Hi John and others.
My new bought FC8 Series 1000 is now finally in the water. This is my first real size sailing boat (before only dinghy sailing).
Here are some pictures from the craning:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76246&id=542834009&l=67a1d15b7c
I'm pretty proud of the job I have done inside as well. She is completely free of any mold now and got a double paintjob. Looks like new really:
http://www.sailingnetworks.com/crew/gallery_photo/96801?album=2472&photo...
I have sailed her only with the jib a few times now but have not been very successful setting the mainsail up. I am trying to find information on how exactly in boom reefing works and how the sail needs to be connected / reefed down.
I know you guys probably dont reef your FC 8 but I really would like to take it a bit easy initially and we do have pretty significant wind here in the Netherlands.
Another thing I'm wondering about is if you sail the FC8 always with keel full down. I read in the North Sails guide that on broad reach its advisable to take the keel in half. How many turns with the handle would that be (I guess I can just count how many tunrns it is in total and then take half).
Still havent succeeded finding a single FC8 in NL. Also signed up for the http://www.beneteauyachtclub.com only to learn for 60 Euros that I'm to only registered FC8 owner...great!
So it seesm this forum here and the UK owners association is really my best bet and the largest group of FC 8 owners around.
Chris from Amsterdam
