Hi all,

We've been very busy down here at Walvis Bay putting together the new control package. We have done all we can to keep to our timescale. I said I wanted to be ready to hit the water next Monday. We may miss this by a day or two but that will only be due to the level of static and tow testing we will endeavour to do before sailing. The back end of the boat has been completely modified. There will not be one single component from any of the previous systems onboard. New foils, bearings, planing surfaces, brackets, control rods... everything!

This system has been thoroughly engineered from start to finish and modelled extensively in Malcolms calculations for a number of realistic and extreme scenarios.

It is however a new and unique method of steering so we will tread cautiously at first. There will be very little 'feel' or force feedback when we are operating at high speed. This is due to the gearing that is necessary to give me fractions-of-a-degree control inputs.

New team member, George Dadd, has been putting in an enormous amount of work down here to model and spec the system. He works until three in the morning and then I get him up at breakfast to go through what he has done and begin correcting or implementing it. We are pushing him pretty hard but I think he is really enjoying it. Coming straight from Southampton University... this is one hell of an assignment he has to hand in. Speed-spot can be a tough teacher!

We have been supported by some real champions through this process. Uwe Jasperson at JAZ MARINE in Capetown has once again sorted us out with the special bits we can't source locally. Uwe has had new rudder moulds and some key metalwork components CNC'd up to the tolerances we require. He did it all in record time and it will be with us tomorrow. I love it when I deal with that level of efficiency and response. In these parts it's a real luxury. Next is Jose at BRUMAR TURNING SERVICES in Walvis Bay who has taken on all the machining of key parts. George has taken up residence in his office to feed him drawings and specs. The tolerances are going to be fine and there are quite a few pieces. Finished pieces are already emerging and once again it's a pleasure to work with pleasant, efficient proffesionals. Jose has built parts of previous systems and even opened up on weekends to do so... he's been one of our best local supporters.

Meanwhile...the kite/wind surfers are tearing up the speed course in Luderitz a few hundred kilometers south. It was a super windy day here two days ago which means it was windier down there. They have made a speed course that satisfies the minimum depth requirements (50cm) for a ratified course and are already posting some pretty rapid runs. They had winds of 40 knots from the perfect angle and managed some 45+ knot runs. It takes a lot of energy to get these guys up to these speeds. Once again they will be banking everything on that 'perfect' day and if it comes... well, I think we all know that they have the skills and balls to do the job. From our perspective... I can honestly say that I wish them well and that they deserve every success. We can only work as hard and fast as we can on our own project.

I'll post some photo's later today.

Cheers, Paul.