Competitive Crew Weight [Paul Brown]

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Paul Brown wrote:

Hi all and congratulations on an excellent web site. I'm intending to get a Dart 15 this year but I have read on another web site that if you weigh over 11 stone the Dart 15 starts to get dragged down.

Can anyone confirm what the competitive crew weight is for a Dart 15 when sailed in Sprint mode?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

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Keith in Hong Kong replied:

Well Newton and the old man Archimedes were right.......

The upthrust of the water displaced by an 11 stone geezer struggles to overide the hydrodynamic drag of all that increased wetted surface area.............

In other words 11 stone (that I am slightly in excess off!) is about the limit, and any more is going to stick those transoms in........and pull ya down.....but a bit of breeze...and you're OK 'cos all that weight on the high side can only work for you....

Keith

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Bob replied:

HiPaul
Quite a wide range of weights seem to do well. The following is a list of some of the sailors who have won the Sprint Nationals and my guess at their weights
Bob Milton 14 stone
George Carter 11 stone
Bob Carter 12 Stone
Annette Price 10 stone
Paul Berry 13 stone
Mike Cemm 11.5 stone

Clearly the heavier guys do better in strong winds (f3-6) but Bob Milton has won it several times and is never a push over - even when the wing is light.
I hope this helps.
Cheers
Bob