Just a note to keep you up to date. The last of the revised strongback plans
will be mailed in the morning. If any of you have not received your copy by
about the 24th of this month, let me know (we didn't send this out to those
who were already past the strongback stage).
Sail testing has produced exciting results. I will post some pictures in a
few days (its been raining for the past two days and it looks like the weekend
before sailing will be good again). The new âchop topâ main seems to be an
improvement even at this early stage of development. It develops more
horsepower with the same total area and should be more forgiving when we cut
the size
to match the horsepower of the old main (haven't been out with it in a blow
yet).
The new mast mandrel should be completed now (it will belong to the class)
and we expect the first new mast soon. That mast will be lighter, less
expensive and smaller in diameter than the 49er mast. Extensive testing will
commence
as soon as it arrives and we will keep you informed.
I have nearly completed the metric manual and plans for those who live in
countries with measurement systems that make sense. Those who subscribe to our
list and are about to order plans should specify which measurement system you
would like. The Metric measures on the plans are converted by computer and
carried to four decimal places (probably further than needed on everything
except
the station template layout). The manual was converted by hand and just
inserted along side of the existing antiquated system of measures.
We would like to get information from those who have ordered cedar and or pre
cut strips. We also want to know if you are having trouble locating Western
red cedar strips. If it becomes a problem, we may need to contract with
someone to cut large quantities and ship them direct. Those in countries other
than the US will need to find out about import duties and taxes.
Stay in touch with me as you move along with your project. Email is the best
(my phone is often busy) as I try to answer within hours and give first
priority to those under construction. Keep your fingers out of the stapler.
Best regards,
Bram
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