Well, that is exactly the question. It’s all a matter of how much the line will sink vs how much pull is exerted by the leeward mark. The wind strength will effect the latter, hence resulting in variability of the actual course length.
I also will likely use a floating line, but don’t want to be put at a disadvantage by someone inadvertantly using a shorter course. Also, the open (sinking line) course will allow a potentially more efficient beat upwind.
How have others dealt with controlling the sinking line issue?
Very true Bill, the original idea of the internet course was that they were all the same… like so many good ideas it may have wandered off!
With the sunken line version having the line held at depth by the vertical plastic pipes I would have thought that ‘sinking line’ was not necessary. The ideal would be a neutral bouyancy line of course. I do agree of course that a heavy sinking line may well shorten the course, as will a curve in the course which the floating line/floats will indicate better.
I will go with the floater for simplicity and the need to know I am sailing the full 50’. Not being a fisherman… any idea what line I should use?
For floating line courses I would have thought polypropylene line, as thin as possible. The single braid has less ‘memory’ than the 3 strand. For the ‘sinking line’ course we use 20lb test braided fishing line, weighs almost nothing and with a big sail on the leeward mark, I doubt that there’s much ‘dip’ in the line. To put things in perspective the leeward mark at the Postal Classic in S Daytona was more like an iceberg, taller than some of the rigs.
The floating line course whilst easier to make was to be honest a pain in the butt to sail with.
It also seemed to attract every other drongo who was sailing their tug boats, high speed battleships or cruising schooners on the pond at the time. DUH!
As if they could not see the mahem they caused as they tangled the line by sailing over it.
The sunken line course is so much better to use without the restriction of staying on one side only.
My depth was too much on the first made, in an attempt to allow IOM and other classes to sail unrestricted.
As it turns out we generally sail with the scale guys only, so the depth was reduced to around 12 inches. So far so good.
Next challange was the leeward buoy tipping as the wind increased.
A small weight at the bottom of the leg should fix this.
I use light weight synthetic thread that came from a kite string as my line length and it seems very neutral buoyancy. Being so light and neutral it does not change the length from landed setup to floating.
Finally the anchor weighting of the windward buoy is a little tricky to get right but a small bit of fiddling will pay off.
Best wishes. :zbeer:
Ok, Ian. I guess it’s not really an issue as long as the line has neutral buoyancy. I was visualizing a string with small weights attached, or heavy enough to assume a catenary arc.
I was thinking that I could put one together by the time Spring arrives.
There is a problem I forsee happening in my area… The only place you could float it (it needs a 100 foot diameter, plus a little, unless it doesn’t rotate) is in the local park lake. People (especially the park Rangers/Nazis) in Ohio seem peculiar in that way, and that means you can’t “anchor” (huh? I didn’t say I was going to leave it there!) some thing as big as the Footy course in the lake because it will get in the way of the anglers, canoeists, ducks, etc. and will end up as floating ‘garbage.’ :mad:
If you’re really lucky you can find a private lake, or like some NewEnglanders, a friendly town council.