Wiley Nautical Racing Ebook

Racing ebook Contents

1. Starting Tactics

From Be Your Own Tactics Coach by Jon Emmett

2. Avoiding Disaster with Asymmetrics

From Asymmetric Sailing by Andy Rice

3. Upwind Boatspeed

From Be Your Own Sailing Coach by John Emmett

4. Reading Telltales

From Mainsail Trimming by Felix Marks

5. Wind Facts: Coasts, Islands and Lakes

From Wind Strategy by David Houghton and Fiona Campbell

6. Countdown to an Event

From Laser Campaign Manual by Ben Ainslie

All these books are available to buy from good bookshops, chandlers and online at www.wileynautical.com

13

2.1 Line Bias

You must continually check the bias of the line as it can change. Remember if the line bias is two boat lengths, that equals three boat lengths sailing (as we don’t sail head to wind!) Therefore do not stray too far away from what you consider to be the favoured end with ten minutes to go. Remember that from your pre-start strategy you may have decided you must go one way upwind. This means you may choose to start away from the most upwind end of the line if it makes it easier to go where you want. Ensure you have accurate timing: check this at the 5, 4 and 1 minute.

Chapter 2

Starts

Line Bias

Big Fleet Starts

Knowing your Rights

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14

Remember if you are fi nishing going upwind through the start line then the favoured end of the fi nish line is the opposite end to the favoured end of the start line, assuming nothing has changed during the course of the race. Remember any part of the boat can be over: it is simply the part which is most upwind. In other words if you are in the middle of the boat on the line, then you are half a boat length over. . .

2.1a Line bias favoured end to start/finish with Ben Bias

Wind

Start

Finish

Start

Finish

Ben Bias

Ben Bias

Ben Bias

Ben Bias

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15

Starts Chapter 2

2.1b Transits with Terry Transit (i) line (ii) behind line (iii) layline for ends of the line (iv) middle of the line

(i) Line

(ii) Behind line

(iii) Layline for ends of line

Building 2

Building 1

Terry Transit

Terry Transit

Tree 1 Tree 2

Tree 1

Tree 2

Building 1 Building 2

Terry Transit

Wind

Starting in the middle of the line (more than 25% from either end) it is harder to judge where the line is (as you are further from the ends). Here a good transit is essential to avoid the mid line sag which could be several boat lengths on a long line.

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16

2.1b (Continued )

(iv) Middle of the line

Terry Transit

“Good transits help me avoid the mid line sag”

Wind

You also need to consider the course bias (which way you would go up the course). You would really worry if the course were offset if the course was very small and/or you were likely to end up over the laylines. In the absence of other factors you would want to start next to the end of the line which was the most upwind, not that which was closest to the fi rst mark (remember boats do not sail head to wind). It is usually easier to judge your position on the line nearer an end.

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17

Starts Chapter 2

2.1c Peter Planning considers the course bias

Weakcurrent

Tack ASAP

Strongcurrent

Weakcurrent

Strongcurrent

Peter Planning

Course bias to right

Mark offset to left. Still go right

Tack ASAP

Peter Planning

Mark so offset to left,Sail straight to mark

Peter Planning

Wind

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18

Finally check out how long it takes you to get up to full speed. Remember the wind and waves at start time can be confused making it harder to accelerate. Talk everything through with the people you sail with and have a few dummy runs.

2.1d Ava Accelerate gets up to full speed

Wind

Flat water

Ava Accelerate Ava Accelerate

Full speed9 seconds

Full speed3 seconds

Speed waves

2.2 Big Fleet Starts

Although many international fl eets will sail round robins or have restricted entries, meaning fl eet numbers are smaller, there are still plenty of national regattas which have long start lines (perhaps taking fi ve minutes to sail down). So it is well worth getting the tactics right, because starting in big fl eets is one of the most diffi cult skills to master as it is hard to practise (there are a limited number of big fl eet starts for each class, each year).

Good starting in big fl eets is one of the best ways to raise your game. If you can come off the line in the fi rst ten boats then you are already in a secure position, on the “escalator” to the windward mark. Meanwhile the rest of the boats who are sitting in dirty air or sailing on the wrong tack (considering the biggest factor for example being on the lifting tack) are effectively stepping down the “escalator”.

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19

Starts Chapter 2

2.2a A big fleet start with Brooke Big Fleet

Wind

Brooke Big Fleet

Brooke Big Fleet

Brooke Big Fleet

Brooke Big Fleet

Port end Brooke wants to go right. Brooke is not over the line and can easily tack

Port end Brooke wants to go left. Brooke is not over the line and can easily get left

Starboard end Brooke wants to go right. Brooke is not over the line and can easily tack

Starboard end Brooke wants to go left. Brooke is not over the line and can easily go left

Mid line sag

Mid line sag

Mid line sag

Mid line sag

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20

Winning the end can be very important. For a port end favoured line the port tack approach can work very well to control the fl eet.

2.2b Port tack approach with Ben Bias

Wind

In control of the fleet

Ben Bias

For a starboard favoured line we need to position ourselves up drift of the favoured end so as we gradually drift down the line we end up in the perfect place at start time. After all, life is all about being in the right place at the right time. If the starboard end is a large committee boat you may wish to start a boat length or two away from it, if it is producing a large wind shadow.

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21

Starts Chapter 2

Wind1 min to start

30 sec to start

15 sec to start

Go

Ben Bias

Ben Bias

Ben Bias

Less than one boatwidth gap by mark

Ben Bias

2.2c Drift with Ben Bias

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22

Summer Safe

Summer Safe 2 mins to start

Peter planningOption (i) _____________

2 mins to start

Option (ii) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Peter Planning

Wind

2.2d Summer Safe and Peter Planning option (i) and option (ii)

For an even line and perhaps one where you are not sure which way you want to go (or it is a shifty day and you just want to keep your options open) start towards the middle of the line. Then move down to the line either coming from behind and then luffi ng up into a gap or sailing down on port and tacking under someone with a good gap.

