Trial 10, 10 March 08
Breeze <5 knots, but ok to test the new gear which gave much better control and easier set-up. Tacking was difficult and gibing slow due to lack of boat speed and wing yaw control.
Trial 11, 8 May 08
The breeze was good for training at about 10 knots. Took off from the beach in a rush, tacked badly, caught the elevator on the boom which pushed it down, stripping an already weakened thread on the support strut. The wing dropped into Botany Bay, we packed up and went home. Very disappointed.
The boom is normally strong enough to sink one outrigger without difficulty. Last year I pulled the wing into the water, to attach the experimental power control line to the ‘fuselage’, by just hanging from the boom and going hand over hand out to the end. When finished, I went back the same way, the wing popped up, ready to go.
Trial 12, 15 May 08
Predicted 10/15 knots wind, actually <5 knots. Puddled around, but did a test wing drop and raise in the bay without assistance. We must be able sail the commercial Dingbat single-handed, so this was reassuring and water drained from the double surface part of the sail in under thirty seconds.