Toolbox Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Greetings, Just completed my first season in my 1200 series 5.8. and was wondering about getting a kite kit for the boat to improve the downhill speed given that much of the racing has changed to windard / leeward courses or longer distance races ? l am finding that the boats with kites have a large advantage against the 5.8 without unless there are tight reaching legs in decent breeze. Would the adding of a kite make a major difference or should l just be looking at updating the boat sails etc... TB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interested Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Time to sell and buy a F18 ? Vs.. Do extensive kite reconfiguration to your 1200 series hulls and hope you get the balance right.(All guesswork) Then take into consideration that if you do get it working OK then what is the added value to the early 5.8 with a kite? Geez some of those F18s look good and the one at PKSC is no exception.Absolutely immaculate machines.Wet your appetite Toolbox https://www.google.com/search?q=F18+Catamaran&hl=en&gl=au&tbm=isch#imgdii=_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madboutcats Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 G'day Toolbox no problem spending the money for a spin kit on a 1200 boat if the spin will do what you want. The new handicap on 5.8's takes you from 72 to 67 if you put a spin on, I felt it was barely worth the 2.5 hit it used to be. I am doing a 65km distance race tomorrow and am not going to use my spin. Having said that if you just want to try to keep up with the other boats or are looking for the extra adrenalin running a spin, you should go right ahead. To keep costs down you could find a used F18 kit and kite and have a crack, older 5.8 kites like my original one are mostly cut too full and are really hard work to keep going so I got a F18 kite and it's 100% better. The other thing you could do is vote with your feet, concentrate on the clubs that use reaching courses because that's the best part of owning a 5.8, I travel all over but avoid the sausage clubs. Interested has a valid point if your stuck in a sausage area and are desperate to keep up with the F18's you may as well get one as the 5.8 with spin won't get you there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interested Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 It would probably be a better investment to get the F18 when time to resell.If he looks around and grabs a bargain F18 then loss should be minimal at worse.The cost of rigging the kite on the 5.8 will be hard to recoup the dollars spent when trying to sell later.Get an older F18/Sell the 5.8..And if you find the F18s Kite is what "floats your boat" then just upgrade,upgrade,upgrade as finances allow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolbox Posted November 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Thanks the plan in time is to get into F18's but the 5.8 was to be a cheap way to see if cat sailing was the way to go. But given majority of my local competition are f18's l am left behind when the kites go up......... Still good to give them a run for their money in a decent bit of wind. TB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 5.8's are bits of dogs under 10 knots. fun 12 to18 and hilarious over 18knots. We used to run kites on ours but found that the bulkheads in the bows couldn't handle them. Had to do a couple of major rebuilds for all the bulk heads forward of the beam. Now we just watch the spinnaker boats disappear down wind then do our best to try to catch them upwind. If you do want a kite and you run a big jib with a front foil you will have to put the kite under the foil. This can be a problem if you sail regularly in choppy seas. We lost one spinnaker pole when we went into a wave and it didn't come out the other side. What they say in the other replies to this topic stands true. If you are racing F18''s best get an F18. A 5.8 sailed well will keep F18's honest in under 5 knots and over 18 knots. In between that F18's will rule. Spinnakers are good fun but it is also a good chuckle rounding the bottom mark and watching the spinnaker boat going to antartica because their kite won't pack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madboutcats Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 Did the 65km Goolwa to Meningie yesterday without spin what a crack up, was supposed to be a 20km spin run turned into a 20kt reach in 3ft chop, no kite run we got line honours and handicap win because the F18's couldn't pull the spins out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 Gee leadfoot can't agree with "5.8's are bits of dogs under 10 knots" - might be more about your combined crew weight than the boat. We have always found them to be excellent - fun and responsive in all but the lightest of winds without the complication of a kite, but I guess we were carry a combined crew weight around 50kg's less than you and your skipper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 You calling me fat. I'm only slightly pregnant . You may find them fun an respnsive in light winds but it didn't make you any faster. Only 5.8 sailors I know that love those light winds are Nick and Pauline. 5.8's aren't supposed to beat A classes in 6knots of breeze but they somehow manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Nacra Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 F18 is where it's at I had a early 5.8. I weigh 130 kilos my skipper is 80 kilos,the 5.8 was nothing for us but a walk in the park in a blow but slow as anything in under 12 knots,I purchased a f18 this year and wow talk about quick and given our heavy weight we can hold the kite a lot higher than most.we now are competitive in all winds,you'll never look back once you have a blast on a f18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooD Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 at a crew weight of 210kg, you may be happy with the new sail plan that is coming... XL Sail Plan.Please note the summary of the US published on the website.After much discussion there seems general agreement that F18 ought to go forward with the XL sails idea. However the views are not unanimous and there was a small but VERY strong thoughtful group (two sailors) who thought that this was a bad move !I have included three sail makers who have made contributions to the discussions. Jay, Greg and Peter and I thank them for their work. (I have also sent a copy to William Sunnucks (Chair of SCHRS) , so that any thoughts he may have concerning the SCHRS implications.SUMMARY. (of opinions)The size of the XL sails should be standard main, 17sqm including the side area of the mast.The jib should be 4.6 sqmThe spinnaker should be 23 sqm.The jib design should left to the sail makers and IF18CA should not provide more rules. The jib head, leech and foot measurements should be a matter for sail makers NOT rules. The same comments for spinnaker development.The crew weights should be a minimum of 175 kgs. In first instance this might be too heavy, but better to be able to bring weight down than take it up at a later date.There should NOT be any other 50% weight carrying rules, just weigh 175 kg and then sailors can use larger sails. The development is open for a two year trial, and no boat with XL sails can sail in National or International regattas. A review after this period to take place.There should not be a limit on the numbers of XL sails being used.The BIG Concern that sailors under 175 kg will buy the sails and use in F18 regattas, or long distance racing, even producing a new handicap therefore breaking one of the Founding Principles that F18 is created for level, NOT handicap, racing.The second BIG concern is that it will appear that there are changes to F18 rules, at a time when the general view is that IF18CA ought to tell the sailing world that there are NOT any changes planned. I have written to all sail makers and builders, the response wasn’t great but those that did reply stated VERY clearly that not just should there not be changes, but IF18CA ought to shout loud and clear THERE ARE NOT ANY CHANGES PLANNED for F18 rules, two and four years was suggested.I have attached the work done in the US, we thank them for that, please note the question asked there was for 165kg, generally considered too light by most respondents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Nacra Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I'll be happy with a bigger sail plan am looking at a new set next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Nacra Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 A good 5.8 sailor can still see good results on a windwar leeward course I'd like to see gates at the bottom that way the course will open up some more possibilities driving downwind,I sailed a 5.8 a couple a days ago with a mate in 12 to 15 knots and were able to drive it like my f18 off the wind both sitting in and balancing the boat on a hull work in the jib like a kite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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