A-Cat: DNA 2014 smooth ride by PJ Dwarshuis
Video sent by DNA builder PJ Dwarshuis. Smooth rides on his new 2014 design. Same conf used by Ashby at Bordeaux. Four production builders are now offering foiling setups now: Exploder, Scheurer G7, Askell and DNA.
The beauty of the current proven foiling solution is that you still need to be a good sailor to fully take advantage of this mode while racing.
You can have stable foil rides for fun after some training and pitchs are almost gone. But as with downwind trap mode you need skills to make it work in the course. To me that should remain untouched, thus wands and other automatic/mechanical system should never be allowed in the A-Class.
I had a blast at Bordeaux in floating mode, and it was enough for me, but this is what we have now, so no much room that to adapt and enjoy the ride.
Sailor skills and the ability to maximize a non automatic flight control mode should remain key while racing though.
Right now foilers won in almost every condition as seen at Bordeaux, from 4 to 18knots. This is a great advantage the As have over the Moths, beyond the wider range of sailors weights an A can support.
Don´t get me wrong, Moths are incredible cool flying machines, I just like Multis better.
Mastering both classes as Outteridge does would be the ideal scenario.
Sunday: Training races
With a sunny conditions and 9 knots from west flat sea, 2 races made with many fights on startings yet!
First is dominated by the Falcon with Kim Anne & Benjamin every where. 2nd BEL100 with Aurelie and Alec. Third the SUI1 with Andreas & Dominik
Second race was very disputed on starting. First BEL3 with Henry & Emile, followed by 2 teams on top : 2nd SUI1 Andreas & Dominik , Third Kim Anne & Benjamin
The championship is launched early!
Monday : 2 races
Several Vipers are coming from Erquy to defend their brand position from 2013 Travemunde.
First race:
Sunny with wind from north 15knots, high tide.
Start with a big rainy storm cloud oblige to modify the strategy of many teams.
The fleet is shared.
At the first round, AUS218 Viper with Daniel & Nathan are first followed by Cirrus with Boulogne & son
Endly the positions are hold 1: Daniel & Nathan, 2: Boulogne 3: Arnout & Klaas who are very happy!!
Second race:
The wind is growing to 20-22knots from North always!
The waves are growing also and the conditions become more hard .
The fleet is split with wind, but 1rst place is for Arnout & Klaas , 2nd for KIm Anne & Benjamin who show the Falcon on waves, third August & Stijn. GER 50 single arrives well 11th.
Second Day:
Race 3:
Wind 16knots from North against the tide which is going up, cloudy in waiting the blue sky promised by forecast this afternoon.
Start in right line like soldiers, to the west the boats are against wind and waves which are begining to developp.
BEL308 is 1rst at the buoy1. At gate, BEL308, FRA80, AUS218, BEL666
Results:
BEL308 Arnout & Klaas
FRA80 Emmanuel & Vianney
AUS218 Daniel & Nathan
BEL666 Kim Anne & Benjamin
BEL3 Henri & Emile
Race 4:
Wind 18-20knots, from north against always tide but a little to east 5°.
3 starts with black flags which destroy BEL66 FRA5 NED77 & BEL101.
Results:
AUS218 Daniel & Nathan
FRA80 Emmanuel & Vianney
BEL308 Arnout & Klaas
BEL100 Aurelie & ALec
BEL3 Henri & Emile
Race 5:
Wind 14-16knots from North, but the waves become great almost 1-1,5m where the experience makes difference
Start is careful, and quiet to hold the current and waves.
Many capsizes and returns.
Results:
AUS218 Daniel & Nathan
BEL308 Arnout & Klaas
BEL3 Henri & Emile
BEL101 August & Stijn
NED66 Feenstra & Sanne