Silkie sets new World Speed Sailing Record

[Silkie]

(in the 22 footer in the Firth of Lorne class)

I'm not usually very precise about exact times of departure etc. but it took 1hr 43mins to cover the 10.1M from Craignure to being tied up alongside in Dunstaffnage yesterday. That's an average of better than 6kts unless my maths fails me. Not too shabbly for 17' on the waterline.

Mind you it wouldn't be quite so impressive if you added in the time it took me to clean myself up and change my underwear.

[puddock]

Pretty impressive................................... what was the fuel consumption?

[Silkie]

About 2 tsps. Cheeky fecker!

[Telo]

Well Dave, that's pretty damned good if it includes fenders out, bow and stern lines, and springs attached. Well impressed.

Sorry I wasn't able to join you (looked like a pretty good weekend ), but my back was bad, and I spent most of the time in a horizontal position.

Ackshully, as I write, my back isn't so bad now; currently it's out doing good works, healing the sick, giving succour unto the poor and the dispossessed, that sort of thing, and generally making up for all the bad things it's done. How's yours?

Maybe the weekend coming.........

[Shuggy]

Wow. We had lunch at the Pier House Port Appin yesterday on an inspection trip to Barcaldine (where the old girl is overwintering) and decided that sailing in that would be a mug's game! Well done you.

[ash]

10.1 times 60 divided by 103 equals 5.88.

Square root of 17 times 1.4 equals 5.77.

Good going, I take it that you've got the sail balance sorted this season.

Ash

[Silkie]

The total time includes about 15mins in the bay averaging 2kts and at least 5mins tying up since by the time I got a bow line on she was halfway out of the berth again and had to be hauled back in and a spring added before I had leisure to look at my watch.

I can't claim any personal credit though. The wind was on the beam and then the quarter but there was no noticeable sail trimming apart from several adjustments to the number of rolls in the genoa. (edit: no main so balance had nothing to do with it - just weight of wind!) I did blow it once; steering with my erse while taking another couple of rolls in, a wave caught the stern and pushed it around before I could react but there was no real drama and the stalwart Silkie looked after her incompetent skipper once again.

Certainly the most wind we've sailed this season.

edit again: 'twould have been faster with crew since we were undercanvassed (apart from the gusts) for most of the first three miles in the lee of Mull and could easily have carried a reefed main with the wind on the beam and a hand on the mainsheet. As it was we only managed 4-and-a-bit knots for much of this stretch. Once exposed to the full force of the SW wind on the quarter in the FoL the main would have been irrelevant and a positive danger. We were surfing at over 7 knots on most waves anyway.

Sorry if this seems to be making a mountain out of a molehill to you chaps with the bigger boats but it was a "Significant Sail" for Silkie's passenger if not perhaps for the lady herself.

[puddock]

Despite my 'tongue in cheek' remark, I am indeed impressed and it is a time that I would be happy with in Rosally (with crew!).
I think the closest we have come to that sort of average has been when Jim (Rowana) and myself found ourselves being blown out of Kentallen Bay at midnight when the anchor dragged.................. but that was going backwards and sideways!

[claymore]

Brings a whole new meaning to Silver Surfer

[Silkie]

I'm quite sure Rosally would average over 8kts in similar conditions.

Keeping her pointing in the right direction was a challenge at times (saw a spectacular broach by a 40+' AWB) but apart from that, unfurling a scrap of canvas and holding on tight were the only other elements of seamanship employed.

[Silkie]

Have now got the GPS back home and while it would undoubtedly have been surfing rather than sailing, it recorded a max speed of 8.3 knots on that trip. Yee ha!