From: Jaakko Toiviainen
Sent: February 26, 2017
To: Sarah Curry
Subject: Hydrovane in use

Hi,

We installed Hydrovane in 2009 on our long-keeled, canoe-stern 40 ft ketch Vesterviking from 1957, before we left from Helsinki, Finland to the Mediterranean. Have to say that Hydrovane worked all the way superbly. Since having returned from there we have continued sailing in the Baltic waters from our home base Helsinki, Finland to Sweden and Denmark and also crossing the North Sea to Norway.

As an elderly couple sailing on a tiller-steered yacht with an unbalanced rudder, which makes it quite heavy to steer in stronger winds, we always use Hydrovane when we have to sail a longer stretch in the open sea. Sailing in the Finnish archipelago we cannot use it often because of the changing winds and winding routes.

We are very happy with Hydrovane. I enclose a photo of a satisfied sailor and another photo which shows our yacht in the harbour of Ste Marin, France. In the first photo you see a a rope we have to attach to the backstay to draw it a bit forward to make clearance for the vane in certin wind angles. Also we have to tilt our reserve vhf antenna (the other in in the mizzen top) to make clearance, but that is perfectly ok.

Best Regards,

Jaakko Toiviainen
Helsinki, Finland