2.3 Knowing your Rights

Knowing your rights at start time is absolutely crucial. It is not simply he (or she) who shouts loudest who has right of way (and there are few places on the race course which have as much shouting as the start line). I still hear people shouting “mast abeam”, a term which has not been in the rules for many, many years!

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23

Starts Chapter 2

2.3a Ben Bias’s rights as the leeward boat

Wind

“The other boats can keep clear so I may luff as hard as I like”

In a perfect world you would simply fi nd your space and at the appropriate time accelerate like Ava Accelerate (see 2.1d); however this is not always possible. So we may end up having to tack in like Ben Bias. Remember there is no proper course before the start. After the start line if you did not approach from behind (Ben Bias tacked in) you may luff up to head to wind as long as the other boats can keep clear. This is why it is good to tack underneath someone rather than come in from behind – it gives you more options.

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24

2.3b Ben Bias’s rights as the windward boat (i) keeping clear, (ii) unable to keep clear

Wind

(i) Keeping clear

(ii) Unable to keep clear

15 seconds to go

15 seconds to go

Ben Bias

“Don’t luff. You must giveme room to keep clear”

“I must keepclear”

Ben Bias

If however you are looking to start at the starboard end you will most likely have boats to leeward of you. You must keep clear of these. However they must give you room to keep clear. (They can not simply sail in about 1 cm from your boat and expect you to be able to keep clear.)

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25

Starts Chapter 2

Wind

15 seconds to go

Hold your course“I am keeping clear”

GO

Peter Planning

SophieStarboard

2.3c Peter Planning on port meets Sophie Starboard on starboard

This is a key idea where the right of way boat must give the give way boat room to keep clear. Here Peter Planning has lined up for a port fl yer: he is keeping clear of Sophie Starboard who holds her course, as if she changed her course Peter Planning would not be able to keep clear.

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CHAPTER 5

AVOIDING DISASTER

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122 ● ASYMMETRIC SAILING

All sailboat racing is about minimising your mistakes. The sailor that makes the least mistakes is the winner. It might seem a negative way of looking at things, but it’s still quite a useful one. And it’s particularly relevant to high performance boats that are dif-

fi cult to sail. In strong winds, if you can avoid all the big mistakes – e.g. capsizing, collisions, pitchpoles and so on – then you’ll probably do very well.

In this chapter we look at some of the biggest mistakes, and how to avoid them.

Make a Plan

First, let’s talk about a general philosophy; about knowing what you’re about, and what your aims are. In team boats, this is particularly important. Everyone on board needs to know what the game plan is before you start, in fact before you even go afl oat. As former 49er World medal list, 505 World Champion and America’s Cup veteran Morgan Larson puts it: ‘Even a bad plan is better than no plan. Of course if I get a bad start – which I often do – then you need a Plan B, of course!’ Not that Morgan does get many bad starts, but I hope you understand the point. A boat, and a team, that knows where it’s going, is much more likely to get there!

Discuss your plan before the race: Olympic 49er Champions Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez, deep in thought

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AVOIDING DISASTER ● 123

Prepare for the Unexpected

This follows on from the previous point, and is one of the most overlooked aspects of sailing.

When you go out and practise, it’s too easy just to go through the standard manoeuvres such as tacking and gybing, and maybe some mark roundings. But what about practising for when things go wrong, such as 720 penalty turns and capsizes? The best way to practise is to put yourself in these pressure situations, and see how you respond.

The other classic thing in many asymmetric and one- design classes, which do nearly all their racing on windward/leeward courses, is not to bother how to two- sail reach because you never have to do it. Then, one day, when the wind shifts and the course gets all skewed, suddenly you have to start two- sail reaching, which is the toughest point of sailing in a boat like the 49er. Times like these really reveal which teams have been putting in the practice for those rare eventualities – and which ones haven’t.

The other common mistake is only to practise bear- aways on starboard tack, because that is what you normally do on a port- rounding course. Bearing away in a 49er is a pretty tough

Roger Gilbert & Ben McGrane on an ‘untypical’ port bear- away in the International 14

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exercise in strong winds. It’s easy to pitchpole or capsize if you get your timing wrong, so teams practise their bearing- away until it works like clockwork. However, try bearing away on the other gybe – and it feels totally alien. This is what Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks discovered in the build- up to the Athens Olympics, when they struggled to bear the boat away on port during an important race in big winds.

So, after getting home from the regatta, Chris and Simon went out into Weymouth Bay and put a hard training session in, purely to conquer this one manoeuvre. It didn’t take them long before the port bear- away felt like second nature, and it was another weapon in their armoury. Whether they’ve had to use it in anger since then, I don’t know. Probably not very often, if at all, but the strangest things often happen at the most crucial of moments.

And I do remember seeing one race at Athens where the wind shifted massively, putting all the 49ers on to a very tight gennaker reach. Unfamiliar territory for all but the most prepared of teams, who made hay while others made a hash of getting through the leeward gate in good shape.

Trawling the Kite

Trawling the kite is a horrible feeling. It can happen when you’re hoisting the gennaker but then part of the sail fl ops into the water and then the next moment the whole thing is in the sea, trawling like a fi sherman’s net.

