I have been going through some of my old files and finding a few things that I think are quite interesting.

So thought I would start this thread to post some and perhaps others will find and post some interesting history stuff as well.

First up, a letter and entry form for the first Sandy Point speed trial:

G'day Daffy,
I was one of the few northerners to come down for that event. I had just turned 20 and had driven down by myself after the 100% Mambo Classic that year. I recall a few windless days and then a big blow on the last day or so. I think it was the last speed event I participated in after the NSW speed scene disbanded.

Well, after a 27 year break I've kitted up again in the last week to give this GPS Speed Sailing a go. Wish me luck !!

Cheers,
Detlev

Bloody good stuff jetlag. You will love it and Im sure Andrew will agree. Goodluck!

Welcome back Detlev!

Everything has changed and nothing has changed!!

Enjoy the ride.

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Jetlag said..

Well, after a 27 year break I've kitted up again in the last week to give this GPS Speed Sailing a go. Wish me luck !!

Hi Jetlag,
You'll have a ball! I returned to sailing last year after stopping in 1986 and it's just as much fun for me now as it was then. The speed sailing adds another dimension.
I just wish my body would better understand the needs of my brain!
I do wish you luck and a safe passage.
Wazza

Thanks for the encouragement guys !!!

See you on the other side of 40kts

There was a story of the Sandy Point Speed Classic in the Freesail Mag many years ago - it looked epic!!!!

Does anyone have that mag or story tucked in the archives somewhere?.

Also a story on Pascal Maka as well some time ago in the same magazine????


Would love to read these again and compare to todays speed sailing.

Pascal was an amazing sailor, so smooth and balanced. He floated at speed. Part of the equation was the ADTR that was used to develop the Gaastra sails he broke Crossbow's record with.





Wonder who the good looking guy on the left is?

Wonder what sort of feedback they could have got from that test rig.
Or was it all just marketing?

Bruce Petersen (now Sailworks designer) was in an article about it. They were looking at sail profile, twist and leech testing when he noticed that when one of the guys poked at the trailing edge of the sail the twist and profile data changed dramatically.
He reckons it was the start of todays easier to use sails. So it was good for something.

Way beyond marketing, was a highly sophisticated test rig and the only one capable of recording low airspeed test data. Even NASA was interested in it for aerofoil research. I spent 2 years working on the project with Jeff Magnan and Chuck Stahl, we all came from aviation backgrounds.

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AusMoz said..
There was a story of the Sandy Point Speed Classic in the Freesail Mag many years ago - it looked epic!!!!

Does anyone have that mag or story tucked in the archives somewhere?.

Also a story on Pascal Maka as well some time ago in the same magazine????


Would love to read these again and compare to todays speed sailing.

I might have the Freesail mag somewhere, but I definitely have the article from Penthouse Australia!

It was my big chance at a 'legitimate' reason to buy the magazine!

I have it scanned somewhere and will post it when I find it. (The article that is. )

Cool!

Pascal was a smooth sailor. I watched him on TV a couple of times just by chance they showed it!

Use to think "wow 30 knots"