DNA rules on Lake Garda

After two days of great racing in windy conditions Chris Field (UK) and Roeland Wentholt (NED) are leading the pack. All six races are won by a DNA (Roeland one and Chris 5). Bob Baier on his Nikita is third overall trailing Roeland by a margin of 4 points after one discard.

The first race yesterday was won by Roeland who was ffith at the first mark and sailed away downwind powering his DNA. The second and third race were sailed in survival conditions and in those conditions a slightly more light footed approach paid for Chris (two firsts and Scott Anderson )one second).

Chris had a perfect score today, while Roeland was once passed by Bob and scored a 3,2,2. The last race Roeland passed Bob downwind coming from behind on raw boatspeed.

After the light winds in Cesenatico finally the conditions which suit the DNA so well.

I haven''t spoke to Chris yet but especially he must be delighted after all efforts he put in his rig development and his new boat.

Thumbs up for Chris and Roeland with three more races to go tomorrow.

For full results:http://www.circolovelaarco.it/immagini/allegati/201007211103428_76RISULTATI%20PROVVISORI%2031.07.2010.HTM

Pic of Chris, courtesy of http://www.a-cat.nl/

New ruddersystem for DNA

Finally we got all parts of the ARC designed  made in China rudderstocks.

The rudderstocks are made out an ARC designed aluminium tube with rounded edges.

The curve of the head is lightly smaller than existing designs. That results in a slightly lighter and stiffer rudderstock.

The  new rudders weigh less than 1 kg. The rudder is somewhat wider at the waterline to increase grip at the the start and during markroundings in traffic. The rudder is a bit shorter to decease drag of the windward rudder will doing the wildthing. The moderate tapered bottom helps to get rid of weeds.

DNA goes Australia

Three boats have been shipped with Landy's container and two 20 foot containers with each four boats will be shipped to Australia one late September, one early October.

Lady in red

The new boat of Rene Mulder.
After a black one (Roeland), a yellow one (Jaap), now a red one.

ARC doubles production capacity after increasing demand

Due to rising demand after the worlds ARC has decided to increase the production from one boat per week to two boats a week.
The complete Australian top has gone DNA and several Europeans have ordered one as well.
ARC will send an extra container to Australia in the Autumn, that way the boat can be raced in the Australian summer (=Christmas).

Worlds wrap-up

All pics by Fredirico Rafaelli.

Stevie on his DNA in very light winds. Both Stevie and Glenn could trapezing in almost no breeze.
Stevie was happy with his new boat which showed its potential in race 2.
Stevie used his own sail on a non-standard extra soft  Saarberg mast and Glenn was using a recut type 15 ( a 16?) with extra soft battens on a standard Fiberfoam medium mast.  There is definitely a trend to softer masts with more powerful sails.
Landy did use a slightly different approach with a pretty soft mast mast with higher sounds, which looked very promising.

Number seven for Ashby

In the last race which was sailed in 5 knots of breeze Ashby led from the the star to the finish.
Steve Brewin was fifth at the first mark, caught immediately two boats before the offset mark by remarkable reaching speed and was in second ppalce after a few hundred neters in the downwind leg.
Ashby deserved the overall win by taking risks with his rig en by very precise and smart sailing.
Het got the most out of it. Circumstances were incredibly light the whole week. Once the breeze picked  up a bit Stevie was incredible fast on his DNA and would have won in any but the lightest possible winds.
The DNA did it much better in those light conditions than most expected. Once you pull the flat transoms out of the water in light winds the boat appeared to be quick.
The boat has made his impression especially in the training before the championship when we had good breeze en ofcourse in the second race were Stevie transformed a 35 at the topmark in a second.
Although there were 4 non-curvies in the top ten, nobody doubts that the curved boards have the future. People have seen the speed differences and also are realizing that it is not the curved boards alone but the whole package (stiffness of the platform, beamposition and hull design).
Most Australian sailors present at the worlds have bought a DNA and the European topsailors  will follow them.
New developments in th near future are expected in rigs and less in platforms.

CU all in Danmark next year.

Ashby in the lead

Today we sailed three races in very light conditions. Certainly the first was not within the class windlimits of 4 knots but a protest aganist the race commitee was lost.
Stevie had a bad start and he was mis fleet at the fist mark, Glenn was leading and won the race.
The second race in somewhat more breeze was won in a close battle with Glenn by Stevie.
In teh third race was Stevie leading but he was passed by Glenn in the last upwind leg.
He was just too far away to properly cover Glenn and Glenn got the better breeze.
In under 6 knots wind the curved boards do not bring somewhat extra so speeds were pretty even among the fleet, all boats drifting at almost similar speeds.
Although the circumstances do not praticular suit the DNA, the boat has made his impression and many topsailors have ordered one (about the whole australian top).
Above 6 knots the boat is clearly faster than the other boats sailing downwind.