| Author |
|
|
|
bryan
WA
Australia
37 Posts |
Posted 24/06/2010, 11:30 am
   
|
| I've been blokarting for about 5 years now and have sailed in some very strong winds on Lake Lefroy.Using a 2m sail,ultra carbon mast, gps, and fitting a Pod I have not yet hit 80 kph.Can go sideways on 2 wheels at 65-70 kph which makes for fun sailing, but I want to get some higher speed, Im 84 kgs, would ballasting the yacht with sand bags improve my speed? |
|
|
Gizmo
SA
Australia
1650 Posts |
|
|
landyacht
WA
Australia
3881 Posts |
Posted 24/06/2010, 8:26 pm
|
that same configuration on ivanpah and yeppoon is good for 100kph + you have a couple of things against you.
you need to put on 10kgs
you need to sail in stronger winds
you need to do all these things on really dry, slightly rough, but almost smooth salt.
you need to do this in the morning before the salt heats up and gets damp, ie as soon as the big wind comes in
this would involve getting out of your comfy swag as soon as the wind starts ( sunrise). 9.00am get ups and a feed just dont cut it
finally lots of practice reaching and broad reaching. alot of blokarters tend to bear off to far downwind to really get the max speed from thier yachts.
i think this is because the softer mast on the production models , coupled with the style of sheeting allows a blowie to sail well more downwind.
great for beaches, and beginners , but not so good for speed |
| |
|
|
Broken Mast
QLD
Australia
32 Posts |
Posted 28/06/2010, 10:19 pm
|
Whilst the fastest I've ever been with a GPS on board is mid 70's, (in a production blokart with a glass mast and 4.0 metre sail and borrowed GPS) I know I can achieve in excess of 80 km. I now run a performance Blokart with carbon only in three sections on the 4.0 and two sections on the 3.0. I find this configuration of sail and mast suits my sailing style better and allows me a higher max speed.
Airflow and resistance are everything. I find that when I keep as low a profile as possible and sheet accordingly, even when others are hanging out of their blokart trying to keep all three wheels on the ground I usually make ground and pass if behind. This especially applies on a production blokart. With the performance kart it is probably more important given that the purpose of the POD is to aid aerodynamics and hanging out the side of it certainly doesn't help drag.
I recently flew, and I mean flew past one of our members who was clocking 69.4km on his GPS at the time. Both of us on 3.0 and he had a full carbon mast.
I don't know if any of this help and I certainly don't know the ins and outs of sailing or it's terminology but I do know that when I sheet my sail just right I can go like all hell. And Landyacht, not just downwind. I in fact find that I make the best time up on the competition when sailing upwind.
There are guys in our club who exceed 80 km on a regular basis in good winds.
P.S. I weigh 85 kg.
|
| |
|
|
Hiko
New Zealand
742 Posts |
Posted 29/06/2010, 6:01 am
|
It would seem to me that you have good sailing skills and that is what is doing it for you
Good skills equals fast yacht
When my class 5 gets in the groove it goes like hell but unfortunately I cannot get it there like some of the better sailers I sail with
Swapping yachts has proved this to me as does seeing the results of
one class racing everywhere
Cheers
Hiko |
| |
|
|
|
Clemco
New Zealand
300 Posts |
|
|
landyacht
WA
Australia
3881 Posts |
|
| |
|
|
