Be Prepared at the Skippers Meeting. After you register for the event and check in, you will receive the sailing instructions. Read these instructions. If you do not understand something make a note. At the skippers meeting ask any questions. You need to know the following: Are there any changes to the NOR (Notice of Races) or sailing instructions, what is your starting flag, where is your coarse being set, what types of courses will be run (do not expect the race officers to tell you they will run a specific course, but you should expect to know all of the optional course they may run), when and where is lunch etc. This is your last chance to ask questions before getting out on the water.
Check In and Watch Out for your Team Mates. You have the boat rigged and ready to go, you know the sailing instructions, your course and your starting flags, now what. When you sail out to the coarse, make sure you check in with the race committee. You do this by sailing by the committee boat on starboard tack and call out your sail numbers. Race committee will confirm that you had checked in. If there is a coach on the line, check in with the coach for any last minute instructions. Finally, watch out for your team mates. If you know that there are 6 GSC boats in your fleet and you see that one of your team mates has not arrived, let your coach know. We are all a team and need to watch out for each other.
Race Hard and Stay Focused. Once racing starts, race hard and stay focused. Do not talk to other kids. It is hard to stay focused if you are having a conversation. This is especially true when you meet up with a competitor that you think has fouled you. If this happens, either sail on and ignore it if it did not disadvantage you, or protest appropriately, and sail on. Kids that get into arguments on the water usually lose. Even if you win the argument and the protest, the time
you spend talking to your competitor usually results in other kids sailing by you. So race hard, stay focused, and don't talk to your competition.
Say Thanks. Thank everyone that is helping put on the regatta. Sailing typically takes a lot more help than other sports. Sailing does not have paid scorers, race officials, or parents. Each and everyone is usually a volunteer that is giving up their time to help out. Please thank them. This includes both the people on the water, and those at the club house. Thank the people cooking your lunches, or breakfast, thank the scorer, than the host club members that are making sure the docks are clean and ready to go.
With 73 boats on the line at Houston Race Week, Max and Eduardo learned the importance of a good start. For Max, a good start helped him gain 20 places which shows the importance. But how do you get a good start with all of those boats on the line.
Create a hole on the line and protect it. At the start you need a hole or gap to leeward so you can get your bow down and build your speed. During the last minute, you need to carve out a hole on the line to leewrd and protect it. For Opti and Laser racing, you should build a hole that is at least as wide as the length of the boat (8’ to 14’).
You should setup a little early to find your hole. Once you find it you should luff up to the windward boats to build a hole and protect it. As you work up to the line, keep working right in your hole towards the windward boats. This gives you more control and increases your space to leeward.
Do not allow an other boats to sail into your hole. Once you have built a hole you need to watch for both port tackers tacking into your hole and starboard tackers accelerating into the hole. You should aggressively protect your hole and make sure nobody fills it right before the start.
Finally keep the hole for as long as you can. But if you need to protect it by sailing to leeward to keep someone out, protect and then work back up to leeward to open the hole back up. By getting on the line early, and building a hole you will get off to a great start with good speed, clear air and a line to the front of the first leg.
The time right after the start of the race may be the single most important part of the race. It is here then you have to have better pointing ability and speed than anyone else. The larger the fleet, the more important this becomes because you have to get out ahead to tack and remain in clean air for the rest of the race. Let’s already assume you’ve done a good job on the start you’ve gotten off the line at full speed with a little hole to leeward and are bow out on the boat to windward of you. Now how do you do to stay ahead?
This is where you have to have great boat speed and pointing. Pointing and speed don’t always go hand in hand, it’s an important balance. You have to know at all times if you’re going fast or slow, if you’re pointing high or low. These things change from second to second so it’s vital to constantly check on this.
You need to check to understand if you are pointing higher but the competition has speed on you and then try to figure out who has the net gain. If we can point really high and not lose too much speed you’d have the net gain. If someone is pointing low and is about to get in front of you, you have to foot a little to hold them off.
