> But there is going to be a point of diminishing returns where adding
> "go-fast" gear is going to increase rigging time to a point where, even
> if you sailed faster all day, you'd never recover the lost sailing time.
David:
I am sure that there is a point where this would be true. Because of the
variances in the boats themselves and in how they are sailed by their
captains, I don't know if a bang-on consensus could be reached as to what
that point might be. I would like to share some experiences of sailing
"Always", my lateen rigged P15 with you.
First, "Always" was simply unbeatable.... AT THE RAMP. My average time to
park, rig, launch, load gear and personnel, secure car/trailer, and then be
sailing away was less than 5 minutes and usually under 3 minutes. THREE
MINUTES! It is that simple to set up.
Secondly, when Barry Foy finally set up "Always" correctly in regard to mast
position and secure mounts, she really performed startlingly well. I know
that folks like Harry and others have tried to figure out why this is, but I
never did figure it out. All I know is that except on extreme points of
sail, "Always" would outperform standard rigged P15s. Now granted, the
standard rigs point a bit higher (as Harry has noted too) but the difference
is less than you'd think.
Go-fast hardware was non-existent on "Always" and my ability to trim came
down to a few things:
1) I could adjust the height of the mast
2) I could adjust the rake of the mast (a neat sliding lock mount that Barry
designed)
3) I could take down large sections of sail, making it look not unlike a
crab-claw rig
The mainsheet was run through the standard swivel cleat that blocks most
inconveniently the entrance to the cabin.
My take on Potters is summed up by how "Always" came to be.. If you can
make the sailing easier, simpler, allowing you to take in and enjoy the
things that sailing allows you to see while at the same time enjoying a
performance increase with little to no effort to make it so, well, it was a
win-win situation..
"Always" was simple to sail, performed very well in relation to other P15s,
a joy to setup and tear down, and best of all? She was user friendly to the
extreme. There was nothing to terrify the novice sailor about her, and the
experienced sailor had enough there to keep them in smiles too..
In short, she represented all that the Potter was supposed to be to me when
I first became a Potterhead.. .I was drawn to them for their stability, ease
of use, docile handling.. "Always" being lateen rigged made all that and
more.. ...with the added benefit of performance too.
David, there is a point of diminishing returns with the Potters in that when
thrust equals drag, you just won't go any faster. Terminal velocity does
that.. (g) And yes, you can make a Potter plane, but not significantly
enough to alter the performance curve, in my opinion. I took "Always" out a
day after we had a biggie blow through Delaware, and the winds were 30+ with
gusts much higher... I went out (like a fool) to test the Apelco 360 that I
had installed.. When there was the rare moment that the transom mounted
transducer stayed in the water long enough to get a reading, I was hitting 7
knots +... But, it isn't something I'd like to duplicate.. And I distinctly
remember getting "Always" up on plane and hearing a very strange tone
emanate from the centerboard well... But all in all, my lil' Potter was not
very happy in those situations, I'd say..
So, what is the difference between averaging 5.5 knots and 5.7 knots? Your
comment about everyone arriving basically within a 5 minute period was very
telling.. The difference in speed is probably best answered individually,
but in truth, how many folks really and HONESTLY need that extra .2 measure
of speed? You can say that it comes in handy and could make a difference
when passagemaking from destination to destination, but how many of us
actually do "passagemaking" where it would be that critical?
Potters have an undeserved reputation for being slow boats.. They aren't.
They aren't the fastest boats either, but they aren't dogs.. Having said
that though, to me, rigging out a P15 or P19 with racing hardware and
expensive "go fast goodies" is akin to putting a spoiler on a Ford
Fiesta... It may look neat, but is it really necessary and does it really
make a vast difference?
So Dave, if I were to get another P15 today, it would be lateen rigged. The
time saved at the ramp means more time on the water, and that simple little
rig would surely outperform other standard rigged P15s, perhaps some with
"go-fast" goodies.. And hey, when we all reach the ramp within 5 minutes of
each other and whatnot, just look for me at the diner down the street.. You
see, once I get the boat out of the water, I'm gone in a couple of
minutes.. I'll save a place in the booth for you!
(So you see, if the lateen rig doesn't beat you on the water, it'll beat you
at the ramp! Don't let that food get cold now!)
-- "Sea" ya!--Lars S. Mulford, President East Coast Potter Association (ECPA) Come visit us at http://members.tripod.com/~SpeedSailor "Forgive, and live. Life is worth the challenge of living." --LSSM