From: stig@stud.cs.uit.no (Stig Johansen)
Subject: Re: the courceracer is dead?
Organization: University of Tromsoe, Norway
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 15:14:42 GMT

First I'd like to thank you all for the good comments I'we received by email.

In article <1992Sep30.195318.22026@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>, ktc@onan.jhuapl.edu writes:
Some lines deleted...
|> 
|> At the Tudor/Mistral East Coast Championships this year Dave Buemi (Mistral  
|> Natl. rep/team rider) competed in the open class and used a Mistral  
|> course/slalom and 7+ m^2 sail in his throw-out. He didn't even finish, having  
|> been buried in a ~10 kn lull. Of course (no pun) he didn't need to, having a  
|> string of firsts for all other races in which he used an Equippe and Sailworks  
|> sails, I think in the 9 m^2 range for conditions 10 kn to 15 kn. I haven't seen  
|> anyone beat an Equippe in less than 12 Kn.

Next year you might see several cource slalom boards beat the Equipe in
marginal conditions in the funboard class (wind limit 11 knots before start,
and not under 9 knots during the race). The problem with cource slalom
boards is getting out in free wind after the start, so you have to be
extremely impudent. The 9 m^2 sails you mention is hardly ever used in the
funboard class, here in Norway. Most sailors use a 7.5 or 8.0 and a Equipe,
because you'll have problemes being competive with a 9 m^2 sail above 11 
knots, at least in 15 knots. And then I am talking of 11 knots at the cource, not
10 meter above the surface, in the mast of a huge boat.

|> 
|> Point is, as I found out, if you're not wired (powered to overpowered) for  
|> whatever the conditions are, you might as well not start. I used a 9.5 Aerotech  
|> for as long as I could hold on, and did OK.  Problem was that I couldn't  
|> reliably uphaul or waterstart the damn thing in more than 12, and hence didn't  
|> always finish.

That's an other problem with cource slalom boards. If the wind drops for a
periode or you do a mistake, you might lose 10-15 places, but with a courceracer 
you lose only a few places. 

|> 
|> After blowing two races, I tried an experiment and rigged a North 7.5 Prisma  
|> with no outhaul tension. The IMCO leaders passed me on their 7.5 Gastras (they  
|> started 3 mins behind the open class). So much for the loose leach. When I  
|> re-rigged to about the North reccomendations for that sail (a '91), I was  
|> competitive even though I was still somewhat underpowered. Buemi's observation  
|> was that in underpowered conditions the luff tube should be almost slack when  
|> the sail is loaded--- speed wrinkles. Also, resulting tight leach gives much  
|> better upwind performance. 

I do agree that you have to stay powered to be competitive. I use a 7.5 Gaastra
myselves and rig it loose in the funboard class. But in marginal conditions I
release the downhaul 5 cm to tighten the leach. A trim system is the ultimate
solution used by most Leichner sailors, and some funboard sailors. 

I am only going to sail funboard and don't need the Equipe with my 68 kg. Heavy
sailors are best served with the Equipe, I guess. If I am wrong I'll have to
buy a new Equipe (because I sold my old one) and send a comment on the net, but 
that wount happen until next season. Happy sailing!

Arctic Surf Bums: Almost 70 degrees north :-)
-- 
//// Stig Johansen, research assistant //    Email: stig@stud.cs.uit.no  /
/// Computer Science Department       //    Phone : +47 83 44121        //
// University of Tromsoe             //    Telefax: +47 83 44580       ///
/ N-9037 TROMSOE, NORWAY            //                                ////