This is where you have to have great boat speed and pointing. Pointing and speed don’t always go hand in hand, it’s an important balance. You have to know at all times if you’re going fast or slow, if you’re pointing high or low. These things change from second to second so it’s vital to constantly check on this.
You need to check to understand if you are pointing higher but the competition has speed on you and then try to figure out who has the net gain. If we can point really high and not lose too much speed you’d have the net gain. If someone is pointing low and is about to get in front of you, you have to foot a little to hold them off.
Boats will move out ahead and fall behind. If you fall behind you need to make sure you wait and tack and clean your air at the right time. It won’t do you any good to tack in a different boat’s bad air. Also, you need to remember the game plan you made before the start. If the left looked good don’t let falling back early force you to go right. Tack to clean your air and look for a chance to go back. If you win the initial battle you’re doing great and you are the one who can see the breeze much easier gain position on other boats.
June 09 - Be the Shift By Scott Young
Have you ever been driving in traffic and it seems like you are hitting every intersection just as the light is turning green? Are there days where every meeting or appointment is exactly on time and lasts just the right amount of time for you to make your next appointment? I know…it doesn’t happen very often but those days might be for us what it is like for Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods….that feeling of being in the “zone”…..those days where the basketball hoop or maybe the hole on the putting green looks big enough to drive a truck through. To equate it to sailboat racing terms…..I will call it “being in phase” with every wind shift.
When approaching the weather leg of a sailboat race, the goal is to connect the dots on your journey upwind in such a way as to try and create the straightest line possible from the starting line to the windward mark. If you were to plot your course on a graph, tack by tack, the goal would be to have the fewest “zigs and zags” possible.
In many ways, sailboat racing can be described as a game of geometry. How can you link up the wind shifts to always keep you on a course that takes you on the straight course to the windward mark? On Lake Travis, the wind gods often present us with that opportunity to sail straight at the weather mark given the range that the oscillating wind shifts usually have. At the same time, if you are out of phase with such large oscillations, you will find that you are effectively sailing back and forth across the lake without making much ground towards the windward mark.
When you boil it all down, at any given moment, you are either on the right tack or the wrong tack. Usually, there is no in between. Unfortunately, most of the time in the heat of battle, it is hard for us to detach ourselves from the chaos that is going on around us on the race course enough to be clear whether we are on the right or wrong tack at any given moment. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a bird’s eye view from above? Armed with this information, wouldn’t it be easier to make our decision on what to do? Since we don’t have this benefit (although I would wager that the America’s Cup boats are working on that), we must try and develop a similar ability to visualize what is happening on the race course.
To me, having that ability to detach from the chaos and slow the game down is crucial. One way to accomplish this and get the big picture delivered to you instantly is to do your homework prior to the race and to work hard on figuring out the optimum angles to get you up the weather leg.
As I have talked about in my prior articles, there are many clues that are out on the race course to look for. You can use your compass; you can use visual clues such as where your bow is relative to the windward mark or another landmark on shore. You can also use boats that are ahead of you or perhaps cruising boats way up the lake to check your angle vs. theirs.
Again, developing this visualization begins from the time you leave the dock. I like to get out on the race course early and sail up wind. Every few minutes, I ask myself, “is this a good tack or a bad tack”. Once I feel that I am in sync with the shifts, I look around me at the shoreline, other boats, the compass, etc. and I try to remember what this looks like. If it is good, I will make a mental image note….the same if it is bad.
I believe that developing this visualization makes it easier to make quick decisions after the start, and your ability to act on the instincts that you developed before the start will give you the split second advantage that could likely dictate the outcome of your race.
Again, the bottom line is “stay on the tack that takes you closest to the mark”. In trying to attempt this, you are going to have plenty of obstacles that will keep you from following this simple advice. You will have boats tacking on your wind, starboard boats forcing you to tack….lots of bad stuff happening all around you.
