One of the fun things that’s been happening with sailing is the improvement in the video presentation of our sport. Here’s a great one, on board the Italian TP52 Luna Rossa at the Med Cup in Barcelona. Lots of great stuff to see and enjoy, or as we say on the Bay, “L’ultima regata [...]
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What did pay off in the end was staying with it. Vivace crossed the line first after heading off into what looked like no wind and the seemingly unfavored boat end of the line. Congratulations to them for solving an interesting – and a little bewildering – night on the Bay. While we wait for the results, an article on racing in light air by Greg Fisher. By Greg Fisher Light-air racing presents more than its share of frustrating moments, but it also provides more than the usual number of chances to get ahead of the fleet. A well-sailed boat can develop a great speed advantage; at times it can go literally twice as fast as its competitors – so it is not unusual to see the largest race-winning leads developed in the lightest of conditions. With good preparation and the ability to make your boat go fast in the smallest of zephyrs, you can put yourself in a position to take advantage of the abundant opportunities on a light-air race course. Good article from the May 2010 issue of Sailing World by Dan Rabin on the best crew practices. It’s a team sport… @Stuart Streuli One evening a few years ago I had the opportunity to drive a J/24. I had logged countless hours as a tactician and bowman on the boat, but I’d [...] Second part of an article from Bill Gladstone of North U on the US Sailing site. A proper turn is just the first part of a tack. Part II – The Acceleration will complete the tack. As noted before, all the losses from tacking accrue during this critical second phase. Typically, (on keelboats) losses [...]
As mundane as they may seem, good tacks are essential to good racing. Make each tack a little better and you’ll save a few boat lengths every race. Tacks can be divided into two parts: The Turn, and The Acceleration. Surprisingly, after The Turn you are ahead in VMG of where you would have been had you not tacked. All the losses due to tacking accrue during the critical second part – The Acceleration. We’ll look at “The Turn” this week… We are always ready to tack. Unless we’re on the layline, as we complete one tack the expected next maneuver is another tack. As soon as one tack is complete we prepare for the next one. At “Ready About” do nothing, or at least, as little as possible. If hiked and sitting out board then one crew may need to turn inboard, but is it slow to have the entire crew turn in and stop hiking at “Ready About.” This slows the boat going into the tack and the penalty compounds throughout the tack. At “Ready About” you should hike harder as one crew member turns in and prepares for the jib release. At the helm, do NOT wind up (by which I mean, do not bear off onto a close reach) in preparation for tacking. Just keep sailing close hauled. In fact, in 2005 Port Angeles’ Dan Kaseler of Raptor/Gaastra/Vandal Sails made the world’s fastest sail as Finian Maynard on a windsurfer set the record of 48.7 knots using a sail Dan designed. In 2009, Dan won the Pacific Coast Championship in his Melges 24, and he’s currently developing his Raptor sails for one [...]  Looks like a boat start was favored this night Some ideas on where to start on the line from Dave Perry from the US Sailing site here. Just like buying a new home, the key to getting a good start is location, location, location. I divide the starting line into three regions. I call the quarter of the line nearest the pin end of the line – The Pin, the quarter of the line nearest the race committee boat – The Boat, and the section in between – The Middle. Before every start I decide which region, and what part of each region I am going to start in. Lecture attendees filter into the meeting room at the Northwest Maritime Center The title “Racing on the Bay: the Insiders Advantage” drew over one hundred sailboat skippers and crew wanting to learn the secrets of sailboat racing on Port Townsend Bay. Lifetime Port Townsend sailors Daubie Daubenberger and Joe Daubenberger shared their expert [...] Bill Gladstone, the author of the North U series of racing books, has a posting on US Sailing site, here, on when to split tacks with the leaders when you are behind. You know the old adage: “Can’t catch ‘em if we follow ‘em.” So, when you are behind you’ve got to split [...] I bet there’s more than one boat that has a goal for the coming season of doing a better job handling their spinnaker. Here’s an interesting video of Philippe Kahn’s crew practicing jibes in a Mumm 30. Lots of things to learn watching this clip. [...] |
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Last night the forecast strong “dinner winds” never appeared. Instead, the southerly stayed for awhile, wandered away for a bit as the westerly paid a visit, then came back, then left again. It was one of those nights. Through it all the flood roared. If you were going into it, you were parked while 100 feet away a boat was happily being swept along in a small counter current river. Sometimes an idea worked, sometimes it didn’t. One minute the goat, the next the wisest of old salts.
An article from Bill Gladstone of North U on the US Sailing