Post by Rob Lovett on Feb 8, 2003 8:51:22 GMT 10
Hi again!
Michael Read had a great day at Manly last Saturday, coming second out of nearly sixty boats. He has contributed the following thoughts for all of us to consider, and he says ...
"One of the things I do see is a lot of 'inadequate' rope systems.
It would be good to draw them, and publish the alternatives - along with suggested rope types / lengths. For the newer guys, we should also mark their ropes; I use a laundry marker - so that we can get them used to reasonable default settings. I will try and borrow a digital camera - so that we can use a picture to paint a thousand words - and 'show' some of the options. Good systems make the boat so much easier to sail.
Also, on the start lines, I generally recommend aim to start in the middle of the line until you decide one end is better than the other. Then, if you get it wrong - you 'halve your mistake'. In a similar vein, it is good to run the length of the line - in both directions. Then you know how long it takes to get from one end to the other - so you can plan to be where you want to be.
I have a number of changes I am going to implement after a day on the bay. Happy to share 'old', 'new' and reason for change ...
Also, for downwind sailing, it would be good to reinforce your initial thoughts re angle of the boat etc. Some lean the boat too much and others not enough downwind. You know you have it right when the tiller is in the middle, and you don't need to move it. This is a good time to learn how to 'steer' the boat with its angle of heel - you can see how the asymmetric flow round the hull influences steering."
Drill: Next time you are sailing downwind, lean the boat to leeward and notice which way the boat wants to turn. Then lean the boat to windward and notice which way the boat wants to turn. Then find the angle of heel that allows the boat to sail straight ahead without you using the rudder to correct its course, and practice sailing on that angle (the tiller will have neutral helm - neither weather helm nor lee helm).
Drill (more advanced): in light winds at first, practice steering your boat through a gybe by using angle of heel instead of rudder. To bear away, heel the boat gently to windward without using the rudder to steer the boat (the rudder just comes along for the ride) - flick the sail over - then bring the boat upright or even heel it to windward on the new tack to bear away again to your desired course. Do one of these every fifteen seconds or so until you're really good at it.
LAST SATURDAY ...
The two main things that made a major difference to our sailing performance last Saturday were:
a) how we handled our boats on that really gusty close reach from Bulimba to Colmslie; and b) keeping right in close to the river bank when running upstream against the current.
GUST RESPONSE.
Last week I spoke about using "linked elbows" as a technique to sail a boat to windward, managing to keep it really flat. When you are sailing to windward and a gust hits, luffing towards the wind is part of the right response to prevent you from heeling over.
When you are sailing on a broad reach (more than 90 degrees away from the wind) and a gust hits, the right response is quite different - bear away from the wind so that the wind pushes you along instead of pushing you over, and ease your sheets (especially the mainsheet, because it is the most dominant sail) at exactly the same time to let the boat bear away (remember how we can steer the boat with the sails). If you do this just the right amount, the boat stays flat and the rudder never loads up.
Now, what did your elbows do? Your steering elbow came towards you, and the elbow of the arm holding your mainsheet went away from you - "OPPOSITE ELBOWS"!
So now you have a new downwind sailing technique to practice - from a broad reach, luff closer to the wind by pulling the mainsheet on and pushing the tiller away AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, and then bear away from the wind by easing the mainsheet and pulling the tiller towards you AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME - a great way to sail a boat downwind through a series of gusts and lulls, keeping the boat perfecly level and without the rudder ever loading up.
So remember, upwind - "LINKED ELBOWS"
downwind - "OPPOSITE ELBOWS".
Last Saturday's close reach to Colmslie was in the middle, or "grey" area where neither of these two techniques were appropriate - the boat sailed quickest by just steering it straight to the Colmslie mark, raising the centeboard up about 1/4 (or more?) so that the boat wasn't tripping over the centreboard, and playing the sheets (for Lasers, the mainsheet) to keep the boat absolutely level.
Some of the gusts were so savage, that the mainsheet needed to be eased nearly a metre instantly so that the boat DID NOT HEEL (am I hammering a theme?), and then as the boat began to heel in on top of you, trimming the mainsheet in just enough to keep the boat balanced and level.
To do this you probably need to use two hands to work the mainsheet, and here's how ... hold the tiller extension across the front of your body so that you can use both hands to pull the sheet in or ease it out, and practice doing this without the boat steering off course. The rudder won't have much load because you are sailing the boat level, so this is not hard to do, it just takes practice.
Drill: practice rounding the leeward mark of the course holding the tiller extension across the front of your body so that you can pull the mainsheet on using both hands and arms - a really slick way to round the bottom mark. You will never have to use "fang cleats" again!
SAILING DOWNWIND AGAINST THE CURRENT.
Hug the river bank which has the most wind - the current close inshore is at least a knot less than it is out in midstream. My boom hits one particular pylon every time!
I'll be away this coming Saturday, but have fun and I'll see you the weekend after.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK ...
Try to make every tack perfect, and every gybe perfect, and every other thing perfect, and you will soon be improving in leaps and bounds ...