I remember my teammate back in the old UT sailing team days named Dave Chapin. Dave was a master at sailing in bad air and doing anything necessary to stay in phase with the wind shifts. If Dave was on a lift and a boat came along and tacked on his lee bow or directly on his wind, Dave would find a way to find that extra gear and to point his boat up and keep it moving to allow himself to hang in the bad air until the next shift arrived. Remember, when you are on a lift and a boat tacks on you, tacking off immediately is about the worst thing you can do. What is the opposite of a lift? You guessed it….a header. The problem begins to compound when you sail that header for a minute or two to get clear air and then you decide to tack back. What inevitably happens is the second you tack back, the new tack starts to get headed. You get the picture.
One thing that I see a lot of people do on the race course is to get so obsessed with being the “starboard boat” and yelling it at anyone they come close to. Their belief that they have the “right of way” can often result in some serious tactical mistakes. If you are on starboard tack and you feel like you are on a good angle to the weather mark, the last thing you want to do is force a port tack boat to tack on your wind and then force you on to the headed tack. I routinely wave a port tack boat across if I like the angle of the tack that I am on.
The only time I might force the issue is if there is a strategic reason to make the port tack boat tack. When you are doing this, make sure your intentions are very clear. When you are on the water with a lot of boats, wind and noise, “go….sounds a lot like no”! Make sure you and your crew are on the same page when it comes to communicating with the port tack boat. I have seen the skipper yelling “no” and crew yelling “go”. The best thing to do is to wave the port tack boat across or to yell something to the effect, of “Starboard…you will not cross”. Just make it very clear.
Strategically, if you are on port tack and you feel you are sailing into a header and a tack to starboard may be in order, if a starboard boat enters the picture, use this opportunity to tack immediately below the starboard tack boat, regardless if they are telling you that you can cross. Keep in mind, they are letting you cross for a reason. They are going the right way and you are going the wrong way. If you lee bow the starboard tack boat, you quickly force them into a situation where they will either have to go slow and high to survive or be forced to tack out of phase with the wind shifts. Ultimately, one less boat to worry about, right?
You undoubtedly will encounter a situation where you are on starboard and you are in a close crossing with a port tack boat. The port tack boat starts to hail, “tack or cross”. Technically, under the rules, you are not required to hail anything to the port tack boat other than perhaps the simple word, “starboard”. When this circumstance arises, you have to quickly assess the tactical advantages of letting the port tack boat cross you, even though it doesn’t have the right of way…or forcing the port tack boat to cross. In fairness to the port tack boat, you really can’t change your mind once you have hailed them a reply.
Here is my thought on the situation…..and, it really comes back to the basic premise we always have to be thinking about. Am I on the right tack or the wrong tack? If I believe I am on the right tack, I will immediately start communicating to the port tack boat to cross and I will bear off and let the port tack boat go. If I feel like I am on the bad tack, I will clearly let the port tack boat know that it can’t cross and force them to tack on to the “bad tack” that that I am on. In doing so, I stay in phase with the wind and my competitor does not. Now that I am on the “good tack” and I think it is going to last a while, I will want to figure out how to give myself as much runway as possible on the “good tack” to take advantage of the high angle for as long as possible.
To summarize, work hard to develop a comfort zone for what a good angle looks like on race course and always strive to find it. Keep your head out of the boat and talk through situations with your crew before they arise. Make sure everyone on the boat understands where you think you are at any given moment. I routinely tell my crew, something to the effect of “I like this angle….I like this tack….this feels good”….etc. And, I make sure that everyone on the boat knows that this is a tack and an angle that I want to protect no matter what.
This one is for Opti Parents and Kids.
A key think that the kids worked on in camp, and came in handy during the last two regattas was shifting gears. Shifting gears is how you set your sails to have maximum power and control. In heavy winds the kids need to learn to depower their sails to keep control. In light winds they need to work on powering up to keep going fasts. How many kids had problems in the heavy winds in Austin and Lake Canyon? Almost all of them—so time to depower.
