Hard Work with a virtual IOD

In a weak moment, I joined the TYC team for the One Regatta. Not that I regret it. Not at all. Its just that - uhm - I have very little experience racing the One, and my boat isn't really optimized for racing. Usually I take my T-One for a relaxing spin. So I decided to do something about it. First up was scraping off all the blue paint. Then came the sanding and the repainting in seven layers. Finally, fine grained (800) sanding, - and she is ready for primetime racing.

Completely refurbished hull.

In a real world scenario, this would have taken several weeks; In a virtual world, it takes about five minutes. I chose the wooden look; It so nice. So realistic in a virtual world, - so unrealistic in a real world, hehe. Now, on with the training. Where's that course Hawk sent me? Ahh... nice one. Looks like 40 minutes of sailing or so. Also looks like some navigation is needed. Hmm. I won't be able to enjoy the view, when I have my eyes on the charts. Here's a view from above to give you an idea...

Workout in the One; Somewhere in Fruit Islands.

Huh! Looks like hard work, right? That sandy beach sure looks nice, except there is no coffee shop or coke machine. In a few days many more T-Ones will pass by, so maybe I should call the owner about a sandwich stand. Anyways, on with it. I had the spin flying for a while. Very nice. It collapses visibly and with sound, if you aren't paying attention. Uhm, at least that's what I read in the manual, hihi.

Nice curvy sails, - though rather flat...

Yesterday I went to Isla Jackinda to get a Leetle Cat II. The entire place was plastered with signs saying "No more flat sails". I like that. In fact, I like it a lot. Realism, ahhh :-D So here's a view up the main on the T-One. A rather nice view, if you ask me. Oh, and note the lovely windvane at the top. This boat can be sailed completely without a hud, but telltales would be nice for precision steering on the race course. And a compass.

Here's more on the Virtual IOD.