came untaped during a race. Any other sail would have torn from leech to luff.
 

LEVEL 72 CLASS AND THREE OTHER DIVISIONS WON BY TAPE-DRIVE AT THE AMERICAN YACHT CLUB FALL SERIES

      The American Yacht Club/New York Yacht Club Fall Series drew over 120 boats for two weekends of racing on western Long Island Sound. The smaller boats sailing on the west circle drew the biggest divisions and the tightest racing. Of the six classes on the West Circle, four were won by boats with UK Sailmakers Tape-Drive sails.
      In 15-boat PHRF 7 division for the slowest boats, Carmine Quaglio's Santana 30/30 won with a nearly perfect set of results (1,1,1,2,1,1,2). Iris Vogel drove her Soverel 33 Deviation to victory over 17 boat boats in PHRF 6 where the rating band went from 93-111. Her scores were1,2,2,1,1,1,8.
      PHRF 4 was made up of 11 boats all rating 72 PHRF. Adam Loory's Express 37 SOULMATES won with finishes of 2,4,1,4,1,1,1. On the second weekend, SOULMATES found it's groove and lead at every mark in all three races. The following is a report by SOULMATES' skipper Adam Loory:
      After the first weekend of the series the top four boats in our division were all within two points. In fact there were four different winners of the first four races. The regatta couldn't be closer. We had our work cut out for us for the last three races of the seven race series. At the start of race five, two of the top boats got into a collision, while we sailed clear of the pin-end pile up. We made our final approach to the windward mark on a long starboard tack. We hadn't planned to be on the layline, but it worked out that way after we tacked to cover TROUBADOUR -- another Express 37 that was one point ahead in the standings. Sitting in our bad air, TROUBADOUR had to make two extra tacks to get around the mark. That was the last time they were a threat. We broke away and then loose covered them on the remaining three legs of the windward-leeward, twice around course.
      Going into the last race we were one point ahead of TROUBADOUR. All the weather forecasts for the last day called for 15-20 knots from the south. When we got out the course the wind was blowing 6.5 knots from the west, southwest. We lined up for a pin end start so that we could protect the south side of the course. TROUBADOUR got buried by the committee boat and tacked off to port. We weren't concerned since we had more wind and we were in better position for the big southerly shift. As we worked our way toward the south on starboard tack we started to lift and then lift more and more. The wind was unexpected shifting to the northwest. Our 100 yard lead over TROUBADOUR was melting since she was now on starboard and on the inside of a huge shift. But luckily our wind stotter, Annie Atwood, jumped in to save the day. While our tactician and I almost panicked by wanting to tack immediately toward the north, Annie told us to wait because she saw a huge dead zone in the middle of the course. We listened and sailed 10-20 more lengths south so that when we tacked back to consolidate we'd be in breeze.
      When we finally tacked to port, we were aimed behind TROUBADOUR. Not a happy thought. I knew she would tack on us unmercifully to make up for all the times we stomped on them during the series. But the wind oscillated back some so that we were at least headed bow to bow. Before they could used their starboard tack advantage on us, they sailed into the hateful hole from hell that Annie saw in the middle of the course. They stopped. We sailed up to their line and then tacked - while still in breeze. Shortly thereafter we had our 100 yard lead back. Annie's voice of reason paid off big.
      Annie's spot on wind calling was just one reason of many why we stomped the fleet. Our crew work was the best it has ever been, in fact it was flawless. Our trimmers eased and trimmed to shift gears with every puff and lull. Spinnakers went up and down with no more said than "Hoist" or "Drop". And finally we dominated because we were just plain fast. Our five-batten Kevlar Edge Tape-Drive main is now a full year old and our light-medium No. 1 Kevlar Edge Tape-Drive genoa has gone two full seasons and it still has plenty of speed.

 

J/30 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP -SEPT. 17-19, ANNAPOLIS, MD

     Congratulations to Rich Harrison and his crew on "no respect" who dominated the final race to win the championship, defeating 31 other boats in an extremely competitive series. Five boats had a chance of winning the series by winning the final race so it was a shootout. "no respect" powered by UK Sails built in Annapolis was a consistent top runner with a 4,3,2,6,1 series, winning by one point over last year's N.A. champ John White in "Jailbird". Harrison had previously finished second in the NA's, so this win was particularly gratifying.
     In the last race it was a serious boatspeed contest with "Jailbird". "no respect" led the whole race and extended downwind with the new UK Airx chute. Closely following White for third in the last race was Gary Swangler in "Twilight Zone" also equipped with UK Sails including a Tape-Drive Genoa.
     UK Annapolis has been involved with the J/30 class for a number of years and its 1999 designs including Pentex genoas are proving to be at the top again. Sail designer Alan Drew (on "Big Kahuna") and loft owner Scott Allan (on "no respect") have worked with many owner/skippers to get the most from their UK Sails.

THE FURLBOOM --  FINALLY A FULL SIZED MAINSAIL WITHOUT THE HASSLE

     Finally there is a no-compromise solution for cruising sailors looking to retrofit their boat with a roller furling mainsail. The Furlboom allows you to use a full-batten, large roach mainsail without having to leave the safety and comfort of your cockpit without having to switch to a battenless, roachless sail.
     The Furlboom gives sailors the ability to have full-sized mainsail that can be furled and covered with the push of a button from the cockpit. It makes cruising safer and easier. Once you roll the sail into the boom, a built in cover comes out to close the opening in the top. The whole process is effortless. There is no more standing on tip toes or climbing folding steps on the mast.
     Designed and manufactured in Australia and assembled in the United States, the Furlboom is perfect for large boats where handling the mainsail and covering it is impossible without a huge crew. It also works well on boats where the boom is inaccessible because it's too high or because a dodger and bimini cover are in the way. The Furlboom solves two problems in one - now that's simplicity.
     Installing a Furlboom is just as easy as using it. There is no need to replace your mast with a larger diameter section. Your current mast will continue to do the job for you. Unlike some in boom furlers, the Furlboom does not require a large hole to be drilled in the mast. The system is mounted on the aft side of the mast, unlike other in-boom furling systems.
     The following is a testimonial from a satisfied customer who switched from a roller furling mast to a standard mast with a Furlboom for his custom S&S 48:
     "Let me start out by saying that the boat's change in performance has been dramatic. The new sail has a lot more horsepower. The old main was flat and had no shape so that it would roll up easily. But now, the boat is a whole different animal.
     "Even with a bigger main, the boat is stiffer thanks to the new smaller diameter, lighter mast. The motion of the boat is much smoother even when motoring since the mast is lighter and the weight of the mainsail is now down in the boom instead inside the mast.
     "Besides wanting better boatspeed, I changed systems for safety reasons. In the past when the sail jammed while furling we had to send someone aloft to unjam the sail. If for some reason the rolling mechanism ever jams, we will still be able to drop the sail and lash it to the boom.
     "Raising and lowering the sail is a dream. With our electric winch the sail goes up and down so smoothly. Even though we raise and lower the sail when head to wind, the sail is quiet thanks to the six full length battens that prevent the sail from snapping back and forth."
     When you are ready to take it easy without taking it slow, call UK Sailmakers toll free for more information on the Furlboom.      
 

ONE DESIGN 35 TUNING GUIDE AVAILABLE.

     To get a copy of UK Sailmakers 1-D35 Tuning guide, click on this link. The UK Sailmakers loft in Detroit has made many sets of sails and has been involved in setting up the boats for racing winning speed.

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