> And I seem to recall you having a new *rig* named for you on the Force 5.
> The Potter rig may be the only thing you do leave alone. ;)
>
> --
> Eric L. Pederson | Mercenary SysAdmin | eric@winternet.com
>
Hi Eric,
Aw shucks, weren't nuthin'
Okay, it was my idea to develop the "rig" for lightweight dinghy sailors,
but I didn't "engineer" it or even analyze it mathematically. Not a single
number did I crunch.
I was the on-the-water tester for the rig. The whole rig thing started
because I wanted better performance from the small "Jr" sail. I had to work
harder and sail smarter than the guys out there!!! It wasn't fair!!!
I convinced the builder that the he needed to cater to teenagers (and women
who weigh about as much as a teenager), not just 180+ pound men. The best
way to achieve that was to develop a new mast with a different flex pattern.
By the way, I didn't invent that idea. The Europa dinghy, the single handed
women's olympic class, has a handicap system where you use a different mast
for different weight sailors. Bendier masts for lightweights, stiffer masts
for heavyweights. It's similar in windsurfing. And as a windsurfer for
almost 20 years, I've sailed/tested literally hundeds of mast and sail
combinations, so I know how important the mast flex and proper trim is for
determining how the sail handles.
I was a focus group of one for the builder, his on-the-water beta tester and
provider of sailor-talk feedback. He didn't need an engineer; he needed an
competent, lightweight dinghy sailor who understood sail trim. I guess I fit
the description.
Judy B.