What makes the Optis hard is that many of the settings are hard to do on the water. You and your child need to make the adjustments on land before sending them out.
On land you can adjust mast rake, luff tension, sprit pole tension and the vang setting.
On the water you can adjust the sprit pole, vang and out haul, but the mast rake and luff tension is difficult to adust on the water.
Opti Boat-Shifting Gears Sail Adjustment
Mast Rake:
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Under 70Lbs (Rake 110””
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75-90 Lbs (Rake 111” – 112”)
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Over 90 Lbs (Rake 112””-113”)
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Light wind – Rake Forward, Heavy Wind – Back)
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Luff Tension: Boom Preventer
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Put Twist in Boom Preventer to ease Luff Tension.
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Remove Twist to flatten Sail
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Outhaul
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Controls fullness in the foot of the sail
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Luff Tension: Sprit Pole
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Watch for Creases – A Crease is slow
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Vang:
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Impact on Luff Tension
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Sail Twist Downwind
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Leach Tension
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Use the following table to make adjustments on Land and on Water
Winning races requires sailors to have good boat speed, understand strategy and tactics.
Boat speed is all about keeping the boat moving faster and pointing higher than the competition. It requires proper sail trim, proper weight placement and good boat handling.
Strategy is all about being in the right place of the race course at the right time. It includes reading the wind direction and speed, understanding the favored tack and favored end of the starting line.
Tactics: Tactics are all about how you sail against the competition. It includes covering your opponents, setting up for mark rounds and setting up for the finish.
Did you know that the first item in most Notice of Races (NOR) is the statement. “This race or regatta will be governed by the rules as defined by the Racing Rules of Sailing.” Did you know those rules are changing for 2009?
Well, like any sport, the rules can help you get an advantage over your competition if you know them or they can penalize you (turning circles is slow) if you are not familiar with them. There are some great resources to learn the rules and the new changes for 2009. Note that all USSailing items are discounted for members. So look into membership.
The USSailing Official Rules Of Sailing Book: This is the official rule book. Every Sailor competing in RWB, Laser or 420 should have one of these. Green Fleeters may want one, but it should not be necessary.
The USSailing Racing Rules Guide: This is an easy to use 16 page guide explaining the common rules of sailing.
Be prepared and know the rules:
Andrew Campbell sailed Men's Laser for the USA in the 2008 Olympics. In his 6th race he was disqualified and his score read (44) BFD. Can you tell me what this means? It has to do with rule 30.3
Be Consistent:
Anna Tunnicliff won the Gold Medal in Women's Radial Laser and never once took first place in a single race throughout the whole regatta. What Anna did do was stay consistently in the top 5.
Be Persistent:
Going into the Gold Medal Race, The Dutch team were almost assured of a Gold – they only had to place in the top 8 out of the 10 Medal Finalist. But as they were sailing out to the race course their mast broke dashing their Gold Medal hopes. They would have to settle for Bronze.
But persistence paid off. Rather than settling, They quickly sailed back in, borrowed a boat from the Chech Republic that did not make the Gold Medal Race and went back out and sailed. Although they started almost 4 minutes late, they quickly caught up to the fleet (every boat flipped at least once in the race and many including the US flipped several times) to finish in 7th getting the gold.
Upwind Speed
If you want to win more races, improving your speed upwind is one of the best things you can do. By going just a little faster through the water and/or pointing slightly higher, you will have much more success in holding a lane of clear air after the start and arriving at the windward mark in better shape. Here are some basic principles you can always follow to improve your boat’s performance upwind. To learn more go to:
Good sportsmanship is critical to sailing if it is going to be a rewarding experience for sailors. Good sportsmanship means proper behavior, and, in sailing, involves rules compliance and protests, when necessary. Without it, many sailors become frustrated and lose the respect of fellow sailors. Good sportsmanship is an important standard of behavior that is not only pertinent to sailing but also to life. Some examples of Sportsmanlike behavior include:
Follow the rules of sailing as they are meant to be played.