At this point of the hoist, the crew must pull like mad to avoid the dreaded ‘trawl’

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The boat slows to a near standstill, and puts massive strain on the sail, and the mast. If the sail has completely fallen in the water, you will need to turn up into the wind and stop the boat completely. Then the crew will need to reach over the side and manhandle the soggy sail back on to the deck, and ideally stow it in the bag or chute before you get going again.

Sometimes, if just one corner of the sail falls into the water, there’s a chance of saving yourself from trawling humiliation by powering through the rest of the hoist as quickly as possible.

Expert Advice

Steve Irish: Avoiding the trawl

For another perspective, we asked former RS800 champion Steve Irish about the dreaded trawl, and how to avoid it.

Leeward heel is the main reason why the trawl happens. So, from a helming point of view, you’ve got to make sure you do bear away far enough that you’ve got the boat slightly over on top – and that just gives the kite that little bit of air before it has a chance to hit the water. Make sure that the crew doesn’t rush into the hoist too much. They’ve got to be ready. At the start of the hoist they’ve got to be fully solid in the bot-tom of the boat and once they start the hoist that it’s one continuous movement and doesn’t get stopped at any point. A lot of trawls tend to happen when the crew started the hoist because they’re desperate to get it going – and then fi nd they have to reposi-tion or stop. Then the kite just droops slightly, catches the water and suddenly the job becomes twice as hard.

On the sea, the helm should be looking for the right wave so, when you call the hoist, you should be happy that you can sit on the face of one wave for the whole of the hoist. You’re also looking then just to keep a real constant heel angle, so the crew’s balance isn’t being knocked at all. If you can do that, then you should be perfectly alright. If we did start to get a trawl in the RS800, I’d shout at my crew to ‘pull it hard,’ and he was usually big enough that he could normally rip it back out of the water without it developing into a full- on trawl.

Twist in the Kite

If the gennaker goes up with an ‘hourglass’ twist, then you need to pay attention to how the kite is stowed during the drops. Keeping some tension in the gennaker sheet will make it much harder for the kite to twist on the way into the bag or chute. It’s when you let the kite fl og

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Trying to untwist the kite on a Rebel Skiff

before you drop it that the problems occur. So keeping sheet tension on as late as possible is the key to twist prevention.

But what if the kite has twisted? Try the following remedies, in this order:

• Oversheet the gennaker, pulling it all the way in, then releasing, and pulling all the way in again. Sometimes the kite can untwist itself just by doing this, but if the kite is still twisted . . .

• Ease the halyard half a metre on a dinghy, by a metre or more on a sportsboat, then try over-sheeting again. As soon as the kite untwists, rehoist the halyard. However, if the kite is still twisted . . .

• Gybe, keeping as much tension on the old sheet as possible. The act of gybing will shake out all but the very worst of twists.

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Expert Tip

Geoff Carveth: Getting a twist out of an SB3 kite

The bowman runs to leeward, grabs the clew of the gennaker and pulls hard down the leech. The helmsman steers slightly hotter to put more pressure in the kite. If this doesn’t work, then ease the halyard a few feet and then try doing the fi rst two things again. As soon as the kite untwists, rehoist the sail and sheet on. But if none of this works, then you’ll need to gybe.

If none of these remedies works, then this really is a major twist, and you may well need to drop the gennaker to the deck and manually untwist the sail. But this doesn’t happen very often.

Twisted SB3 gennaker: this might require easing the halyard a few feet, or even a gybe

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Keep a Lookout Downwind

With most modern gennakers setting quite close to the water, this can create a large blind spot to leeward when you’re travelling downwind. Some classes like the Melges 24 permit windows in the gennaker, but on many classes you have to fi nd other ways of keeping an eye out downwind.

When both of you are on a trapeze in an International 14 or a 49er for example, it’s very dif-fi cult to know what’s going on ahead and to leeward of you. One thing you can do is to sail the boat very fl at, or almost heel to windward, provided that you’re very low on the trapeze. But, in light- to- medium conditions, this isn’t always practical. So it could be that either the helm or the crew needs to move to leeward occasionally, just to get a sense of where the boats are on the upwind leg, so that you know if there’s a possibility that you might be on a collision course and you can do something about it.

You might also hope that the boat coming upwind will give adequate notice by hailing to you and making you aware of the fact that they are there. Self preservation might suggest that that would be the sensible thing to do but, in my experience, this does not always happen, whether

A very useful window in a Melges 24 gennaker, but most asymmetrics don’t have this luxury

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COLLISION COURSE? OVERSHEET THE KITE

If you’re sailing downwind on port gybe in a good puff, and you fi nd yourself on a colli-sion course with a boat on starboard, what do you do? Most people gybe, which is fi ne if that’s what you want to do anyway. But what if you’re already on the favoured gybe and want to continue on port?

Sheet in the gennaker as hard as possible and the boat will slow down signifi cantly. Let the starboard boat pass safely in front, then release the sheet until the gennaker is setting nicely again. Yes, you’ve given away ground, but you’ve maintained control over your tactics rather than being dictated to by the other boat.

Helmsman has stepped in and oversheeted the kite to slow the boat down rather than gybe

it’s because the other sailors feel intimidated by the sight of a fast asymmetric coming towards them, or they don’t feel the need to tell you. There’s certainly no onus under the racing rules for them to tell you, so get in the habit of looking to leeward every minute or so.

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Taking Penalties

RS200 champion Dave Hivey practises his penalties. Most good sailors do:

‘It’s a good boathandling exercise anyway. The general rule is tack fi rst when you’re sailing upwind and gybe fi rst when you’re heading downwind. When you’re doing the turn – whether it’s a 360 or 720 turn – make sure that you keep the mainsheet playing the whole way through the gybe. You’ve got to sheet really hard, really fast on the mainsheet as you’re spinning the boat into the wind to get that drive from the leech of the mainsail. That will get you safely through the tack, at which point you ease the jib and mainsail as you bear away straight into a gybe.

