I was on Blizzard in 79 - British Team - we decided not to race that day because we didn't want to risk gear or crew before the Fastnet the next day. Great to watch heroes demonstrate some of the problems IOR boats suffered downwind. We have moved on a little in design since those days. And we survived the Fastnet but not without some adventures. One of my own designs a Europa 3000 (30 footer) with a family of 4 on board was cruising ! in the Brisrol Channel for the entire gale and eventually got in to Lundy Island with quite a story to tell. Husband and wife and two kids 10 and 12. The French forecast it but the English did not.
É bella leggerti,siete stati bravissimi ad ascoltare i Francesi Viva la vela,sono amante degli IOR ,regato con Doktor-Faust 2ton proto D.Petersin-Cossutti ingegnering
That was a fun Cowes Week. The Fastnet less so. The yacht Hamburg used to be Duva on which I sailed the 76 Cowes Week. Lovely boat - 50 feet and near indestructible. Good to see half way through the Dutch Formidable (red and white) doing her dance. I raced her in the 1980 season and we lost the rig in Cowes Week in similar conditions. Another splendid boat.'
The days of crazy IOR pinched sterns with high COE spinnakers and wire guys and masts that were basically noodles without 5 or 6 running backstays/checkstays/etc. Fun times
I think they knew. They also knew that narrow sterned boats rated well. Balance doesn't matter if can you just tell the helm and trimmers not to make mistakes, problem solved!
IORs were upwind demons, but some designs had a secret weapon, they made use of the chain measurement and created a very flat aft section extending almost to the bow rivalling modern hull shapes, just with a massive aft overhang.They’re downwind displacement shape was radically different from upwind. Bit they need plenty of wind. The light air designs of Farr and Peterson ruined heavy air designs by becoming over dependent on crew for ballast.
I was on Blizzard in 79 - British Team - we decided not to race that day because we didn't want to risk gear or crew before the Fastnet the next day. Great to watch heroes demonstrate some of the problems IOR boats suffered downwind. We have moved on a little in design since those days. And we survived the Fastnet but not without some adventures. One of my own designs a Europa 3000 (30 footer) with a family of 4 on board was cruising ! in the Brisrol Channel for the entire gale and eventually got in to Lundy Island with quite a story to tell. Husband and wife and two kids 10 and 12. The French forecast it but the English did not.
É bella leggerti,siete stati bravissimi ad ascoltare i Francesi Viva la vela,sono amante degli IOR ,regato con Doktor-Faust 2ton proto D.Petersin-Cossutti ingegnering
Thanks for sharing those images
That was a fun Cowes Week. The Fastnet less so. The yacht Hamburg used to be Duva on which I sailed the 76 Cowes Week. Lovely boat - 50 feet and near indestructible. Good to see half way through the Dutch Formidable (red and white) doing her dance. I raced her in the 1980 season and we lost the rig in Cowes Week in similar conditions. Another splendid boat.'
Formidable's Piet Vroon was a legend ...
The days of crazy IOR pinched sterns with high COE spinnakers and wire guys and masts that were basically noodles without 5 or 6 running backstays/checkstays/etc. Fun times
Hurts when you see boats being pushed beyond their limits.
brave and hardy souls, not a life jacket to be seen...
A foretaste of the fatal Fastnet Race that year.
They obviously didn’t know much about airflow across the tops of spinnakers and how this might affect the balance of narrow sterned boats.
I think they knew. They also knew that narrow sterned boats rated well. Balance doesn't matter if can you just tell the helm and trimmers not to make mistakes, problem solved!
IORs were upwind demons, but some designs had a secret weapon, they made use of the chain measurement and created a very flat aft section extending almost to the bow rivalling modern hull shapes, just with a massive aft overhang.They’re downwind displacement shape was radically different from upwind. Bit they need plenty of wind. The light air designs of Farr and Peterson ruined heavy air designs by becoming over dependent on crew for ballast.