Waiting Game

Boat is in Belmont. I am in Singapore. And the NE Monsoon has finally hit and the breeze has been great lately (with some awesome tropical storms in the evenings) and I don't have a boat to go sail. But at least all the overdue household chores are done...

So bit frustrating reading about the keen beans already there practising whilst I am stuck in the office until the 4th Jan. Only able to get to Belmont on the afternoon of the 5th. Oh well, patience patience. It is a great spot to sail and only lived there for 12 years or so, so should remember it sell. Reading about the westerlies recently had made me laugh. They are notoriously chaotic with holes galore and big wind shifts.

Anyway found this pic from prior to the 2007 A-Cat worlds in Florida. Ben Hall decided over the winter to build one for himself.



Anyway, caused all sorts of debate prior to the worlds etc. Very much a mirror image of what we are seeing now, but without the blogosphere and that place called Sailing Anarchy.

It measured in. It sailed. And Ben Hall ended up getting the same position overall as he did at the previous year's worlds, that is 30th. Eventually it was picked up by BMW Oracle for training by Ashby/Spithill.

Noone else in the class took them up for various reasons. So having seen it happen before it is a case of wait and see for me as regards to the wing's performance. It could be a game changer or just provides that incremental improvement which could probably be matched by training. Though think it may be closer to the former rather than the latter.