‘Equally important is paying attention to the heel of the boat. Whenever you’re turning into the wind, the boat should be heeled away from you, and whenever you’re turning away from the wind, the boat’s got to be heeled over on top of you.

Dave Hivey practises 360 turns in case he gets a penalty during racing

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You’ve got to make sure that you keep to that rule all the way through and then the boat will keep spinning through the turn. If you ever let the heel go the wrong way at any point, the boat is in danger of stalling.’

As Dave says, focusing on accurate sheeting and heel angle are the keys to successful penalty turns, and they’re well worth practising.

Capsizing

The next chapter is about one of the most common mistakes – capsizing. It’s a big subject all by itself, which is why we’ve separated it into its own chapter.

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155

Boat Speed: Upwind Chapter 11

Boat Speed: UpwindRig Set-up

Making the Boat ‘Point’

Making the Boat ‘Foot’

Advice from Joe Glanfi eld

156

11.1 Rig Set-up

Upwind boat speed gives you a variety of options and makes the tactics much easier. (It has been said that upwind speed makes you a tactical genius). Paying close attention to boat speed can make a real difference. It can, for example, take some of the pressure off getting a good start. The key to good boat speed is understanding your rig (sails and mast). If you are slow upwind you will fi nd it nearly impossible to win races.

Before you even take to the water you need to ensure you have the correct kit! A mast which may be excellent for one team may be no good for another, resulting in them being over- or underpowered. The mast bend needs to match the team’s righting moment (a factor of body weight and height), as well as the expected sea state and wind conditions. The more adjustable your kit is, the better. (You may choose to have a range of kit, so as to get the best set-up for different venues.)

The mast bend needs to match the luff curve of the sail. You should be able to get standard measurements from your mast manufacturer and sailmaker. At the start of a campaign always use standard kit in good condition (like the majority of the top end of the fl eet). After you are comfortable with this kit, you can look for the extra edge by experimenting and tuning.

The rake of the mast is usually available through the class association. Remember, with all these rig set-ups you need to ‘get your head out of the boat’. If conditions gradually change (the water becomes fl atter, the wind speed increases, wave length increases, etc.) you need to adjust your rig! If you are using different sails you will need to set up the mast differently. The sailing characteristics of a full sail on a fl oppy mast are very different from fl at sails on a stiff mast.


157


The greater the kicker tension, the more

the mast bends

Max power

Over powered

Under powered

Survivalconditions

Kick

er te

nsio

n in

crea

sing

Wind Strength - Knots

5 10 15 20 25 30

Wind

Flat water

Short chop

Big waves

11.1b Upwind kicker tension for an unstayed rig.

11.1c The upwind steering needs to match the waves.

11.1a Increase the kicker tension to bend the mast.

158

Centre of effort in front of centre of resistance

Centre of effortin front of

centre of resistance =boat wants to bear away

Move crewand centreboard

back. Rake rig forward

Centreof effort

Centre ofresistance

Centre of resistance is around thecrew weight and last edge of thecentre board and this opposes theforces driving the boat to leeward.

Centre of effort is around the draft(deepest/most powerful point)of the sails. This has some force toleeward as well as drivingthe boat forward.

Crew

Centre of effort behind centre of resistance

Centre of effortbehind centreof resistance =

boat wants to head up

Move crew andcentreboard forward.

Rake rig back.

Centreof

resistance

Centreof effort

Centre of effort over centre of resistance

Centreof effort

Centreof

resistanceCentre of effort overcentre of resistance =boat wants to go in a

straight line

Centreof effort

Centreof

resistance

Centreof effort

Centreof

resistance

Centreof effort

Centreof

resistance

11.1d Centre of effort in relation to the centre of resistance.

159


In an unstayed rig (a Laser, for example, which does not have shrouds) the mast is bent by the kicker see fi gure 11.1a. The boom is pressed into the lower mast (this does not happen with a vang lever) and the top of the sail is pulled backwards. In medium airs the leach tension is governed by the sheet tension. In light and strong winds the rig needs to be depowered. In light winds because the wind needs an ‘easier’ sail to get around, and in strong winds because the sailor needs to be able to keep the boat fl at. This is achieved by adjusting the kicker.

If the conditions are constantly changing, you need to be constantly changing the rig so that it is optimised for the conditions. If the conditions are constant, set your rig as best you can and then leave it, so you can concentrate on other things. When conditions are constantly changing you need a set-up which is easy to sail (in other words, it is easy to point, foot and make the boat go fast in a range of wind speeds).

First let’s get the fundamentals right. You really need to do a comprehensive test of the available kit in a range of conditions to fi nd out what is best for you. However, the table below gives the key ideas:

Sail fundamentals.

Flat water Flat sails Less power required

Choppy water Fuller sail More power required

Flat water Tight leach

Choppy water Leach twist

Steering

Once the rig is set up we need to look at steering see fi gure 11.1c. The steering needs to match the waves. The frequency of steering correlates with the wave length: the closer together the waves, the more frequently you need to steer (until the point when the waves are so close together that you can no longer steer accurately). The angle of steering is:

160

Examples:

Flat water: small (smooth) but frequent movements, to keep the boat at the optimum angle to the wind. Allow windward telltale to just lift. (Would suit a fl at sail with a hard leach.)

Short chop: small, rapid (choppy) steering movements, to keep the bow from slamming. (Would suit sailing the boat low and fast to minimise speed lost from hitting the occasional wave.)

