TOPIC:

And...If you bought yourself a new Ovington Albacore you would be getting a boat from the builder of the Boon Solo's which wipe the floor with all comers...1,2 and 3rd at the pre champs and 5x first places at the Northerns, Albacores are not too bad either.



Incidently, I have no feeling at all in my left knee since a reconstruction, my other knee isn't too good either. I did sail lasers for ten years but I actually damaged my knee pitchpoling a 14...

Hiking is actually good for you if you do it properly and build up the right mussles.

See a good physio to see you right. Chris T2010-07-14 17:32:24

Its easier than a Laser by far. My knees are shot and I am in the line for getting them sorted, however provided I don't kneel or try to hike like a hero, the Albacore is quite comfortable.



Have you thought about buying two Solos - it'd save you a lot of thinking time!

Hi Graham
Thanks for the input. Everything you say about Solos is, unfortunately, correct, especially their light wind abilities. And with Winder waving their magic wand over them there is a whole new performance level out there.

Knee wise, we think my wife can hike now - we have tried a couple of hiking sessions and she seems ok. I was told that hiking on an Alb is more akin to hanging over the side rather than straight leg hiking - is that a fair comment?
And Phil - [img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]
Cheers
John
JohnWin2010-07-13 11:36:45

This Solo sailor didn't have the best day on Saturday at Bala



www.balasc.org.uk/ResultsReports/Results10/LongDist10.html



The 49ER did though!



Cheers



Phil

I can't help with the tidal venue, but I've sailed against Solos on a reservoir for many years especially in predominantly light wind evening series. With their fully battened shaped sail off the wind in below Force 2, they are difficult for anyone to beat. This includes a World/European etc. champion in Fireballs and the Iso, who was only ever humbled by ordinary Club Solo sailors.

They have had a Primary PY of 1155 or earlier equivalent for ever, but now can have Mylar sails

, have moved the bulkhead and mast further forwards and the same people (ageing like me) now point as high as me.

5 years ago none of them did - the Solo wisdom was to keep the boom end beyond the stern quarter and don't try to point high or you'd stop. Not any more,

so things have changed but not the PY !

Your weight looks good for the Albacore, but it does need vigorous hiking in the windier conditions - is your wife's knee OK for those occasions ?

Hi Crawfy
Thanks for the offer - I have sent you a PM with more info. Oddly, you seem right about asking the Solo sailors, it was one of those in my local club that recommended the Enterprise . . . hmmm ??
However, it was an ex Solo sailor, not in my club, that recommended the Albacore or Kestrel hence my leaning towards these two boats. I must say that the Albacore forum is a really friendly place to chat - everyone has been very helpful so thanks.
Any more thoughts from anyone?
Cheers John

Hi John,

You didn't say earlier that you were in Scotland I can save you a lot of bother, I know several of the top Scots in solos, ask them how the they do against an Alb, they probably won't tell you. I am at Strathclyde Loch where are you? if you drop me a post we could arrange a sail in my boat.

Crawfy

[img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img] [img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]
They do cartwheel very well - in fact one 16 stone (+!) member of my club did just such a Solo cartwheel, followed by a (short) unplanned flight on his part, and a starfish landing on the sail . . [img]smileys/smiley32.gif[/img] Needless to say, we still remind him of it now - 3 years later ! ! !
You are right though, the classically good sailors can win in almost anything. My goal is just to beat the average guys!
All help is gratefully received . .

John

Experience at Maidenhead is that middle of Nats fleet Alb sailors tended to win in most conditions but one hot shot Solo turned up and wins most handicaps. Solos go well in very light conditions but so do Albs - you have to tickle them along gently and don't move about too much. Albs roll tack like a dream and it doesn't take much to accelerate out of one (naughty!). Likewise at Sutton Bingham in the winter, I win until another hot shot Solo turns up then it gets hard. Truth is a good sailor can sail a bathtub well - that's why the best seem to win in many different classes ref Mike Mac etc. For good performance in all conditions the Alb is hard to beat. Ever seen a Solo going downwind in a blow - they can't sit far enough back and they do lovely cartwheels!

Obviously the same Engish teacher as I had!! And don't start a sentence with 'and' or use the word 'get' - ever . . [img]smileys/smiley9.gif[/img]
I tried the ramming technique once with my son in a 420 a few years ago - Solos are a lot tougher than they look ! ! !
You're right about the transom thingy at the front though, and yet they still (IMO) outperform the handicap figure of 1155 .
I am just desperate for a two man boat that can race Solos on handicap with a chance of winning if we race well and the conditions aren't too much against us.
Which reminds me, Solos are demons in light conditions, the fully batoned (sp?) sail seems to grab any puff of wind at all. How good are Albacores in the light stuff?
Cheers
John

I apologise for using the word "nice" twice in one sentence. My old English teacher would be rending his hair and gnashing his teeth assuming he still had either

You could always try ramming the Solos - the Albacore has a nice sharp bow & should penetrate a good distance through the side of a Solo - they cant get you back as they have that nice little transom thingee as a bow

Thanks for the offer Graham - I am in Scotland so probably not likely to be in your area soon ! ! but thanks anyway.
Dom - I probably failed in my expanation - normally, the tide is running against the wind so it is in fact (I think) helping the slower boats by increasing their 'over the ground' speed on the windward leg.

Practical experience has shown that when the wind and tide are in the same direction, i.e. the tide is pushing boats backwards on the windward leg, then in the Fireball we whup the Solos, even though they try sneaky little tacks up the bank in the lighter current. If the Fireball is going well, then we are around the windward mark and away well before the Solos.
I must admit, I like the faster boat sailing, and like you say, if I can get clear of the Solos at the start, then I should be in clear air while they argue over inches in dirty air [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]
Great advice - thanks
John

Firstly a faster boat should always beat a slower boat in 'against tide conditions' because it makes ground over the tide at a greater speed. Working on approximate water line lengths and theoretical displacement speeds, the Albacore will be able to sail up wind at approximately 0.4kts faster than the Solo. Therefore it will spend less time on the windward leg and therefor less time in negative tide.



The Albacore will tack quicker than the Fireball and power up quicker depending upon the ability of the Fireball crew/ helm co-ordination. Down wind there is less time spent setting the whisker pole than spinnaker setting and you can get in the groove quicker with the Albacore.



However yardstick numbers are suposed to make for good racing and so a lot will depend upon how well you sail the boat. If the Solos are well sailed they will alweays be hard to beat in river conditions.



Others here may have experience sailing against them in the conditions you describe. I used to sail a Solo at Weston Sailing Club on Southampton Water and have beaten a pretty well sailed Albacore (mid nationals fleet) in favourable Solo conditions. However I would expect the Albacore to be on top most times and I would have been no better than mid Solo fleet.



As to the Kestral ~ well you have a powerful spinnaker to manage in tight conditions and the Enterprise will be sailing boat for boat with the Solos and not in clear air as you should be with the Albacore.

Good luck

Hi John an Alb certainly is the boat for you, We sail at Broadwater SC and regularly race against competitive Solos, depending on course/wind direction the positions come down to the sailors, biggest threat is the wind increasing after weve finished, check out our results page on our website and you will seee the variations, good luck with your search, wgereabouts do you sail ? Broadwater is Northwest London and you would be most welcome to come and have a sail in my boat any time, cheers Graham