New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Online news relayed from the SHTP fleet has been sparse to non-existent. I accidentally found the Bay Area online news forum Pressure Drop is publishing some reports from the boats I hadn't seen. If you wish to read further than the SHTP Forum, go seek out Pressure Drop at http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/c...st-SHTP-Update

It is not unexpected the two fastest rated boats, the Olson 30's DOUBLE EXPRESSO and PASSAGES, are leading the SHTP fleet. What is interesting is both skippers have sailed almost the minimum number of miles from SF to Kauai, shorter than any other boats in the fleet by a lot. At times, the tracker shows these two boats going straight, Dead Down Wind (DDW), for hundreds of miles with only minimum alteration to course.

DDW on an ultralight is not the traditional fastest way to Hawaii. Sailing extra miles but reaching up for pressure/speed is, helping the ULDB accelerate to surfing/planing potential, which can be several knots higher than theoretical "hull speed" downwind. (Hull speed doesn't exist for ULDB's).

So how are DOUBLE-X and PASSAGES able to maintain nearly an 8 knot average DDW while sailing singlehanded? Both PJ and Dave have bowed to their relative inexperience with spinnakers in ocean waves and are sailing exclusively with poled out jibs, preferring the simplicity and reliability of that rig to the uncertainties of a spinnaker.

Also likely factored into the non-spinnaker equation is the distance lost every time a sail change is made. Weight on the bow, bald headed in the fore-triangle, dealing with spinnaker nets, the inability of autopilots to steer with a spinnaker in a squall on a ULDB ....

Not saying this poled out jib technique is the future of singlehanded sailing. For example, Cal-40's with good AP's and instrumentation such as NOZUMI, GREEN BUFFALO, and ILLUSION, and expert and experienced sailing skills of skippers like Rob, Jim, and Stan, can carry spinnakers all the way to Hawaii, day/night, squalls, come what may.

It's part of what's fun about racing solo to Hawaii: different things can float your boat and there is more than one "right way" to get downwind.