Big waves: slow, steady (smooth) steering with large angle changes, to keep the boat in contact with the waves. (Would suit a full sail with leach twist.)

The principles of steering are always the same upwind: minimising the time spent going uphill (luffi ng up the waves) and maximising the time going downhill (bearing away down the waves). This also builds speed to go back up the waves. A good rig set-up will make it easy to sail through the desired angles. You can also use your body movement to help trim the boat over the waves, pulling your weight back to lift the bow and moving forwards to keep the bow in the water. You want as smooth a transit as possible to get over the waves. (If you are slamming down

on the waves, you may well lose height as the wind gets under the bow – move your weight forwards. Conversely if you are burying the bow and most likely going slow – move your weight back).

Moving the crew weight back and raking the centreboard moves the centre of resistance back. Moving the crew weight forward

•

•

•

161


and raking the centreboard forward moves the centre of resistance forward. Moving the fullness in the sail forward makes the boat want to bear away; moving it back makes the boat want to head up. It may be useful to have the extreme of these set-ups if you really want to go low or high, but generally the best set-up is to have the centre of effort directly over the centre of resistance.

Get to know your rig so you can get it to both point and foot.

11.2 Making the Boat ‘Point’

Being able to sail close to the wind without losing speed to windward is called pointing. This is when the boat is feathered or pinched through the wind, sailing the closest angle to the wind possible without losing signifi cant boat speed. This is especially relevant when coming off the start line and having to hold your lane. By sailing the boat ‘high’ you are unlikely to fall into the boat to leeward and end up in a lee-bow position.

Here the rig set-up is to have a full sail with enough power to get through the waves or the chop. A tight leach to ‘sail off’, the boat trim well forward and the boat balance flat or even slightly to windward all help keep the foils working efficiently.

There is a limit where you create too much power and the associated drag makes the boat slip sideways. We are interested in the track the boat is making over the water, not where the bow is actually pointing. When a boat is sailing fast for the conditions the foils work more effi ciently, thus the boat will make less ground to leeward.

162

Therefore, in order to gain height, you must bear away a little bit every so often to keep the speed on. Making the boat point assumes you are still making good VMG (velocity made good). It will rarely pay to point really high and have poor VMG, unless you are likely to lose lots of ground by putting in two tacks.

A tight leach provides power and pointing ability.

Wind

Boat point ingBoat footing

11.2a Boat pointing too high and slipping sideways compared with a boat sailing well.

163


Same start point

(Same end point)

Boat pointing

Boat footing

Same VMG

Wind

11.2b Boats with different and the same VMG.

Windshadow

Wind

Boat lee bowed

11.2c Lee bow.

164

11.3 Making the Boat ‘Foot’

Sometimes it is necessary to really drive the boat to get over to some pressure, a shift, out of the current or over the top of another boat. Here you need to turn distance to windward into speed, sacrifi cing height for speed and sailing so low that you are almost reaching.

The boat trim needs to be back to allow the bow to lift slightly, making it easier to keep the boat born away (bow down). The sails need to be fl at so that gusts will not tend to make you luff, and it may even be worth raking the foils back as well.

You may have to allow the boat to come up slightly every so often to lose power. This is better than constantly pulling on the tiller, as it means the rudder is acting as a slight brake (when the rudder is straight it provides the minimum resistance).

It may well pay to foot on one tack and pinch on the other (perhaps to get across to one side of the race course, or maybe so as to get a good angle of attack to the waves). If this is the case, you need to be ready to make the changes to your rig promptly.

Leach twist provides speed.

165


Advice from Joe Glanfield:

A lot of upwind boat speed in technical boats comes from good consistent settings. Normally nothing special, but a question of having your boat well calibrated so you are able to put the controls in the right place for the right condition, and then repeat it the next day. To transfer this onto a race course, good communication (on a double-handed boat) is key, especially when the wind is inconsistent. It needs to be one sailor’s responsibility to call in the gusts and lulls so the other sailor can adjust the controls to match. Often sailors struggle to transfer tuning speed to the race course. This is normally because both sailors are looking around too much whilst racing, when actually just one sailor could do the majority of looking around whilst the other concentrates on the boat speed.

In our boat I concentrate on the tactics so Nick never has to look outside the boat and can just focus on steering and sail settings. I believe that the communication between me and Nick and our clearly defi ned roles in the boat are the main reasons we are fast across the wind range.

35

The complete shapes Chapter 3

The complete shapesThe Complete Upwind Shapes

Reading the Telltales

36

Now that you have understood the concepts of belly size and twist, and the mainsail controls and when to use them, it’s time to put them together.

The Complete Upwind Shapes

For very light airs to storm force winds:

In very light airs, the wind will be struggling to get around the sail. You create a fl attish shape (to help the air attach to the sail) with lots of twist. The outhaul should be trimmed half on to create a fl at foot. The backstay should also be tightened on to make the sail fl at in the upper two thirds. The leech must be twisted so the traveler should be at its highest setting and the sheet should be eased.

In light airs, the wind will be able to get around the sail, so maximum belly and twist are required. The backstay should be completely off and the outhaul eased to its maximum position. The leech must be twisted, so the sheet should be eased and the traveler should be high.

As the wind builds to medium airs, you no longer want full power or twist in the sail. The backstay and the outhaul both need to be brought on as soon as everyone’s hiking and you’re still over powered. The amount of outhaul tension and backstay tension depends on the strength of the

•

•

•


37


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38

wind. To start with (as the wind starts to build in strength) only a little of both is required. As medium airs become stronger, you will need to bring both on more and more. How much of both will become clear in the next section and is one of the most important things to understand about mainsail trimming. The leech should be fairly closed so the sheet should be trimmed on fi rmly and the traveler should be somewhere in the middle of its range.

