Dinner at RTYC in London and progress at Berthon’s in Lymington

November 13, 2015

On Tuesday 10 November I attended with Sophie the RTYC to collect our/Winsome’s price for our win in Cowes Week on the Tuesday. Also Salvo, YES! and Zarafa attended to pick up their prices. Becky, ex RORC, arranged for a nice table seating with Salvo and Zarafa. My neighbour was Nick Ryley, a very good friend of Geoff Sinton, partner of Peter Morton at Ancasta at Port Hamble.

The three nicest woman on the dinner were all in red. I did not dare to propose a contest so I just took a photograph and stayed alive.

 

On Thursday 12 November we (Leen and myself) had a meeting at Berthon with Robin and Campbell Field, who was highly recommended by Wouter Verbraak and by Robin Milledge. Campbell came up with very good ideas such as placing the speedometer at the centre line of the hull, well as close as technically possible, and change the depth meters by new ones. The proposed place is indicated by Campbell on the outside of the hull and is indicated by the small black bag inside the boat i.e. in front of the place between the toilet and the sink. Any more secrets I cannot give away in this blog since Zarafa may be reading it.

 

 

Campbell too the Toughbook pc with him to make already updates of Expedition and he has proposed several changes in our system, but would have a word with Wouter Verbraak to double check what he had in mind. He would also check with the maker of Expedition in NZ if the tide height at the nearest place (like I used to enjoy in Deckman) could be introduced for which I am now using Tidesplanner on my iPad keeping it also on the chart table.

We discussed a lot of other matters but if I would like to write them all down it would give us in the first place no advantage, since everyone will copy us, whilst in the second place I would never get in my bed tonight and would be unable to celebrate my mother’s 93rd birthday.

In general the work on Winsome has progressed very well already. Berthon made in accordance with Leen’s guidance a small bed under the spinaker poles so that any lines can move freely under them, which is presently not the case.

 

The poles ad the boom are nicely painted and packed for installation, except for the Christmas ribbons around the packages.

 

The fresh water tanks have been opened. It appears that in front of the regular fresh water compartments there are some other compartments which are not supposed to be connected with the regular ones, but were found full with water probably coming along the mast since it was not salty. Robin will have a nice job to find this out by pressurising the fresh water tanks and then go from there.

 

Considering the season will start very early this year with the RORC Easter Challenge 25-27 March we are trying to make a program at the yard in conjunction with Campbell programs fitting into this:

Launch of Winsome at Berthon Wednesday 24 Feb, step mast Thursday 25 Feb, complete engine and systems commission by end of Friday 26 Feb.

It will be quite a task but given the combined skills and history of both Berthon and Campbell, I would bet that it may work. Still crossing fingers. We all know that you cannot a win a race with a good dosis of luck, well that also will apply in getting Winsome ready.

The current windows Campbell will have for Winsome to calibrate boat speed, wind angles, wind speed, polars etc etc are
29 Feb-4 March (on this window we are concentrating resp. I am betting)
23 March-6 April
20 April-28 April (our survival dates ..).