[chettrongem]

Hi everyone have a December 2013 FS boat. I have spoken at length with Jim about the mark 11 and whilst I am believer it may be a little faster than my boat in some conditions I will need to loose 8 to 10 kilos to probably see this. I sail in a fleet at Adelaide sailing club where we have 3 yms boats and 3 FS boats our take is the yms is probably a little quicker up hill and the FS a little quicker down hill. The issue is Mark Soulsby is a much better sailor than 4 of us and he constantly wins! He is faster uphill and downhill! He is just a better sailor than me! The issue is 2 of us in the FS boats are fat bastards 83kg plus and I think the FS mark 1 maybe better suited to us!

Seriously I watched the 125 class go through everything I read and in the end the glass boats are still there and unfortunately the wooden boats are just not as strong. This is progress in sailing, people want a ready to sail boat these days.

I buy John Clifton sails Cliffo handed me my sail and Mark Soulsby’s at the same time, we have the same masts. He still beats me by more than the hull shape in my view!

I focus on improving my technique around the coarse, trying to keep up with Mark this is what counts not 10 to 15 mm here and there.

These are just my thoughts I like Jim Scott he is the best boat builder I have dealt with. I also like Tim Haselgrove he is building a new glass boat as well I have seen the plug. It will be of good quality it will look good it will be Tims best effort on shape and I hope it is fast for the class and Tim. He builds a beautiful light weight sharpie.

Competition, many glass boat builders hopefully cheaper and better boats will be the outcome.

ps the yms and FS boats at our club often finish all within 30 to 60 seconds of each other and by all accounts they are different hull shapes!

I do not believe there is the magical 5 minute advantage in the sabre class the builders are just competing for market share is my view. The sail and the mast plus this fat bastard is the issue for not achieving the magical 5 minutes.

For the wooden boat believes I built a wooden 125 at the age of 19 probably one of the last wooden boats built! So I do love wooden boats I have third share in a 1942 putt putt built by Searles boat yard in Port Adelaide. Me and two mates restored her from the grave she is beautiful and I am proud of her.

But in my life right now I just could not build a wooden sabre.

Just my thoughts as new member of the sabres.

Mark O’Brien

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