HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-04-16, Page 13•
THA -T DARING—YOUNG—MAN 014 -THE TRAPEZE
A• GAGGLE =OFFIREBALLS
TRAPEZE_ ,WORK" PROVIDES --MANY THRILLS
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AFTER THE RACE ...BACK TO THE SHORE
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High speed sailing. s
oop...
Probably one of . the fastest
growing classes of sailboat in
Canada, if not the world, today
is the • racing sloop the
FIREBALL. °
With an overall length of little
'more than' 16 feet and -a beam of
four feet eight, the ,FIREBALL
is a light, extremely fast scow
type sailboat that can "plane" In
a whisper of a breeze or roar
along at several times its hull
speed in a blow. -
A planing type sailboat is one,
that will climb 'up onto its own
bow waves and increase its speed
many times over what a boat of
its size 'would . be expected to
reach.
Since its inception in England
1961 the growth of the
FIREBALL class has been
nothing.' short of phenomenal.
The first of the . class arrived in
Canada in 1962 and this year
their numbers here.are expected
to reach 650.9 Fleets exist all
° over the world and in Canada,
--White the main fleets of size,. are
in Ontario, Alberta and British
C��ollu��nnbia, Kf�leets' do exist fro'nrr
coastto coast.
This year the FIREBALL has
reached Goderich. An article on
the FIREBALL in the Canadian
Power Squadron magazine
CANADIAN POWER AND
SAIL, showing the ease with '
which the boats . can pe
constructed, touched off a'n
enthusiastic following of local
men who now have six of the
sleek racers under. /construction.
At least four of these Will be in
the water in time for a good
season of racing .and two ohers
will be available for sail (oops!
-SALE) before the season gets
far under way.
George Robertson, president.
of the recently.formed Blue
Water Sailing lub, together
with Bert Corbett and Harold
Jeffery, all of Goderich, and Bud
Keuhl of Clinton have started
construction of the four craft in
the upper part of MacDonald
Electrics building . on, Britannia
Road. Work is well under way.
Parts have been cut out ready
for the start, of construction of
the two remaining boats which
will be sold . after, construction,
ot, if a buyer wishes, will be wild
• RIGHTING A CAPSIZE
aA.+
CONCENTRATION IS EVIDENT ... AT THE START OF A RACE PARTICULARLY.
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The Effervescent Fireball
now ready to 'start work
on. Races will be held during
the'season. Although a firm day
for the races each' Week has not
yet been set, it is expected some
racing willbe seen on Sunday
afternoons at .least: Sailing has
proved to be a popular spectator
sport as well as providing thrills
— and sometimes spills — for the
sailors and their crews.
Thrills come by the score
when you sail a FIREBALL:
Designed as a really high
performance centreboard craft,
the boat has more than lived up
to its specifications.
Original specifications were
strict, calling for a high
performance craft that would be
easy for the amateur to build at
home from scratch, or from" kits.
The boat has lived up to -these
specifications too. It is simple to
build, requiring no building'
frame (it", utilizes its oven
elements) and, can be
constructed In something over
100 man hours. Carpentry tools
needed are minimal and step .by
step instructions help the project
along very well.
No other centreboarder of
similar length can touch the
FIt;EBALL for speed (for the
experts, she holds down a
, ,planning hull rating of 87, which
is really up there with the speed
merchants): h ir' out of the
cockpit is shiltple' efficient
and enough latitude is permitted
'in the class rules to enable
skippers and crews of different
' weights and sizes to adjust the
equipment to suit their
individual requirements.
The low windage hull and the
highly flexible sloop rig
contribute greatly to the speed
of the effervescent, boat. '
Whether the FIREBALL is
ghosting .along in a zephre of a
breeze or planning at sizzling
speeds in a bust of spray, she is a
delight to handle and to watch.
"
She can be easily handled
even by lightweight girls and the
' small size jib is easily controlled
by even the smallest crew
. . .f making a hit in the world
members. Light crews are able to
hold their own even , when
beating to windward in a stiff
blow.
Bouyancy is built in and in
the event of a capsize the light
craft is righted without much
effort and can be sailed again
without bailing as the built in
bailers will quickly take care of
the small ainount of water left in
the cockpit.
The fine lines and modernistic
styling of the FIREBALL,
coupled with' the antics of the
crew on the trapeze harness
when at high speed, make the
boat a delight to watch and
ensures the class lasting for
many, many years without fear
of becoming dated.
There •are • other facets of
sailing: social activity, picnics,
cookouts • and sailing regattas,
but. for the utmost, pleastre for
'the least cost, it would be hard
to beat racing a FIREBALL
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The 'Blue Water Sailing Club is
developing the craft as a trainer
for beginning sailors. The club
hopes to 'foster' an interest in
sailingsailing while providing a means
with which to do it. The.
FIREBALL is a good choice,,
• Without doubt there has been
no racing boat built in the past.
25 years that could come close.
to competing with,, the
effervescent FIREBALL. We
predict it will climb to the top in
popularity within the next few
years — and stay there. ,r
The , class has received
international status now 'and
during" consideration of '
selections for the'1972 Olympic
games, the FIREBALL received '
the vote of three countries as the
two-man centreboard entry. No
other- craft received the vote of
more than one country.
`Never'thele'ss, A the committee
decided to, use the TEMPEST, a
two man boat that lost out nn a
berth in the last Olytnipies.
Polities were—entering into the
selection and with that out oC.
: le-,iWarth'e ad="eget to bit -
open for the 1♦ IF%i BAU ,. tot) be
entered' in the' 1976 t lyn plot