Argentine Optimist
Notes, tips, papers to help you improve your optimist sailing technique.
Note: this is not the Argentine Association website AOA ! To go
there follow this link
www.optimist-argentina.org
Who write this ? Diego Ravecca
Argentine optimist coach
Super Optimist
Carefull!. Please be very carefull you can damage your equipement doing this modifications to your optimist. Test it under 15 knots and you need to weith less than 88lbs (40kg). Several risk to break the mast. Tested in Buenos Aires several times at year 2000.. Test pilot: Victoria Travascio (ARG).
It´s a modiffied optimist with simple things. Mod list:
Cadet Class spinnaker (green). It´s a small
spinnaker, we used a Cadet one. The head is tied to the mast top trying
to leave the main sail free. The sheet is a rope with no knot, this way
the spinnaker goes from one side to the other alone when you gybe. ollado
para que corra, esto permite que el spi pase de banda automaticamente
al trasluchar.
Boom (red). It´s an Optimist mast or sprit.
Tied to the daggerboard case box and to the mast.
Sheet (orange). Tied to the float straps, goes
forward the mast. You need to trim how much to sheet in so when you are
on a reach course, the spinnaker should work perfect.
To sail : sail only on reach legs, when you gybe the spinnaker gybes alone. To come back to windward you need your coach help and need to be towed back again. VERY funny!!
Super Optimist II
Please be very very carefull!. This setup is special for heavy wind. It's very very fast. Only use an old mast and spinnaker. It's very easy to break the mast so use an old one. Tested at Buenos Aires once on 2000 with 30 knots. Test pilot: Axel Vugdelija.
Cadet Spinnaker (green). The inhole need
to be tied to the mast under the boomvang cleat. The spinnaker pushes
up the mast so be very carefull with the security line and tie very well
your mast.
Sheet (orange). Use the optimist mainsheet
tied to the spinnaker outhole.
To sail: sail in a wide reach course, if you go down the boat will become crazy, you need to find the perfect course. Before you gybe sheetin a lot and the spinnaker will gybe between you and the mast.
Very funny, because the spinnaker pushes up your bow, you can seat forward like in light winds. Be very gentle on yor rudder movements because you are going too fast.
Goodbye
I hope you have enojoy this, if you have any coments or you need any kind of information, please write me or leave me a message to info@optimist.com.ar .
Keep visiting www.optimist.com.ar to find more notes and news
Optimist Tips
- Optimist sailing techniques (boat handling)
- Optimist sail trimming
- Tactics at the starting line (Part I)
- Tactics at the starting line (Part II)
- Heavy wind sailing
- The current influence on race courses
- Sailing downwind strategies
Optimist Notes
Optimist Software
Optimist Chat and other stuff
- Optimist Chat - Meet other Optimist Sailors
- Optimist Pictures (soon)
Optimist Championships results