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Thread: Power-Assisted Sailing - the Slippery Slope

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    436

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bombora View Post
    Hello all,
    I had a great time racing with you guys in the Vallejo 1-2.

    Scott gave us a nice little demo of 8-ball on Sunday morning. It's quite the machine - there's a long list of controls that trim and ease automatically with the push of a button. There is nothing that isn't powered. The only control that doesn't ease automatically is spinnaker sheet and masthead genoa sheet - those sails sheet to the powered cabin top winch. Everything else - Backstay, main outhaul, vang, sheet, traveler, jib outhaul, sheet, furler, are captive and powered in and out with a remote control.

    This is obviously a big performance difference from a boat with just a couple powered winches, especially in shorthanded racing. I do think it puts the boat in a different category from those of us racing "normal" boats. I think that the line needs to be drawn somewhere, and I'm not sure exactly where, between power assist and fully automated. Then fully automated boats should be racing in their own division and not eligible for the overall awards in SSS.

    Rebecca
    Bombora
    Did Scott make any comments on Why he was making the efforts to automate everything? Curiosity.

    Ants

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    38

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    Just noticed this story on power winches in the Marin Journal. Bella and Eight Ball are mentioned.
    https://www.marinij.com/2021/02/20/s...anded-sailing/
    It's an interesting space for sure with complicated implications for racing as y'all have articulated better than I.
    ROXANNE has a powered winch for the main only. I'm turning it off for the first time for the Corinthian, but I appreciate having it in general - and more so as each year passes.

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Alameda, CA
    Posts
    136

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    I know this is so last year... YRA from 2022 states:

    IX. ELECTRIC WINCHES
    Electric winches are disallowed under RRS 52, unless specifically allowed by a race committee in the Sailing Instructions. Nevertheless, electric winches are becoming more commonplace. Boats that list use of electric winches on their rating application will be assigned a penalty according to the table below. This penalty will apply to both buoy and downwind ratings. A boat that is rated with electric winches may opt to enter a race where they are not allowed, sailing only with manual power. In that event the race committee may adjust the boat’s rating by removing the stated penalty.
    Function of electric winch
    Change to rating
    Electric halyard winches
    Electric cockpit or sheet winches that must be eased by hand. Back‐winding or reel cockpit or sheet winches
    ‐0 sec/mi ‐3 sec/mi ‐9 sec/mi
    Back‐winding or reel winches are generally high speed winches that can control sheet in and out with the push of a button

    ------------------------------------------------

    A 0 to 3 second hit on a heavier boat... It does beg the question why not as I consider changes and upgrades for short course and bay work.
    Without friends, none of this would be possible.

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    I have a question. Just one. If I buy that $20 /bit and use a drill to crank in or up my sails during a race, would that be considered using an "electric winch"?

    Because I get tired racing in big wind. Doesn't everyone?

    Signed, Always Scheming
    Last edited by Philpott; 03-15-2023 at 01:39 PM.

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    609

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    As you can probably guess it's not legal while racing unless you declare it.

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    Quote Originally Posted by solosailor View Post
    As you can probably guess it's not legal while racing unless you declare it.
    I just needed to hear you say it.

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