more on speed

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:36 am

I don’t know what I’ve done but I must have done something right. I can’t match Dave (Fancy Free) at 7plus knts but there again I haven’t got a spinny. I put Seren back on the water the other day and for my first trip of the season I managed 5.7knts (through water) on a reach and 5.3knts close hauled which for me was fast! It was supposed to be gusting F6 SE but wind from this direction on Menia never amounts to much, anyway, both sails were reefed (2 rolls of the jenny and the first reefing point of the main.)
May be it was the hard anti fouling or the fact that I’ve raised the outboard. Possibly, it’s the new rudder (which seems much lighter on the helm than the tree trunk I had before) or could it be the fact that I’ve bought a rig tension gauge and tweaked the shrouds a lot more, I’ve also managed to straighten the my bent mast.
Maybe it’s not any one of these things but the sum of them all. Out of interest, what sort of water speeds are other people getting when sailing close hauled or reaching (without a kite?)

robvega · Post by **robvega** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:42 pm

Hi Terry
I've not equaled Dave's 7knots either, the most we managed was about 5.5knots. Was doing a steady 4.9 last week in a 3-4 upwind. Not as fast the next day, could have been the lighter winds or the weight of the hailstones building up on the decks, slowing me down!!! Roll on warmer weather!
Rob

roadster · Post by **roadster** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:04 pm

Just come back from a week long trip in Irish Sea in frequent Force 6 to 7.
6.8 knts was typical, peaking about 7.3. Gave up fighting the tiller and had to 2nd reef eventually which dropped the speed a bit though.
Can get around 5.7 in a Force 4.

Cheers
Justin Saunders

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:01 pm

Possibly at the top end of 4.
Where abouts in the Irish sea were you?

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:05 pm

Sorry for being an idiot! Just read your other messages and, like Gary, I'm well impressed.
I'm on a swing mooring in Porth Dinorwic which is £350 pa.

roadster · Post by **roadster** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:31 pm

Not something i'd do with wife and kids! But me and my mate had fun.

The toughest bit was puching out of Ardglass N. Ireland where a F7 had pinned us in the marina the day before. Wind had died to a F6 SSW next day but still 12ft waves breaking straight into the harbour entrance. 5hp motor on full bore, headed straight at 'em. Bit scary but once a few hundred yards out, 2nd reef in and turned with wind behind us, we made Portpatrick in Scotland for last orders!

I've been amazed at what kind of weather these Swifts can handle.
I know you probably all know this already, but they're quick too. Spent most of our time in Scotland chasing boats at least 10ft longer. Learned how to rig the spinnaker!

Anyone done any epic voyages in a Swift?

Cheers
Justin Saunders