Race to Alaska

General Sailing Discussion
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Appears to be a Supercat 20 entered in the Race to Alaska that starts Thursday. If you haven't read about this race, take a minute and visit the website. It's a no motors, no support, get there under your own power affair, should be fun to follow, all the competitors must carry a spot tracking device.

link to the website:http://r2ak.com/
link to the Supercat entry: http://r2ak.com/registered-participants/#toggle-id-2

Anybody know this guy? David Sunshine. (could be an alias?) take a look at the picture of the Supercat 20 looks like a completely stock rig with newer sails. clik on the link to the entry and then clik the picture.

There are like 40 entries and some really fast boats, one guy is going to paddle board the entire 750 miles. This is going to be some excellent entertainment, no foilers that I saw on the list, but I did not look at every entry. 10K first prize, steak knives for second, the organizers have a real sense of humor, the site is a fun read.

I'm cheering for the paddle boarder and of course the Supercat.
Mac M
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Boat Make/Model: SC17
Location: Lugoff, SC

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by Mac M »

I remember seeing that 20 for sale in the northern region a while back.

I thought read somewhere that an ARC 22 was doing it, I believe it is the last team, Freeburd. I believe they bought that carbon 22 that is for sale and are using it. I could be wrong on this, can't find where I read it. Tripp Burd is one of the guys on that team, he was e crew on the boat that won the most recent F 18 Americans. They might be hard to beat if the elements don't prove to severe on the 22.
Mac M
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Joined: June 13th, 2012, 5:05 am
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Location: Lugoff, SC

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by Mac M »

Looks like the ARC 22 came in second in the qualifying leg of The R2AK about a minute behind the first place boat. I read a comment that the 22 may have gotten started late, so they are looking good.
Bill Roberts
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Location: Stuart, Florida

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by Bill Roberts »

I hope they lubricated the 22 properly as it went together. That boat has been in storage for a few years. WD-40 won't do it. That stuff just washes off with the first wave. White lithium works OK. Do you think they lubricated the vertical slot in the rudderhead that the cam follower pin moves up and down in?
The SC20 and ARC22 are ocean desinged beach catamarans. They were designed along the SE coast of Fla. This region of the Fla coast is known as the beach cat catamaran graveyard of the US.
What weather conditions are expected for the race. They will be sailing against the current coming down from Alaska. It could be choppy. SC and ARC hull shapes, the double edged sword, excell in these conditions.

Some History:
IN the H18 Nationals held on Ft Lauderdale Beach Fla, the races started with 50 boats and ended up with 25 still sailable at the end of the regatta. The local fiberglass shops were kept busy every night making repairs on the beach with generators running all night. Also hulls, boards, rudders and masts were flown in every night from the factory to keep boats sailing.
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Massive fun watching the spot tracker! The Soggy Beavers in the OC6 are kicking butt in really adverse conditions. Horses for courses, what type of gear will win in an 'anything goes' race is always a bet on the weather conditions. This year the weather provided a clear advantage to the sailboats. If the wind dies down the Soggy Beavers could paddle their way to a top 4 finish. As of this morning the Beavers were still ahead of the ARC 22, can you dig that!!! (A Nacra 570 is also flipping the bird to the Burds.) I really hope the Burds finish, a DNF for the only remaining Supercat/ARC would be sad for us fellow loyalists. (the other Supercat dropped the first day or dns)

Supeman is the guy in the Hobie trimaran! Team Discovery.
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Team Freeburd on the move again! Wing racks, reefed main, wave jumping, THIS IS AWESOME!

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... e=55F43890
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Freeburd from another perspective!!!

http://trimaranjournal.com/wp-content/u ... e-burd.jpg
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Freeburd had a monster day moving up 7 positions to 5th place. They should be in 4th place sometime tomorrow! They passed the Soggy Beavers late today and sailed on after the beavers put in for the night.
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Tom, Bill or Matt,

What's the back story on the boat Team Freeburd? Did Aquarius do all the mods? Who built the racks? etc, etc? Whose sails are they using? Was the boat rigged by the previous owner? Can they run down the Warrior 29, Kohara? Are all the jibs on the 22's full batten hank on?
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

maybe this is the answer to some of the previous questions

http://www.teamfreeburd.com/#!Anacortes ... ee139f094d
Matt Haberman
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Re: Race to Alaska

Post by Matt Haberman »

Andy,

We had nothing to do with their acquisition and modifications of the boat. They picked the boat up someplace out East and hauled it to the West coast to do all of the mods. Tom has had a few conversations with them answering questions about how the boat was originally rigged, but all of the modifications were their own design and implementation.

I can tell you that normally the 22 jib is fully battened with a zipper luff, not hanks. As far as your other questions, I really cannot answer them. The only thing I can say is that the boat was a stock 22 with a carbon mast when it left they picked it up.
Matt Haberman
Aquarius Sail Inc.
http://www.aquarius-sail.com
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Kohara is on the move, Freeburd is sleeping in this morning or repairing, Discovery moving, Soggy Beavers moving, Team Mau the Nacra 570 appears to be done no movement for almost 60 hours. Many others taking in the scenery, can't say I blame them.

Thanks Matt for the boat info.
Bill Roberts
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Joined: November 17th, 2003, 9:13 pm
Location: Stuart, Florida

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by Bill Roberts »

Matt,
The previous 22 owner and the local sailmaker in Ft Walton experimented with sails on the 22. In recent photos I notice the top of the jib looks very close to the hounds. Usually it is 2 to 3 ft down from the hounds. Some owners and sailmakers can't stand to see that unused luff length going to waste on the 22 jib and SC boats in general.
The story is that "in the beginning" Steve Edmonds and I noticed the telltales on the main in line with the top of the jib and hounds would never lay down and indicate smooth attached airflow. They were always flying in circles, pointing up and down and forward etc.Upon inspection we found that the trailing edge of the mast and the leech of the jib were laying against each other for a couple of feet below the hounds with a full luff length jib when the mast rotated. This made an area of " airflow blockage" from the hounds down a couple of feet. The taller the mast the longer the jib and mast touched each other and the greater the blockage. Then we tested a shorter luff jib which did not touch the mast at the hounds and made no extra airflow blockage. Then the tellteles on the mainsail in line with the hounds and top of jib got "happy". They just laid down and were still and showed no rolling and tumbling airflow. That is why the jibs on SC and ARC boats are not made to the max possible luff length. Doing so makes a slower jib.
From the pictures I have seen of the 22 in the race, the jib apperars a little extra tall and the main extra full. The previous owner and crew weighed over 500 pounds, two big people.
One other point: In the photos I have seen of the boat sailing in the race so far, the mainsail is only about 3/4rds of the way up the mast. They must be learning that the "tall rig" is a light air rig after all. They would be miles down the road with a simplier and lighter weight rig if the boat had a standard mast and rig and sails on it.
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

Bill, thanks for the back story on the sails. A little more time on an ARC might have helped the Burds immensely. In big air I always douse the jib and use the full main, this makes her go upwind like a mothereffer. Since this is all upwind and up current (at least so far) seems they would be a lot faster and point higher getting that jib down. The jib looks to have been altered a bunch, which likely isn't helping. I ain't out there doing it so who am I to criticze? but I am guessing that the Burds will drop out at some point.
havliii
Professional
Posts: 272
Joined: March 27th, 2011, 8:12 pm
Boat Make/Model: SuperCat 19, Modded SC20
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia

Re: Race to Alaska

Post by havliii »

The hobie 20 officially retired. The Burds have turned towards shore, might be a short day for them, possibly a bad shift. I'll miss the finish tomorrow morn, am leaving to go sailing myself.
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