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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:00 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 27
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Hey guys,

I just started sailing any kind of boat in April, but have been going about 5 times a week(I'm addicted already) and have just started racing in the local club near my house in Little Rock, AR. I have uploaded a few videos but the last one I uploaded was from a recent race. If any of you hobie savvy viewers could give me some tips from things you see in the video, if anything, I would greatly appreciate it. (btw the crew had never been on a sailboat before that morning) Also we had very few hobies there that day (you can see one sinking in the backgroud a couple of times-forgot hull plugs.)

its a 1978 H18. 1080p is available

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsgqg2NRilE[/youtube]


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:05 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 8:28 am
Posts: 791
Location: Clinton Lake, KS
How are you finishing?


On my 18.. I tie a piece of Shock cord from the dolphin striker around the Spreader wires(or maybe it was somewhere on the very front of the boom) and then back down again to the striker on the other side to prevent the jib sheet from getting fouled up or pinched at the mast base..


the 18 is such a great boat....

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:29 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Nepean S.C. Ottawa, Canada
I am surprised that in such good wind, you had such little chop. That is a great video. You guys are good athletes, and that 1978 really flies.

1. Second the motion re a piece of bungee from one side of the dolphin striker (where it meets the hull) up through the lower parts of the diamond wires, across to the the other side of the dolphin striker. An upside down 'V', rigged in such a way that your jib sheets lie on TOP...then they won't get tangled in the base of the mast.

2. Tacking & the Jib - Teach your crew to kneel under the boom, facing forward, with one hand on the 'lazy' side of the jib sheet, the other hand on the 'busy' side of the jib sheet, spare jib sheet in front of him on the tramp. Keep the jib cleated until the H18 is through the eye of the wind, then release with one hand and pull to the new side with the other, such that the jib continues to 'draw' wind right across as it changes sides. Don't let it flap around like that. Takes practice.

Also, going upwind, you may want to 'scallop', depending on wind shifts. Read up on headers and lifters...

3. Downwind....work out if you want to sail 'wing on wing' or 'tack downwind'. The trick is to know the lake/river/ocean conditions where you are sailing. Often, broad reaching downwind, (the fastest point of sail), while it means that you travel further, you often travel faster so that your VMG is better. In other words, don't straight line your course, zig zag down, gybing at each zig or zag.

4. Weight distribution. As a general rule, sit as far forward as is safe for the conditions, so as to minimize drag on the stern of the hulls. You would also do better to 'focus' your/ your crew's weight in one spot. Not you at the back and him at front. Ask any H16 sailor about 'hobby horsing'. Ideal is you sitting on the lip of the hull, leaning back against the knees of the crew as they hike out.

5. The foot of your jib is fluttering a lot....how old is that jib?

6. Outhaul, downhaul and rotation adjustments are not critical....what you might find useful is a 5:1 downhaul, they are VERY nice to use.

Continue to sail like that and you'll win lots of trophies. Good winds!

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:41 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 27
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
John lunn,

Yeah the wind was great and there isn't much chop because the lake we are on is narrower north to south, and very long east to west. That day the wind was from the south so it has less time to generate waves. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be from the east so there should be some chop.

And yes the jib is very old, it will probably be my next big investment on the boat.
I had a couple seasoned sailors from the club help me tune the boat today and adjust my diamond wires and spreader position. We also lowered my jib, making the tack closer to the furler and lowering the foot about 6 inches. Thanks for the other tips maybe I'll post a video of the races tomorrow!


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:12 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
Posts: 424
Location: Lake Gaston, NC
You asked for tips, so here's mine. Try to steer less. Any extra movement on the tiller stalls one side of the rudders in some amount and dumps speed-a lot on a cat. Watch the clouds in line with a hull in your video. To get the very last half knot of speed, the tiller is the difference and the groove is very narrow on a catamarran. Hand the sheet to your crew if you need to.

The fastest line is not in a straight line a lot of times, but to get max speed, you need to learn what it feels like in steady wind , and be able to hold the boat in the middle of the groove. It's faster to be slower sheeting the main in, without jerking the tiller while making big adjustments on the sheet, than getting the sail in quickly while jerking the boat around.

On any sailboat, smooth is fast. It's especially so on a cat.

Watch the water for gusts. Be ready for one when it gets to you, not after it already has. The guys at the front in a big race are watching the water. Everyone much behind them are looking at their boat.


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