Land Sailing Vid

French Championship 2012

part 1 of class5

Yes I agree they are good value.
What is the story?? I thought some of you westerners were heading up to Europe for the Champ's, did I get it wrong??
Ron

i noticed that they don't seem to wear seat belts ??

Simple they do push starts.... It's a better way to start a race than the "duck waddle" or "wheel chair" starts we use in Australia.

First video 23 seconds in...... By doing starts like this it gets the yacht up to speed with the rig and sail actually working.


Also look at the second video at approx 22 seconds in.


Or even the 3rd video 20 seconds in......

To do push starts the steering geometry needs to be set up right or your in for big problems.... Have a good look the steering in the Class5 video they don't use layover steering, the front wheel remains vertical.
Also anyone from Australia going to championships overseas would be at a disadvantage with push starts as they would have minimal practice with the method.

To add to Gizmos reply. If you turn into the wind and lose too much speed, you hop out, run like crazy through the turn, hop back in again Sort of a last resort but if there's a 'dead spot' on the course, why wait, or "wheel chair" through it

I asked and was told it was optional to use the seat belt on the airfield, ok on a mini as there's no hopping out or push start, and beaches there was a risk of capsizing in water and being held by your weight under water hanging off the belt. So basically I've only ever seen Blokarts and X-sails with belts - despite having just marshalled a 2 day regatta with plenty of different yachts to see.

Cheers Col

some of my least fun moments in landsailing have been scraping up bits of bloody skin off a salt lake from yet another person who was just too cool or lazy not to belt up.
I have belts in my mini and my 5. set up for easy on or off.
I have experimented with trying to get my yacht into deep enough water to be a problem with the belt, butI just cant do it. the yacht floats
even capsized , not a problem.
i had it explained to me that french pilots would not like to be told that they had to wear a belt.

Just to note.... I have never said seat belts should NOT be fitted or NOT be used, just they should NOT be made compulsory..... Unless it is on a class by class basis for yachts WORLD wide.
On Mini yachts and yacht used by newcomers to the sport the use of seat belts should be HIGHLY recommended, for the reasons mentioned by others.

So if you want a rolling start ..... sail a Blokart !!!!! Why should the entire world have to adjust to your stuffed up knees? No one has said you MUST do a run start, it would be your choice.

I wear glasses and so with your way of thinking if I wanted to play AFL football then every one playing the game would also need to wear glasses just because I need to.

you might want to start on your fitness campaign gizmo,
TP1 can work down a trench in 36+ with a pick and shovel all day

Bonjour,
Concerning push starts and re pushing during racing,
If too many pilots are pushing, round is immediately cancelled by the committee.
most of these images are shot during cancelled races.

Hand (both sides) and foot steering is the norm, even my humble effort has both...and the block the pedals mount on moves backward/forwards over a distance of 300mm in steps of 75mm via a line of M12 threaded inserts set into the chassis also it will mount forwards or backwards giving about another 150mm - then adjust the length of the steering rod to suit.

Cheers Col

I did not say i wanted rolling starts, i only gave that as an example of a different starting system.
I prefer a standing start.

The rolling starts I have seen with Blowies are where when an assistant (not the pilot) pushes the yacht off.

So in short course racing, the better the pusherofferer, the better the chance of winning is. Sort of blows the ethic of "One Design".

I am an advocate of sailing starts as happens in water yacht sailing. If you cross too soon, you go round again. Skill is required.

With running starts where the pilot shoves the yacht off, getting into the yacht from a sprint while steering the yacht, then buckling in and then sailing the yacht is quite a complicated manoeuvre. MUCH skill is required.

In the end it is down to the race committee on the day but it is only fair that the kind of start and full race rules are published well before the event so that competitors are able to practice whatever skill they will need.

Given the fact that landsailing is the most suitable "extreme sport" for over 60s like myself and others, maybe a new division needs to be created. My knees are buggered too.[}:)]

Hate to stop the whingingbut the mini class start in the Fisly rules is a rolling start - you start moving 2 mins before the flag drops to start the race as you can't be expected to run and jump in to a Blokart - very inclusive sport Land Yachting. Not allowed to cross the line early and if you do you circle back to take the start again. Class 2,3,5 and standart and promo are a run and push job. I think it's practice as we have a well known National level Class 5 racer Ian Dibden K8 who is 78 and still manages to get under way fast and finish fast as well

Cheers Col

I think its a 3 minute warning , thats 2 minutes to have a yawn and scratch, then wind up and clear the fleet. it should be interesting to see what happens when almost 90 of us get going.
the very first I jumped in a blowie I just grabbed the hand steering, ran /pushed and was off. I found them one of the best push starting yachts.
. . mostly the push starting is 5-10 steps then the leap of faith into the cockpit.
Its suprising how many people seem to want to half climb in and faff around when the important thing is to focus on the sail and not crashing
glad to see our french representatives reading and posting
will we be having a beer on the beach frogy