In strong winds, a fl at sail with no twist is needed, so the backstay and outhaul should be on hard. The traveler should be down the bottom of the track and the vang should be on hard to keep the leech closed as the mainsheet is eased during gusts. If the boat is still over powered with the sail completely fl at, then it’s time to reef.

In gale and storm force winds, you need to rig a tri-sail and a storm jib! Apart from being practiced and equipped, the most important thing to know about the tri-sail is that it must be rigged and set so that the belly is flat. Setting a powerful storm sail is completely self-defeating!

Reading the Telltales

Telltales are indispensable for providing a visual indication of how well the sail is trimmed whilst you’re sailing close-hauled and reaching, i.e. when the sail is acting as an airfoil rather than an air dam.

Telltales can immediately tell you whether you’re over, under or correctly trimmed, and whether the sail’s twist is correct. Note that they don’t tell you whether the sail is under or over powered.

There are two types of telltale that can be attached to a mainsail: leech telltales and draft telltales. It’s preferable to have both types attached.

•

•

39


Leech Telltales

As their name suggests, leech telltales are attached to the sail’s leech. Leech telltales work by showing whether the sail is over trimmed or under trimmed as follows:

If the sail is over trimmed, the telltales will wrap around the outside of the sail.

If the sail is under trimmed, the telltales will stall or wrap around the inside of the sail.

If the sail is trimmed correctly, the telltales will fl ow out evenly.

•

•

•

40

The telltales also provide an indication of whether the twist is correct. Assuming that the bottom and middle leech telltales are fl ying:

If there’s not enough twist, the top telltales will wrap around the outside of the sail.

If there’s too much twist, the top telltales will stall or wrap around the inside of the sail.

If the twist in the sail is correct, the top telltales will fl ow out evenly for roughly 80 % of the time.

Draft Telltales

Draft telltales provide a better level of visibility into where exactly the air is fl owing on the sail.

•

•

•

41


If the sail is over trimmed, the outside telltales will lift and stall whilst the inside telltales fl y.

If the sail is under trimmed, the inside telltales will lift or stall whilst the outside telltales fl y.

If the sail is trimmed correctly, both the inside and outside the telltales will fl y.

As we saw above for leech telltales, the draft telltales also provide an indication of whether the twist is correct. Assuming that the bottom and middle inside and outside draft telltales are fl ying:

If there’s not enough twist, the top outside telltales will lift and stall whilst the inside telltales fl y.

If there’s too much twist, the top inside telltales will lift or stall whilst the outside telltales fl y.

If the twist in the sail is correct, both the top inside and outside the telltales will fl y.

•

•

•

•

•

This section is entitled ‘Wind Facts’ because

it describes bends and bands in the wind

which are always present to some extent.

They do not depend on the weather forecast

and the standard forecast does not include

this sort of detail. They depend only on the

orientation of the wind in relation to the land,

its topography and the stability of the air,

details which you normally have to sort out

for yourself.

Let us look first at the influence of the coast

on the wind, depending on whether it is

blowing off, along, or onto the shore. To start

with let’s assume a coastline (any coastline of

sea or lake) which is straight, fronting land

which is not particularly hilly; no cliffs, no

mountains within a few kilometres of the

coast, and no islands within at least 20

kilometres. The coast can however be facing

in any direction in the Northern Hemisphere

– see chapter 6 for the Southern Hemisphere.

Wind blowing off the shoreSome books state incorrectly that a wind

blowing off the land always changes

direction towards a line at right angles to the

land, wrongly assuming that this is a case of

refraction. This is not so. The wind does not

move from one medium to another, it is

simply subject to less drag as it moves out

over the water. We saw in Chapter 2 that the

direction of the surface wind over land is

about 40 degrees back from the gradient

wind direction, while over the water it is only

about 15 degrees back from the gradient. So

whatever the angle of the wind to the shore,

the direction of the wind must veer as it

moves out over the water (Figure 3.1). This

veer is fairly gradual over a distance of from

1km to 5km downwind from the shore, a

distance which depends on the stability of the

air. The speed of the wind increases at the

same time, the moving air adjusting to the

decrease in frictional drag over the water.

The direction and speed we are talking about

are the average direction and speed, made

up of gusts and lulls and everything in

between. The changes in the character of the

gusts and lulls are discussed in Chapter 5.

An important point to note here is that the

change in wind direction is most marked in

the lulls. Note also that ‘downwind from the

shore’ is not the same as seaward – i.e. at

right angles – from the shore. If the angle of

the wind to the shoreline is small the change

in direction and speed will be achieved

within a much smaller distance seaward from

the shore than in the case of a wind at right

angles to the shore.

In terms of tactics, if you are beating

towards a mark, which is within 4 or 5

kilometres downwind from the shore, you

can expect port tack to pay (Figure 3.2). The

nearer you are to the coast the larger the

bend in the wind. But a bend of some 20 to 30

degrees is massive and 4 to 5 kilometres is

a long way, and fortunately it is possible to

obtain more precise guidance by looking at

3 Wind facts – coasts, islands, lakes

3.1

Land not

particularly hilly

The speed of the wind

increases at the same time

Whatever the angle

of the wind to the

shore, the direction

veers as it moves out

over the water

Wind blowing offshore

W I N D F A C T S – C O A S T S , I S L A N D S , L A K E S 15

the stability of the air in relation to the land

and sea surface temperatures as follows:

If the air is cold and the sea and land are

relatively warm (typically with cumulus

clouds over both land and sea) the air is

unstable to the temperatures of both land

and sea surfaces and the veer in wind

direction will be completed in a distance

of about one kilometre downwind from the

shore (Figure 3.3).

