Foil Fun by Don Snell

Always looking to make his SeaSpray faster, easier to sail, and less fragile, Don Snell has submitted this information to the Class Newsletter.

After some looking on line regarding the possible availability of extruded aluminum dagger boards I found a company from England called Windknife (www.windknife.com) that supplies a product at a reasonable price.  Considering all the work involved in building an acceptable dagger board these seem like a bargain at around $100 Canadian a piece.  You will have to cut them down to possibly 36" or so and you will end up with almost enough to make a set of rudder blades.  Anyways this may help many of you get a good set of dagger boards and possibly rudder blades without a lot of work and expense.  In the pictures you can see that the ends are sealed with an epoxy/filling mixture made thick enough not to run.  It can be pushed into each end.  You could drill rope holes as I have done and force the mixture high enough to make the rope holes water tight as well.  You do want these boards water tight as they weigh a bit more than a reinforced wooden dagger board.  They are 5.25" wide or cord length and after calculating the surface area of a 4.5" wide board 40" long a 36" length will give the same surface area.  They are the minimum required thickness of 1/2" and should be acceptable class rules wise and there is no reference to material of the dagger board or rudder blades.  Some consideration as to fitting them properly into the trunks is the next step.  Possibly a cassette or blade holder would enable moving these dagger boards to a few different boats with the one inch trunk size.  The trailing edge of the boards are very fine and I could see them doing some damage to the lower dagger board trunk if the board bottomed at higher speeds.  Anyway hope some of you will try these boards and come up with some acceptable ways of incorporating them into your boats.  Here are pictures for a better look.

[caption id="attachment_871" align="alignnone" width="640"]IMG_1748 Shows finished length and one with protective cover[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_872" align="alignnone" width="480"]IMG_1749 Shows loops for pulling out and epoxy filled end[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_873" align="alignnone" width="640"]IMG_1750 Bottom end, epoxy filled, showing cross section of board[/caption]

North Sails Update on SeaSpray Sails


Some discussion with North Sails may have us again able to get our sails from North.  Apparently design work will have to be done first.  Possibly a start with a fairly full sail will be easier to modify than a flat sail so this may be what an initial set will look like.  More discussion with North urging some progress on this will have to take place I am sure.
 

2019 Championships



2019 SeaSpray Canadian Nationals will be held in conjunction with the Prairie Wind Regatta, Sat. & Sunday, July 13 and 14.  Check on the Newell Sailing Club website for more information.  If you are planning on camping at Kinbrook Island section "I" will likely have some sites held in reserve (by phone for this event).  There will be complimentary tent camping on the club's lease during this event.

 

2019 SeaSpray North Americans will be held in Osoyoos, BC at the Osoyoos Sailing Club on Sept 13, 14 and 15th.  More information to follow or check on the Osoyoos Sailing Club website.  Remember to book your accommodations.  Pre Registration on the club website will likely be available a little later.

 

We hope you will plan to attend one or both of these events this year.