If you break a rule, promptly take a penalty or retire.
Protest any non-compliance with the rules.
Tell a sailor or team that they have done something well.
Thank the race committee members, judges and umpires and regatta organizers
Always try your best whether you are in first or last.
Be tolerant and supportive of others who are trying their hardest.
Share tips and information that can help others so that they sailing is more challenging and fun for everyone.
(From USSailing Fundamentals For Sailing)
How are your starts? A good start can make or break a race especially in a large fleet like Optis and Lasers. To learn more about hitting the line on time see what Bill Gladstone from North U has to say:
Many beginning sailors wonder what it is like to go to their first regatta, while some of the older sailors (including us Dad's and Mom's) may need a refresher on what it takes to be prepared. Here are some tips for the next Regatta:
Be responsible and come prepared. Most successful racers start getting ready several days before the regatta begins. They do not rely on their parents or coaches to get everything ready, but take responsibility themselves. This includes eating right, drinking plenty of water and getting a good night sleep before the events.
Start Preparation Early. Several days prior to the regatta, go online and check out the weather for the area. Watch the weather for 5 days prior to the start of the regatta, checking the actual weather at the start time and the expected time for the last race of the day. By doing this, you can start to get a feel for the weather conditions that you will be sailing in. Read the NOR and Part II if they are available. Prepare your boat, clean it prior to leaving home, and clean it again when you arrive if it has road grime. A dirty boat is a slow boat.
Make and Use a Check List. Every boat has lots of parts. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have everything you need for your boat and the race, it is not your parent's nor your coach's responsibility. If you arrive at a regatta with a missing block or mast clamp, blaming your parents just makes them feel bad, and you are still missing the part. So make a check list of everything you need. Include all boat parts, sails, starting watch etc. By taking responsibility for the CHECKLIST, you will know what you need and if anything is missing.
Take Charge of Your Boat When You Arrive. Coaches and the parents help to transport your boat too and from the regatta, but it is your job to get the boat to the water, have it rigged and ready to go. So learn how to rig the boat. Make sure everything is right and adjusted and be ready to go. On team GSC, once your boat is done, see if your team members need help. We are a team, and it is everyone's responsibility to help their team mates be prepared and ready to race. RIG FIRST, PLAY LATER should be the policy of all of the top GSC sailors.
Be Prepared at the Skippers Meeting. After you register for the event and check in, you will receive the sailing instructions. Read these instructions. If you do not understand something make a note. At the skippers meeting ask any questions. You need to know the following: Are there any changes to the NOR (Notice of Races) or sailing instructions, what is your starting flag, where is your coarse being set, what types of courses will be run (do not expect the race officers to tell you they will run a specific course, but you should expect to know all of the optional course they may run), when and where is lunch etc. This is your last chance to ask questions before getting out on the water.
Check In and Watch Out for your Team Mates. You have the boat rigged and ready to go, you know the sailing instructions, your course and your starting flags, now what. When you sail out to the coarse, make sure you check in with the race committee. You do this by sailing by the committee boat on starboard tack and call out your sail numbers. Race committee will confirm that you had checked in. If there is a coach on the line, check in with the coach for any last minute instructions. Finally, watch out for your team mates. If you know that there are 6 GSC boats in your fleet and you see that one of your team mates has not arrived, let your coach know. We are all a team and need to watch out for each other.
Race Hard and Stay Focused. Once racing starts, race hard and stay focused. Do not talk to other kids. It is hard to stay focused if you are having a conversation. This is especially true when you meet up with a competitor that you think has fouled you. If this happens, either sail on and ignore it if it did not disadvantage you, or protest appropriately, and sail on. Kids that get into arguments on the water usually lose. Even if you