Day 6 trim clinic on the water.

This was the first time Bard Louis, the new Stealth F16 owner, was on a F16 ever. He started out on my Typhoon and we were the first to leave the beach. We had some good spi runs, at the time we though they were great runs but later both of us found new levels. We had flat water and a nice strong but gusty ofshore winds. But our spi got the blood pumping. Upwind we thought we found a groove now and then but we had troubles with the gusts and we felt we were going to slow for the conditions. Later the others joined us and that was the start of, at least for me, a steep learning curve on how to sail F16's. After a few spi runs on which we weren;t the most skilled sailors we found ourselfs lacking again upwind. Daniel and Annalies came along side and mentioned our mainsail looked to full by far. So they started us giving instructions. "More mainsheet, more downhaull, again more mainsheet, again more downhaul, again more mainsheet, again ... Wait I'll just come across" : Daniel said and he did. Bard jumped ship to Anna-liese and Daniel joined me.

Right ! And then it all started. Daniel looked and started pulling on lines, putting tension on them that I thought that has was going to rip my boat apart. My sail went from full and hooking to very flat and twisting. The rotation looked like their was no rotation. All very weird and then I was asked to pull on the mainsheet. Several times and I thought I couldn't pull anymore. Then Daniel took the mainsheet from me and pulled it in. The boat jumped and before we knew it we were double trapezing of the boat with daniel working the gusts and I looking frantically for obstructions hundreds meters in front of us as I felt that someoen had put on the afterburners with me being unprepared. I still had the problem of my unbalanced rudders so steering was heavy and difficult and the prebend in my mast was all wrong so the middle section of the mainsail was shot however even with this the speed potential of the boat was layed bear. And it was about two levels higher than I expected it to be.

Bard had a similar eye opener. The first thing he reported after coming back to the beach was how Daniel told him to pull the mainsheet tight which he did being the 6 foot 4 guy that he is with a reasonable shoulder setup. And to not be regarded a sissy (his words) he pulled it in with some extra force. Daniel then asked for even more. Just like me earlier Bard didn't feel like there was more. Then Bard reported that daniel pulled out some 2 foot extra out of the mainsheetblocks. His amazement was nothing short of the anybodies else. These boats sail with alot tension ! That is for sure. Funny thing though, later I never though of the mainsheet as that heavy again. Sure my rudders were balanced later on and the prebend was set right but I think psychology was the bigger limit when pulling in the sheets. After I knew what to look for and what to do it didn't feel that heavy anymore and I'm sure that using the downhaul and mainsheet simultaniously really helps as well.

During these same sessions Daniel told me to not be to hesitate to use the traveller when sailing with a spinnaker. I told myself to remember that and the next day I tried it and again it proved to be a gem of advice. Working the maintraveller and tiller simultaniously and continiously on the my boat really works well. It is much easier to stay in the groove and the groove is well within reach. The boat likes it.

I will have to dependent on the others attending to post their experiences as for obvious reasons I can't write them down for them. So guys ? Step up to the plate.

That evening all of us went to Amsterdam on the invitation of Bard and his girlfriend Lonneke. I think Bard had won us over on tuesday at the lunch and dinner he provided for us that day but after Amsterdam we were all convinced that Bard is the best addition to the Formula 16 class that we could wish for. When we heared that his boat would be delivered in time for the Westland Cup we were all very pleased for him and I think I speak for all of us that we look forward to having Bard and his Lonneke with us for a long time.

Wouter