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khiemtranThursday night sailing and there's a surprise for me. The guys at the sailing school ask if I'd like to try a new RS Quba.
The Quba is a much more modern design than the Pacers I normally sail, which, although fibreglass, are based on a plywood design from the sixties. As you can see, the hull is much smaller and has curved sides to make it easier to "sit out". There are no wires holding up the mast (stays) and the whole thing just takes seconds to rig. It's also much lighter, since it's made from plastic and foam instead of fibreglass. Another difference is the daggerboard, which you can see raised in the middle of the picture below. This acts as a retractable keel. It's the first time I've used one because all the other dinghies have had centreboards (which swing down through a box in the middle of the boat) instead.
Out on the water, it's easy to see how much improvement has been made since the sixties. The Quba is brilliant to sail - easy to tack and gybe and quick across the water. Most of all, it feels both light and stable, which gives a great feeling of confidence. It's easy to point it or tilt it the way you want, but if it starts heeling too much, there's quite a strong reactive force that will keep you from capsizing.
There were two distinct areas of wind on the Georges River that night. Near the northern shore, the wind was under ten knots, but further out it was more like fifteen, with white caps flying off the waves. It was great fun slamming through the waves in the windier bit, but I didn't get any photos. (I was actually struggling just to haul in the sail. Also, my fingers are chafed this morning - I have the hands of a software engineer.) I didn't capsize, but finished up drenched anyway because of all the spray. The smile at the end tells the story...
The Quba is a much more modern design than the Pacers I normally sail, which, although fibreglass, are based on a plywood design from the sixties. As you can see, the hull is much smaller and has curved sides to make it easier to "sit out". There are no wires holding up the mast (stays) and the whole thing just takes seconds to rig. It's also much lighter, since it's made from plastic and foam instead of fibreglass. Another difference is the daggerboard, which you can see raised in the middle of the picture below. This acts as a retractable keel. It's the first time I've used one because all the other dinghies have had centreboards (which swing down through a box in the middle of the boat) instead.
Out on the water, it's easy to see how much improvement has been made since the sixties. The Quba is brilliant to sail - easy to tack and gybe and quick across the water. Most of all, it feels both light and stable, which gives a great feeling of confidence. It's easy to point it or tilt it the way you want, but if it starts heeling too much, there's quite a strong reactive force that will keep you from capsizing.
There were two distinct areas of wind on the Georges River that night. Near the northern shore, the wind was under ten knots, but further out it was more like fifteen, with white caps flying off the waves. It was great fun slamming through the waves in the windier bit, but I didn't get any photos. (I was actually struggling just to haul in the sail. Also, my fingers are chafed this morning - I have the hands of a software engineer.) I didn't capsize, but finished up drenched anyway because of all the spray. The smile at the end tells the story...
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Date: 2014-02-13 10:37 pm (UTC)I'm relieved to see you say that things have moved on since the 60s. What use was the technological revolution otherwise? The idea of a boat is fairly simple but boats themselves have a delicious complexity of material and design. I also think that they are beautiful to look at (on the whole) - their shape is so elegant compared to a disparate outline of arms and legs!
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Date: 2014-02-14 09:22 am (UTC)It's probably best illustrated if you compare the Optimist in the photo below with the O'pen Bic later. Both are meant for teaching kids, but the older Optimist is pretty much just a box with a sail...
While the newer O'pen Bic is much closer in concept to an oversized surfboard.
You can probably see also that as the newer designs start to heel (lean) too much, a lot more of the bouyant hull will be in the water and there will be a large force trying to right it. This makes them a lot more stable, even though you can also heel them easily from side to side. In the picture below, the boy is relying on the bouyancy of the boat, as much as his own weight, to keep it upright.
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Date: 2014-02-14 01:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-14 10:16 pm (UTC)