Cat Nutters Disease

carbon cats set sail

get your mousie by the tail

black cat bone for sale

cats looking to win 

fighting for that starboard pin 

gun, sheet in, sheet in

racing knife in teeth

two people in the trapeze 

cat nutters disease

...

Is the cat therapy working? You tell me...

Nacra 17, racing tips

It happens on friday the 21st: The very first virtual Nacra 17 race. Virtual sailing for cat nutters. It's in Tschotcke at 2pm SLT, that's around 2300CET, and the sweet and lovely Scubabear (ask for a bear hug) will be your RD. It's gonna be a blast...

Inshore cat on the loose

Loads of boats with untrained crews and a weather forecast that says 21 knots from the south east! Wanna bet how many capsizes we will see? I'd say a handfull. Maybe more. Racing a cat like the Nacra 17 in 21 knots of wind is all about finding that sweet-spot just before the boat is overpowered.

Reaching 

Looking for the sweet spot means continuously powering up until it is just a bit too much, then powering down a bit. Miss that last bit and you are fish food. Forget tactics; Being faster is key. Find that sweet-spot, and you're on your way to the  podium. Don't waste energy looking for windshifts. Find the speed. The Nacra does not support windshifts anyway.

When you've found the speed, be aware that there is a slight lee helm to compensate for. The lee helm makes it difficult to stay on optimum trim and direction. It also makes it much harder to see headers and lifts, so better stay alert there...

Looking for that sweet spot

There's other stuff to learn too. Timing. The Nacra 17 is so much faster than a dinghy. The starting tactics is much different from the usual approach. Timing is crucial in order to hit the line right at the gun. Trust me. With these boats you don't wanna be late for start.

On a downwind leg you'll need to pay close attention to the polar. Genakker sailing will enable planing on one hull. Once you get up there, you can send a smile to the rest of the pack. Via the rear mirror.

Have a break, have a...

Another thing to look out for is the tacking and gybing. Cats are way slower at turning; However, it seems that Dutch (the builder) has cheated a bit here. The Nacra turns pretty much like a monohull. Slam and you're over. Hopefully, there will be an update to fix this. And the lee helm.

... Nacra cat

Still, too many tacks will set you back. If not because of the turning, then because of the balance. Getting the balance right, right after a tack also requires timing. In 21 knots of wind two people need to unhook the trapeze, run or crawl over to the other side, hook up and get out at just the right time, when the wind hits the sails. Better hurry out there and do a few tacks...

Update: Orca posted a handfull of nice shots from the event...

Nacra 17, Olympic Class

Today is Nacra 17 day. Woohoo. There's a virtual Nacra 17 out. Not only is it an Olympic class,  it's also a  absolute beauty, very true to the original and, - it's a total blast to sail. Here it is, me in trapeze, Dutch Kain, the builder, at the stick:

Nacra 17: Perfect for sunset sailing

I've been waiting for this for some time now, and I am so happy it is finally here. It's not that I am a total cat-nutter, but this cat here, - it's truly gorgeous. Besides, under certain conditions cats can be fun to sail. Perhaps it is just too cold for cats where I live my real life. Dunno. In any case, diversity is good.

A cat for dog-lovers

This cat here would make any dog-lover convert. In fact, I'm pretty sure it will make most singlehull sailors go: "Wauw, I simply gotta try that". The best thing though, unlike certain other cats, this one is affordable and sailable for ordinary people with a normal biceps and budget.

Cat sailing is bikini sailing

It comes fully equipped with main, jib and genakker, bow spirit, curved daggerboards, trapez gear and what nuts cat stuff; It is dead-easy to sail and fast: Action guaranteed! Whether it is dead easy to sail optimally is another story; When we get the virtual Nacra 17 racing class going, we will see about that.

Genakker

While we're almost sailing naked, the Nacra 17 has lotsa clothes to put on. So let's see her wearing that big evening dress aka the genakker; Boom! She takes off like a rocket. This is not really an evening dress... if anything it's more of an outfit for speed-dating, hehe. Perhaps the colour could be a little more on the naughty side. Why not smashing pink? These days white sails are mostly for classic beauties, right?

Speeding 

The boat is built with love and great attention to details. There are a few missing things, though. It's the usual suspects: The Windvane, the compass and the telltails. However, the information is available on a hud. Problem solved, - though I don't line sailing by numbers. There is also a refreshingly easy to understand hud for moving, trimming and hoisting sails.

Details, details details

The picture right above here shows the details of the trapez-lines. On the other side of the sail it appears as if the trapez is hooked right onto my bikini top, and it is. That might just be the sailing gear of the future! I've always thought those trapeze harnesses looked silly. I hereby claim copyright on the kevlar enforced bikini top with built in trapeze hook. I call it: The Brateze (c).

Mouselook sailing

Here's a shot of what I see from the trapez. That's why mouselook sailing is important. It makes you feel like you're onboard a real boat. You can look in any direction by moving the mouse. Just as you would in RL. Continuously check to windward for shifts and waves, then check the telltails, the windvane and the compass. 1, 2, 3, 4. That's the easiest recipy for winning. Four simple repeated steps.

Topless sailing requires tropical conditions

Oh, and check your trapeze hook too. It's very important. On the image above, Dutch just unwillingly "left" the boat. Just to annoy him I dropped my top and sailed on. Left him swimming the blue soup for a few minutes before I returned, top back on, to pick him up, teehee. 

A bit of relaxing...

Well, that's about it for todays episode of "Unexpected Fun With Cats". If you're a cat-person, then do check my adventure with the Hepcat. I'd better talk to Dutch about setting up a line of gadgets and accessories for this baby, including my brand new invention, the combined Bra and Trapeze, the Brateze (c). I kinda like that word, hehe.

Brateze (c): Using the bikini top as the trapeze harness

I'll be back with details on the sailing characteristics, if I can find the time. Very briefly: The Nacra 17 has a derived BWind sailing engine of sorts. It is great fun to sail, while it still lacks telltales, vane, currents, waves and shifts; Right now my compass points towards tree, gifts, cleaning, food, Christmas cards. Phew. Busy times ahead. Have a great weekend all you cat-people...

See the real Nacra 17 here.

Update: Jane's posted a few details on the sailing characteristics.

A blast from the future

I've seen this lil thingy sitting on the sand dunes of TYC almost a month ago. Today I tried it. Weeeeee! It was only a short sail, but I can say this: It's not the worst thing I ever sailed. In fact, even those few minutes on board, made me smile ear to ear...

Weeeeee

This is so refreshingly different, absolutely brand new and hot, - and sooo much fun. Can't wait to drive this thing around the virtual waters... Maybe even race it. Not that I am very fond of multihulls. They are getting way too much attention after the AC went crazy with cats. The lil Hepcat is quite nice, though it looks like a classic car compared to the Nacra, hehe...