If the land is cold, the sea warm, and the air

relatively cold (a typical winter situation) the

stability decreases as the air moves out over

the water, thermally induced mixing gets

going and the veer is likely to be completed

in a distance of 3 to 5 kilometres downwind

(Figure 3.4).

If the air is stable, that is, warm relative

to both the land and sea temperatures

the change in direction as the wind leaves

the land takes longer and is unlikely to be

completed in less than 5 or 6 kilometres

downwind.

Just occasionally, when the air is very

stable, the veer as the air leaves the shore is

preceded by a sudden, and short-lived back

(Figure 3.5). This occurs when the water is

relatively cold, typically in poor visibility.

The air then starts to slide towards low

pressure as it leaves the land, almost as

though it is forgetting about Coriolis Force.

The back is likely to be more noticeable at

masthead height than lower down.

Wind blowing along the shoreWith a wind blowing parallel or nearly

parallel to the coast there is a major

difference in wind within about 10 kilometres

of the shore depending on whether the land

is on your right or left hand when facing into

the wind. You will see from Figure 3.6 that

with the land on your left the different angles

of the surface winds over land and sea are

convergent for the same pressure gradient

wind, resulting in a band of stronger wind

near the shore. The increase in wind speed in

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

land warm

sea warm

air cold

1 km

5 km

land cold

sea warm

air colder

than sea

typicalwinter

situation

3 km

500 m

land colder

than air

sea cold

air warm

typical in poorvisibilty

the band is in the order of 25%, e.g. 5 knots

added to a 20 knot wind. The converging

airstreams often give more cloud near the

coast, sometimes enough to produce a

shower or two.

There is no precise figure for the distance

from the shore of the strongest wind. On a

straight coast it is generally between 2 and 5

kilometres off. On an irregular coast the wind

will blow so as to smooth out the irreglarities,

sometimes strongest close inshore, some-

times strongest further out. In the case of

headlands separated by a shallow bay,

the band of strong wind will extend from

headland to headland, being close inshore

at each headland.

The stronger wind just offshore is

sometimes mistaken for a sea breeze. In a

recent race in the English Channel some

boats headed out to sea off Brighton as dusk

approached, assuming that the wind inshore

would die away - only to find that those that

stayed 2 to 3 kilometres off benefited from an

extra few knots of easterly wind all night.

If you are racing in a wind aligned in this

way to the coast you can be reasonably sure

not only of finding a strong wind band but

also that it will remain in the same place

throughout the race. Do not overlook the

possible benefit of using the more backed,

though lighter wind close to the shore where

it will be coming off the land. When racing in

the west Solent for instance in a south-

westerly it is sometimes preferable to make

Yarmouth Buoy on a single tack close inshore

(Figure 3.7) rather than opting for a

favourable tide a kilometre further off and a

series of short tacks in a more veered wind.

In the opposite case of the land on your

right looking upwind the two airstreams

diverge (Figure 3.8) and the wind is

generally lighter within a few kilometres of

the shore. Because of this divergence the air

tends to subside near the coast, and this

clears, or at least thins any low cloud which

might be around. This is why the sunniest

seaside resorts are often found where the

prevailing wind is westerly on a south-facing

coast, easterly on a north-facing coast and so

on. The reduction in wind speed may be as

much as 25% compared to further offshore,

but the position of the zone of lightest wind

in relation to the coast is rarely as clearly

defined as in the case of the stronger wind

in converging airstreams.

In the afternoon, particularly from late

spring to early autumn, the reduction in wind

due to coastal divergence is often cancelled

16 W I N D F A C T S – C O A S T S , I S L A N D S , L A K E S

3.6

3.7

3.8

Coastal convergence

gradient

wind

Yarmouth

Cowes

Tide

land wind

Coastaldivergence

gradient

wind

land wind

sea winddivergence zone

lighter wind

note wind bend into shore close inshore

convergence zone

stronger wind


out by thermal enhancement of the wind near

the coast (see chapter 7). When racing at

any other time of day this light-wind zone is

normally to be avoided, though you may

want to consider using a bend of up to 10

degrees or so towards the land which may be

found close inshore (Figure 3.8), and is a

consequence of the more backed wind over

the land dragging air in from over the water.

Where a coastline lies roughly east-west,

as for instance the south coast of England,

coastal divergence is found with high

pressure to the south, and a feature of high

pressure is that the closer you are to the high

the slacker the gradient and the lighter the

wind. So faced with the prospect of lighter

winds near the coast due to coastal

divergence, and lighter winds further away

from the coast as you approach the centre of

the high or the axis of the ridge, you have to

judge where you are likely to find the best

wind. As a general rule it is likely to be just

to seaward of the coastal divergence, i.e.

roughly about 10 kilometres off.

An interesting example of what happens at

a bend in the coast was observed during the

pre-Olympics at Barcelona in 1991. The wind

was from 205 degrees true and, away to the

southwest of Barcelona where the coast lies

along 245 degrees, there was a full cover of

stratocumulus cloud at a height of about 500

metres. Some 7 kilometres southwest of the

city, where the coast bends to a new angle

of about 210 degrees, the cloud started to

break up and by the time the wind reached

Barcelona the skies were clear. The reason

for the cloud clearance was that when, as the

coast curved, the angle it made with the wind

direction reduced to 20 degrees, the land

and sea wind streamlines started diverging

so that subsidence was induced near the

shore and the cloud cleared (Figure 3.9). For

the sailor the change from cloudy to clear

conveyed a message about the wind near the

coast: ‘Do not expect any variation in wind

speed where it is cloudy, but look for a zone

of lighter wind along the section of coast

where the cloud has cleared’.

