Paralympic - Class search continues - capsizing + righting the Weta
by Sail-World.com on 2 Nov 2016
The Weta on display at the 2016 Auckland On the Water Boat Show. The Paralympians are test sailing a standard boat. Richard Gladwell
www.photosport.co.nz
With World Sailing yet to announce its strategy for getting Sailing back into the Paralympics, and looking at the options for new boats, or staying with the existing classes which rely on fixed or sliding keels to provide stability.
Multihulls are one option for a re-vamped Paralympics, as a replacement boat or new event. There is also the option for a boat like the Weta to be chosen which will allow Parasailors to complete in regular racing against those who don't qualify for Paralympic sailing.
In October we published a video of 2016 Paralympic rep Chris Sharp (Cat 4 on a scale of 7) putting the Weta trimaran through its paces on the Waitemata - while sailing single handed and with main, jib and gennaker.
Most would have wondered what would have happened had the Weta flipped on the wheel-chair sailor.
In this latest video, two Paralympians take the Weta through a capsize routine, each sailing singlehanded, and then set oot to deliberately capsize the Weta while sailing.
While the video is interesting from the perspective of the performance of the Weta, it is also a great insight into the physical capabilities of Paralympic sailors and what can be achieved just using their (obviously fairly good) upper body strength.
In the second video, an on-board camera records a T12 Incomplete Paraplegic sailing on Port Philip Bay Melbourne in
15-18kts with a 1.5m swell
In a third video again caught with an on-board camera, from the same sailor as in the second, sailing the Weta 'after some gale force winds this weekend I finally went sailing on Sunday. Wasn't windy enough to capsize. I still had lots of fun'
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