Rocket Report #10

Well #10 (Ex Shark) has successfully moved to the Pacific NW. Hood River to be exact. This will be the NW heavy air testing grounds. Indeed, this is one powered boat in a breeze.

First of all. The boat is amazing. The deck layout works fantastic. The build and rig, keel arrangement and everything are spot on. Now we need to learn to sail it.

We've been out now maybe 6 times. 3 races, although we were 8-10 min late on our first race and missed the start completely this last wed. Yeah bad form but I don't know, we are messing around a lot trying to figure it all out.

Race #1 : Light air 5-10. Late to start by 8 min. Boat was so powered in the light, we catch up to and passed most of the fleet and even corrected to 3rd (108 rating) after such a late start. Flew the sym chute which was ideal for the lighter breeze. Our rating though started at 132, was rerated to 108 on the spot for the race results, since dropped to 90. Fun night, the boat is a true rocket in the light. Definitely sails to its rating here.



Race #2 : 5-28 kts. Yeah, this is classic late night gorge. One minute it's hold on for dear life, next it's where's the wind. Then it's game on again. And lots of big gusts and shifts. Upwind, we totally don't have the heavy air trim. Cruising great in the lighter, getting flattened in the gusts. can't depower enough. We have 10 turns on the screw. Not sure yet how to find the heavy air groove. Downwind with the sym in gusty shifty breeze...challenging. Fall off a puff in a gybe, slow down, get slammed with another and bye rudder. Also, cruising with pressure and cavitated the rudder when the boat was feeling no helm and quiet. That was a surprise but apparently common with Melges 24s, so lesson learned. So two wipe outs downwind. Dropped halyard both times and quick recovery.

Race #3 : Weird stormy weather which is never good here. Big dark thunderheads, squally stuff blowing through and some rain. This usually doesn't mean big wind for us, more like bad rotten unpredictable wind. Go out early to practice and get hammered in 20-25. We are not being fast, we can't depower. Thinking that our max bend is not flat enough on the rig. Go upwind and try to throw in our new #1 reef to try it out. Mess around with it for too long since there is no specific reef system and have to move cunno and outhaul and safety manually. Already too committed to stop...so basically this makes us late for the start. We are successful though and it looks pretty damn good. The boat feels good too and our upwind is fast in the breeze. Breeze drops...arg! Screw it, lets pick up the fleet and sail the course. Paced a J35 pretty well upwind. Asym set downwind, start pulling. Nice drop back upwind again, set into maybe 18kts. 11s and 12s peak kts boatspeed downwind with the asym and reefed main, Oh that feels good. Finished mid fleet again after being many minutes late for start.

Lessons maybe learned so far.

#1 Sym kite is sketch in a gusty or strong breeze. Asym better choice for higher wind. Sym great for light.

#2 Rudder is tricky bastard. Learning a few things already though to deal. Like flattening boat heel before big turn. Fear the quiet neutral helm downwind. Asym is better for rudder in a breeze.

#3 We don't have a heavy air upwind groove yet. We need it badly. Will be retuning the mast this weekend in pursuit. I know it's there, we just don't have it yet.

#4 The boat is fast. The potential is so there. Rather to squander potential than to have none at all.

Best thing is that everybody is having fun including my wife who is a beginner sailor. It's a great boat for sure. Can't wait to figure her out.

Trailer Balance

First post as new Rocket owner. Hull #10.

Wondering about the tongue weight on the trailer. It seems awefully high. Maybe that is because I've been towing a boat half the weight, but 2-3 guys can't even lift it.

Has anyone tried moving the axel slightly forward on the trailer? That would help tongue weight as well as turning radius.

As long as there is still decent tongue weight and axel is behind keel, should be good right?

Thoughts?

Rocket #10 is for sale

Well, the day has come to do something different, and our Rocket 22 is now for sale. Ours is one of the last fully equipped boats to leave the factory, and comes complete with assymetrical and symmetrical spinnakers (both very "crispy"), Quantum sails, carbon spin pole and all spinnaker controls, mast pad, extra rudder and tiller extension, Nissan 4hp outboard, trailer, like new running rigging, HydroHoist, deck cover, TackTick T075 system, anchor, paddle, fenders, docklines, etc. The boat is in excellent condition, having only been sailed about 10 times in the last two years.

Broken Boom

Raising the keel on Monday the boom broke. The gooseneck fitting, which is mounted on a plate that slides into the boom and is glued in place, let go. The result cracked the carbon fibre for a short distance on both sides of the boom. The boom is 2 years old. Rocket Boats refuses to replace it or it seems, to do anyting about it. In fact, Ivan has yet to reply to my emails. In terms of support, that attitude dooms the boat as a class in my opinion.

Thought the group would like to know.

Brian

Spiinaker and jib together

Have others experimented with launching and recovering the A-Spin while leaving the jib up? Also what about sailing with the jib and spin up and if so, in what conditions? I have seen pictures both ways, particularly with other sport boats, and wondered what others are finding is best, from both a launch and retrieval basis, and from boat speed with the jib up or down while the spinnaker is up.

Craig Berg
Hull #5

Traveler purchase

I've followed Jonathan's lead and added additional purchase to the traveler. I changed the singles on each side to fiddles, adding two parts per side. So far, the load is lighter in a breeze and is still smooth to adjust, making it easier for the driver to adjust on the fly. It does involve more string though.

Furling

I have been out a few times now this sping, made new mistakes every time out and am having a blast learning this new boat. I am having some trouble with the jib furler and wondered what others have done with theirs. In particular, the furling line going aft to the cockpit comes out of the furler at a fairly sharp angle, so at times is quite hard to furl the sail in, particularly with the wind up. I was trying to think of an arrangement to get the line coming out of the furler at the correct angle (ie: going down at an angle towards the keel) then back to the cabin rooftop to go through the fairlead. It only has to come down maybe a foot. Perhaps a block attached by a line to the small bulkhead at the front of the boat will angle this line down. Anyone else with this problem? Any suggestions?

Secondly, when we unfurl, the jib will generally not unfurl all the way. It seems the turnbuckles on the top of the forestay stop the furler from turning easily. The forestay leads into a fairly large turnbuckle at the top, then to the fitting that goes into the mast. It will turn under high pressure, then does not want to turn back as the turnbuckle lays against the mast and is under too much pressure to easily turn. Anyone else address this issue? Maybe I need a new forestay that goes straight to the mast fitting, without the extra turnbuckle at the top?

Thanks for any comments.

Craig Berg
Hull#5