Video to go with this mornings blog...
Tue, 6 Nov 12 14:27
Hi all, here is a video which brings you bang up to date with this morning. Go Team. It goes hand in hand with the last blog.
Heading out again right now. It's another marginal day but good for training.
Cheers, Paul
thank you
Submitted by Florian Prevel on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 23:01.Thank you for all these update.
Your communication on this session is really perfect.
We are well inform and that's great.
Fingers cross for next super day.
According with my prevision it looks more on Monday than on Sunday now.
best regards
Reply... Re: Thank you
Submitted by Paul on Thu, 11/08/2012 - 11:49.Hi Florian,
I'm glad you're enjoying it. It is partly a product of the lack of wind although as you know, I have always been fond of sharing the journey.
You're right about the forecast... it's not looking real flash either way.
Cheers, Paul
Helmet
Submitted by padski on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 22:04.Good work, Paul - really excited VSR2 is back in action and showing potential. A quick word about your lid - you're sailing what is arguably the highest tech. sailing craft ever created with all the tricks of good data collecting hardware, onboard video etc. and what is that on your head - An inverted fondu pan? Close - but it appears to me to be a generic motorcycle helmet with the visor removed so that its mechanisms and their attendant windage are on display..
Okay it has a Vetsas logo on it but it doesn't match the programme and looks like an afterthought which doesn't match (or reflect well on) the rest of the show. Much worse, it may not offer the right kind of protection you need. I know you have bigger issues to deal with and there probably isn't much you can do about it down there but I think this should be given a higher priority.
I would be surprised if you couldn't get Arai, Shoei or another brand (maybe even something more suitable to the task) to provide one f.o.c. I have some contacts that supply the lids to MotoGP and F1 that might be able to help out and I'd be happy to put your case to them if you want me to.
Wishing you and the team the best of luck.
REPLY... Re: Helmet...
Submitted by Paul on Thu, 11/08/2012 - 12:13.Oi! I like my helmet.
It's actually a very good carbon fibre helmet may it be known. It was also chosen quite carefully considering the environment.
I still need a good vertical field of view to see things down in the cockpit... unlike an F1 helmet which has a very narrow opening. Moto GP riders have more open visors and many rally drivers actually have open face helmets probably for similar reasons. I don't want to wear a visor as I feel it would most likely get ripped off and could potentially cause damage if I was to enter the worst case scenario i.e. nose-dive. There is next to no spray in the cockpit at speed but there is a little during start-up and slowing down... maybe enough to stay on the visor through key phases when lining up with the narrow beach... best not to have it.
I spent a lot of time looking into HANS devices but also chose against then for a number of reasons. the primary one being that I am unlikely to have a straight-ahead impact. I'm sitting at 26 degrees as is the fuselage. If the front float does nose dive i.e. after the rear foil fails and the back of the boat rips out of the water, up and side-ways... then the fuselage will spear into the water at an angle greater than 26 degrees. It will be like spear fishing with a banana. From a cockpit perspective I am most likely to take a hard side impact.
The race car harness I wear will stop me from getting thrown forward... but it will be the helmet and the additional side padding that protects me from the real impact. Even F1 cars have side impact padding in the cockpit I assume for similar reasons.
So, I could have spent more on the helmet... but I don't think it's a dodgy one (HJC HQ-1 with ACU gold sticker... for what it's worth). VSR2 does have a cockpit enclosure with visor... but it is a bit of a hassle to use whilst generally developing the boat. The gains are absolutely miniscule compared to the hydro.
Thanks for your concerns.
Cheers, Paul