This was pretty much a disaster. We got to the windward mark on race one and the mast fell down! It came down because, of all things, the wire just pulling through the talurit eye on the end of the shroud. The rigging was redone for the show in 2002, and as you can tell from below hasn't been excessively used since, so to say the least I am distinctly unimpressed. Just to put a cap on it the mast spanner went comprehensively through the foredeck, so she's going to need redecking...
Pulled the old lady out from the garage for her annual events... A couple of issues to sort out. here was a crack near the chine on the port side aidships, which I reckon is probably mainly trailer related, but on inspection it does seem as if its aligned with one of the big cracks from the big bang at Weston so maybe its a bit in between. There's also some cracking in the run aft, which is basically the cracks documented on this page back again. In the end I just put a little glass on the inside last time and just filled these with epoxy. The area bends when the boat is lifted on and off tyres etc for rigging so maybe that's why the problem... In both cases I've sanded back a bit and put some 100gsm glass on to help the surface of the ply. Maybe unidirectional carbon across the whole lower skin would be better but... Now I have to find some paint the right colour, and the International range of colours does seem to have contracted in recent years...
I think I just did one day of this, unaccustommedly steering with one of the newer sailors from my home club at the sharp end. I think the complexities of the old lady (compared to modern boats like the Feva she had been learning spinnakers on) were a bit of a culture shock for the lady in question - who must be considerably younger than the boat - but it was rather entertaining in a bizarre sort of way. Its difficult to think of a venue that's more unsuitable for a Cherub of any age...
I treated the old lady to a new jib and kite for this years event. Irritatingly I put a rip in the foot of the kite, due to it having a much more generous foot than most. Coupled with the very low hoist height it was all to easy to catch the sail on the stem. Most irritating. I also managed to pull the cross beam apart by putting too much twist on it dropping the kite, so it wasn't a great effort. And there was naff all wind. Oh well...
I did at least two more Frensham Classic events in the meantime... I don't recall too much about them...
As of now, July 2003, QSJB has just had her first races since 1989. Alex Adams and I entered her for the Frensham Pond SC 50th anniversary regatta.We attempted 5 races over two days, although we had to retire just before the start of one when the fitting the mainsail hangs from pulled out of the mast. In light airs and a small lake we didn't expect to set the results on fire, and were not mistaken, but it was fun.
It was instructive to sail the boat too. You could certainly feel the differences from a modern boat, with the fuller bow creating a lot of noise approaching planing speed, but also superior ability to roll tack and manouver, and less abrupt stopping in very light winds. However Alex (who's only sailed much more modern Cherubs) commented that the boat still feeels like a Cherub with that distinctive drive and acceleration. It was also striking just how much power the wing mast generates. There's unfinished business there! My handling of a conventional spinnaker, after 10 years with asymmetrics, is something I'd rather not be reminded of!
Queenie was on the Cherub stand at Sailboat Show 2002. The Cherub Class celebrated its 50th anniversary that year, and we needed an interesting old boat for the stand... I knew of two possibilities - an oustandingly original and good condition Spencer 7 in Sussex, which is however a very ordinary and unexceptional boat, and Queenie, with her top racing pedigree and the added interest of the Bethwaite rig, first Farr design in the UK etc. Easy decision really. Thanks to our friends at SP Systems who came up with some sponsorship for the stand space.