Cheers, Martin.
Michael Read had a great day at Manly last Saturday, coming second out of nearly sixty boats. He has contributed the following thoughts for all of us to consider, and he says ...
"One of the things I do see is a lot of 'inadequate' rope systems.
It would be good to draw them, and publish the alternatives - along with suggested rope types / lengths. For the newer guys, we should also mark their ropes; I use a laundry marker - so that we can get them used to reasonable default settings. I will try and borrow a digital camera - so that we can use a picture to paint a thousand words - and 'show' some of the options. Good systems make the boat so much easier to sail.
Also, on the start lines, I generally recommend aim to start in the middle of the line until you decide one end is better than the other. Then, if you get it wrong - you 'halve your mistake'. In a similar vein, it is good to run the length of the line - in both directions. Then you know how long it takes to get from one end to the other - so you can plan to be where you want to be.
I have a number of changes I am going to implement after a day on the bay. Happy to share 'old', 'new' and reason for change ...
Also, for downwind sailing, it would be good to reinforce your initial thoughts re angle of the boat etc. Some lean the boat too much and others not enough downwind. You know you have it right when the tiller is in the middle, and you don't need to move it. This is a good time to learn how to 'steer' the boat with its angle of heel - you can see how the asymmetric flow round the hull influences steering."
Drill: Next time you are sailing downwind, lean the boat to leeward and notice which way the boat wants to turn. Then lean the boat to windward and notice which way the boat wants to turn. Then find the angle of heel that allows the boat to sail straight ahead without you using the rudder to correct its course, and practice sailing on that angle (the tiller will have neutral helm - neither weather helm nor lee helm).
Drill (more advanced): in light winds at first, practice steering your boat through a gybe by using angle of heel instead of rudder. To bear away, heel the boat gently to windward without using the rudder to steer the boat (the rudder just comes along for the ride) - flick the sail over - then bring the boat upright or even heel it to windward on the new tack to bear away again to your desired course. Do one of these every fifteen seconds or so until you're really good at it.
LAST SATURDAY ...
The two main things that made a major difference to our sailing performance last Saturday were:
a) how we handled our boats on that really gusty close reach from Bulimba to Colmslie; and b) keeping right in close to the river bank when running upstream against the current.
GUST RESPONSE.
Last week I spoke about using "linked elbows" as a technique to sail a boat to windward, managing to keep it really flat. When you are sailing to windward and a gust hits, luffing towards the wind is part of the right response to prevent you from heeling over.
When you are sailing on a broad reach (more than 90 degrees away from the wind) and a gust hits, the right response is quite different - bear away from the wind so that the wind pushes you along instead of pushing you over, and ease your sheets (especially the mainsheet, because it is the most dominant sail) at exactly the same time to let the boat bear away (remember how we can steer the boat with the sails). If you do this just the right amount, the boat stays flat and the rudder never loads up.
Now, what did your elbows do? Your steering elbow came towards you, and the elbow of the arm holding your mainsheet went away from you - "OPPOSITE ELBOWS"!
So now you have a new downwind sailing technique to practice - from a broad reach, luff closer to the wind by pulling the mainsheet on and pushing the tiller away AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, and then bear away from the wind by easing the mainsheet and pulling the tiller towards you AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME - a great way to sail a boat downwind through a series of gusts and lulls, keeping the boat perfecly level and without the rudder ever loading up.
So remember, upwind - "LINKED ELBOWS"
downwind - "OPPOSITE ELBOWS".
Last Saturday's close reach to Colmslie was in the middle, or "grey" area where neither of these two techniques were appropriate - the boat sailed quickest by just steering it straight to the Colmslie mark, raising the centeboard up about 1/4 (or more?) so that the boat wasn't tripping over the centreboard, and playing the sheets (for Lasers, the mainsheet) to keep the boat absolutely level.
Some of the gusts were so savage, that the mainsheet needed to be eased nearly a metre instantly so that the boat DID NOT HEEL (am I hammering a theme?), and then as the boat began to heel in on top of you, trimming the mainsheet in just enough to keep the boat balanced and level.
To do this you probably need to use two hands to work the mainsheet, and here's how ... hold the tiller extension across the front of your body so that you can use both hands to pull the sheet in or ease it out, and practice doing this without the boat steering off course. The rudder won't have much load because you are sailing the boat level, so this is not hard to do, it just takes practice.
Drill: practice rounding the leeward mark of the course holding the tiller extension across the front of your body so that you can pull the mainsheet on using both hands and arms - a really slick way to round the bottom mark. You will never have to use "fang cleats" again!
SAILING DOWNWIND AGAINST THE CURRENT.
Hug the river bank which has the most wind - the current close inshore is at least a knot less than it is out in midstream. My boom hits one particular pylon every time!
I'll be away this coming Saturday, but have fun and I'll see you the weekend after.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK ...
Try to make every tack perfect, and every gybe perfect, and every other thing perfect, and you will soon be improving in leaps and bounds ...
Cheers, Martin.