The questions I have are the following;

1) Pointing- I noticed when you came out of one of the start lines on
Sunday that you seemed able to point a couple of degrees higher. Just
wondered how you did this, and what we should be trying to do, as well as
practise. Is there a technique we should be aiming for ?

Not particularly, in the light slightly underpowered conditions it is important to keep the boat flat with as much leech control as possible. Careful not to oversheet the main but not easing to much out, similarly with the jib trying to get it as tight as you can with out feeling that it is closing in to the main sail.
Reacting with the crew weight ( helm and crew ) to changes in wind speed to minimise heeling particularly to windward.
Speed is king for height so its all about the relationship between how fast and how high – too high will be too slow and too low will not be high enough.
Remember that we spend a lot of time practising and some times we do get it right, there is no substitute for practise !
Got it ? !

Did you have jib settings, middle clew and 4th hole outboard, in Sunday's wind strength ?

Yes wind conditions were just marginal wiring.

What settings did you have on your mast for that wind strength

Lester and Lee collect another Birkett trophy

About 30 on the shrouds, 15 on the caps and 10mm lower bend.

Jib car, we had a fairly new kite on Sunday which inflates the spinnaker
sock more than our old rag, therefore the kite sock prevented the car from
running to the stop when tacking from port to starboard, despite releasing
the jib slightly before tacking. I thought you guys must have new kites for
the worlds etc. How do you get round this problem?

We would like to know that answer our self’s…. Recently we have used elastic to tie the edges of the kite sock out to the edge of the jib track and down to the mast step. This has helped to hold the sock down. Other people run some elastic from the jib track over the top of the sock and down to the mast step to again help to hold the sock down.

When it happens all you can do is to flick the jib sheet off to release the jib track.

On Saturday our mainsheet/jib sheet seemed too short on bear-aways. Do
you know the length of your sheets.
 
The knot on the main sheet allows the boom to deflect the helms trapeze wire by about a foot. I can just hold on to the mainsheet when at the back of the boat and the boom is out to the knot.
Some times we will pull some jib on so as to give more main sheet to let out.

Which spinnaker halyard sheave do you use for the bottom of the mast. The
one fitted to our mast was good but is tired now. I can't seem to find the
same pulley, it is 45mm in diameter and 9mm thick and isn't Holt, Ronstan,
or Harken as far as I can tell. I assume you all must use the biggest
diameter possible.

Holt make the best sheave for this purpose part number 4786 8. Pack the sides with the plastic cards that the fittings are supplied on.

How often do you change your pulleys that have the spinnaker halyard
running through them?

They don’t require changing that often, normally the one’s in the boat would remain on the boat for that boats life time. These are Ha 2030. The one at the top of the mast is changed a bit more often perhaps every few months if it’s getting used a lot.


Cheers
Lester


Some questions, more questions...


I have problems with the vang lever releasing in between the two vang
legs.
I think the lever bends slightly sideways under pressure. Anyway the only
way I get the lever to release completely is by putting my hand inside the
double part of the sail and position the lever central. (I only get to do
this on very light downwind legs.)
Do you have a technique or some sort of guide to overcome this problem?

If it happens that is how we solve it on the water. I have found that
ensurring the bolts on the system are tight, to the point that the vang arm
is difficult to get between the bars will all but avoid this. If you are
using a fairly well used mast replacing the upper gooseneck will also help
as there can be excessive play in this.


During the Sunday of the Weymouth open I noticed you and Chris sailing
downwind. It wasn't windy, I would say just enough wind for you and Chris
to be twin wired, yet you both were far back on the wing with your feet in
the straps. The nose looked very high in the air and I couldn't help but think that the transom must be dragging slightly. It made me wonder if this was a particular technique that a 49er responds to. Does the reduction in wetted
area compensate for a slight drag in the tail. Was it that I must have looked during a slight lull or do you go back
asap ? We tend to use the straps only when its looking a little sketchy, is this
too late ?

We would like to twin wire downwind as early as possible, sometime's it does
look like the bow is high in the air and should only be temporary.... There
are times that when it is marginall for twin wiring downwind a boat in
clear air and with clear lanes will be able to do so earlier than boats
in disturbed air or in close company. Vmg will often be better but might be
slightly higher thus possibly losing tactical position when it comes to
gybe etc.We would be in the straps as soon as possible as you can increase leverage
when stood at the back by straightning the back leg.
And it is leverage that pushes the boat fwds, increasing apparent wind and
thus giving better vmg - lower and faster...


We are getting a small little fleet of 49ers here at Ullswater and friends
have asked me if my boat is for sale. It got me thinking that I may sell my
boat and get a new one, but unsure about 'investing' another £3k+,
especially as my boat is min weight (I think) and doesn't leak. What would
you do.


Your boat would be fine, but a new mast and suit of sails are 3k so
its an economical descion - spend on new boat in one go or spend over the next
season......



Lester Noble is probably the keenest 49er sailor in the world. Together with his brother Lee they have won the Lord Birkett Trophy, a long distance race on Ullswater, no less than 3 times. In fact Lee has won the race twice before. A fact he never lets Lester forget.
So dedicated to the Birkett is Lester that he infiltrates the powers that set events calendar to ensure it regularly clashes with other high profile events thus keeping the top sailors away.
Aside from this slant to his character he is the nicest person in the world. Although there is one more downside to Lester and that is his constant barrage of sailing related questions.
It only seems fair to share these with the rest of the world and encourage any one to get up to Ullswater for the first weekend in July.