VOR: Team Vestas running aground

Sucks to be the Skipper / Navigator this week. Lucky everyone is okay! Will be interesting to see if they can get back into the race though it seems really doubtful with such extensive damage. Its not clear yet if they'll even retrieve the boat but I really hope so!

Tuning: New prebend

Been playing with the mast some more, as we've had good speed my fingers are crossed that I haven't broken that but only improved it.

Last week I managed to get rid of the hook at the top of the mast - basically by rolling back to everything loose and re-tightening. I suspect the D2 pressure induced the hook.

Afterwards though I took a picture up the mast track decided the mast was not longer in column. One of the problems I had been having was setting the D2 tension so yesterday I went back up, dismantled them, cleaned them and had another go. Cleaning them made a HUGE difference. Previously the idea of hand tight was impossible, as you couldn't turn them by hand even when loose, now you can and I feel more confident about their tension.

In the picture below you can see the turnbuckle - there are rotating sleeves at A and B. As pressure increases A will likely bind and you have to be careful too not rotate the rod rigging - I started by trying to grip the rod but moved to gripping the turnbuckle body instead.

Straight? Straighter for sure.

 Notice the lack of bend up high.

Old shot for reference

Race: America's cup - bah humbug!

Was really hoping this came to SD, even with our fickle winds getting up close to the boats would have been a lot of fun.

Not to be...

What do they have that we don't?? :)