First flight with the old APCO LIFT EZ. It was a pleasure. The wing came up predictably. It was like old times. Landing was fast with trims in neutral.
I would have stayed up longer but it was very bumpy and didn’t look like it was going to be better higher up.
The Bone Island Regatta has been a significant event for many Fleet 6 members. The 158-nautical-mile course begins at the Venice inlet jetties, rounds Smith Shoal, down the straights, around Tank island, and concludes at Key West.
Jay Nadelson, owner of the C&C 110, Playmobile, has competed in this race for many years alongside various Fleet 6 members, including Jan van Heek, Jim Nuzzo, Joe Onofrio, Rudy Trejo, and the late Bob Sween.
This year’s race was a memorable one. Despite a stalled front north of Sarasota and an approaching low-pressure system, the team maintained a strategy to reach off the wind from start to finish as the winds continued to back.
In 2019, Playmobile set a course speed record of 28.5 hours, with line honors. this year, we surpassed that record by 6.5 hours, finishing just under 22 hrs.
Our progress was not without challenges. During the race, a snapped halyard sent our Code Zero into the water. After a quick recovery, Joe Onofrio climbed the mast without hesitation while under sail to run a new spinnaker halyard. Later, a brief literal 15 second 30-knot squall caused the halyard to break again, forcing us to continue through the night with only a jib and main. (At 3am, in pitch dark, he respectfully wasn’t ready to go back up the mast lol)
Around sunrise, with backing winds getting close to 75 apparent wind angle, the crew executed a difficult sail change. With limited halyards available, we successfully transitioned from a jib to a spinnaker using only the jib halyard in 20knot winds. Raising a spinnaker of that size without a jib blocking the wind is not an easy task. This maneuver increased our speed by nearly 3 knots.
We ended the race, rounding the Tank island shoals, with a 50 degree left hand turn to the finish bare headed, swapping the spin back to the jib successfully protecting our lead.
Jay Nadelson did an exceptional job executing our strategy and maintaining the team’s focus. It was a successful and memorable regatta for everyone involved and all who tracked our progress.
Flight # 1321.
First flight using Gaggle.
It’s a whole new screen layout and I haven’t found any way to modify the parameters.
I’m searching for rate of climb and decent.
Aborted first take off was perhaps too slow. Wing fell back into the prop wash and threatened to invert.
Trimmers were set 1/4 “ slow. There was no real wind at surface …. Half knot from the ENE that switched immediately to SSW. I landed opposite to the way I took off. Slow “downwind takeoff”.
May 1st Good flight A assists worked well. Trimmers were set 1/2 “ slower.
Today I pulled the trimmers in 3/4 of an inch for a no wind launch and it came up beautifully.
A assists worked well. Viewing the footage the front tucked momentarily and the launch was very long and fast but it worked. I think I might try bringing the trimmers in a little below neutral when it’s a nil wind launch. Pulling some brake at what I thought was take off speed was not productive.
A assists did the trick. The wing went up clean and fast. When it came overhead I got on the brakes and started a little fore and aft action. I should have slowed down and stayed on the brakes. Instead I continued to accelerate, eventually the wing settled down and I launched at high speed. There was no wind but maybe there was at 20 feet.
The Assists worked, it felt strange not grabbing the risers and my hands were probably not in the right position when I needed to check the brakes. But… it might be the answer to my inflation problem.
I flew out to Gasparilla Island and circled the lighthouse. Good flight.
Powered Paragliding. A most Personal form of Flight 
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