Wind blowing onto the shoreIn this situation there is no significant

variation in the wind strength or direction

over the water as a result of the wind

alignment to the shore. All the changes occur

over the land. However do not overlook the

thermal effects created by the heating of the

land in the afternoon, which are described in

Chapter 9.

SummaryFigure 3.10 summarises the influence of the

land on winds over the adjacent water. Wind

directions are those over the water relevant

to point X, the land being aligned as at the

top of the diagram. The divisions between

the zones of convergence and divergence

will depend on whether or not the shoreline

is reasonably straight. We shall see in

Chapter 8 that these direction zones are also

important in judging the likely development

of the sea breeze.

3.9

3.10

Barcelona

land wind

sea wind

cloudy, no coastal

divergence: wind

angle too large

coastal

divergence,

cloud

breaks up,

wind lighter

near shore

wind blows

onshore;

no bend

wind blows

off land

and veers

land

divergence

convergence

TacticsIf you are looking for wind, then with the

wind blowing along the shore, a course set

within 10 kilometres of a straight coast and no

overriding influence such as a sea breeze,

you should stand well in or well off –

depending on the wind direction in relation

to the coastline.

COaSTaL CLiFFS

Wind blowing along the shoreIf the wind is blowing along the coast and it is

fairly straight, it makes little difference

whether there are cliffs or not; we experience

within a few kilometres of the coast a zone of

stronger or lighter winds depending upon

the wind direction. In the case of coastal

convergence the strong wind band will be

fairly close to the cliffs.

Wind blowing off the shoreThings are rather different with the wind

blowing off coastal cliffs. There is still the

same veer in direction between the wind

over the land and the wind well out to sea,

but for at least 2 to 10 kilometres downwind

(depending on the height of the cliffs) there

may be standing waves and turbulence.

Standing waves form in the wind downwind

of the cliff face (Figure 3.11) when the air is

stable or reasonably so, and they give

relatively static zones of stronger and lighter

wind, sometimes marked by a cloud sitting

on top of one or more of the lighter wind

zones. The zones of stronger wind are the

more reliable and are likely to remain in

nearly the same place for as long as the wind

direction and stability of the airstream do not

change, i.e. you can often expect them to stay

put for the duration of a race. The zones of

lighter wind may be characterised by

considerable variations – even reverses in

wind direction, particularly downwind of the

higher cliffs, but the zones themselves are

likely to stay put for some time. By careful

steering you may be able to stay within a

favourable zone, particularly when reaching

parallel to a cliff.

Beneath the cliff itself there is usually a

large eddy with a complete reversal in wind

direction.

Wind blowing onto the shoreWhen the wind is blowing on to the shore

expect a good deal of turbulence close to the

cliff itself. It is advisable to keep fairly well

away from the cliff face. In a sea breeze

situation (see Chapter 7) expect to find the

sea breeze steered into the nearest valley

or break in the cliffs, depending on how

high they are, i.e. the breeze blowing

along the cliff face until it finds an easier

route into the land.

LaKES

The pattern of shore effects on the wind

follows all the principles we have just

outlined. A lake in the order of a few

kilometres across, such as Rutland Water,

is just big enough to demonstrate all the

18 W I N D F A C T S – C O A S T S , I S L A N D S , L A K E S

3.11

strong

wind

strong

wind

lighter

wind

eddy

light wind

(may even be

a reversal)


main features: a bend downwind as the

wind leaves the land (side A in Figure

3.12), the coastal convergence and

stronger wind where the land is on your left

looking upwind (side C), and the coastal

divergence and lighter conditions where

the land is on the right (side B). The case

of a lake (sea) breeze is described in

Chapter 7.

For much larger lakes it is likely that the

gradient wind will be different on different

coasts, and each section of coast will have

to be considered separately. In the case of

lakes or fjords surrounded by mountains

you will need first to consider what

difference the mountains are making to the

gradient wind (See Chapter 13) before

applying the guidelines of Figure 3.13.

iSLanDS

The extent to which an island interferes

with the wind depends on its size and

height. A fairly flat island 5 to 10 kilometres

across provides a good example of the

coastal influences on the wind outlined

above. The air flowing over it is subject to

greater friction, so it slows down and its

direction backs some 15 degrees; the time

and distance over which this slowing and

backing takes place depends on the

stability of the air and the wind speed.

Adjacent to one side of the island a stronger

wind will be evidence of converging

airstreams, and along the other side a zone

of lighter wind evidence of divergence

(Figure 3.13).

Downwind featuresOnce a wind band has been established it is

likely to continue for many kilometres

downwind. It is not unusual to find a band of

stronger wind 30 to 40 kilometres

downwind of an island where it was

generated, and a recognisable though not

so clear-cut zone of lighter wind downwind

from the other side. Equally a wind band

generated by a protruding section of

mainland coast will continue downwind and

be experienced many kilometres from its

source. Figure 3.13 shows how sensitive to

wind direction the position of the wind band

will be when some distance from where it

started. This is particularly important if you

are competing in a regatta where an island

or coastal feature lies upwind of the racing

area. You cannot take it for granted that the

same side will pay every day if the wind

direction is only roughly the same. It has to

be identical.

The most noticeable wind features

associated with mountainous islands are the

vortices which are shed downwind. The

Canaries are a good example. Satellite

pictures often reveal vortex-shaped cloud

patterns streaming up to 300 to 400

kilometres downwind from the islands, each

vortex being 50 or so kilometres across.

3.12 3.13

lake

A

B

C

Wind blowing across an island

lighter

wind

stronger

wind

bend and

increase

COUNTDOWN TO APARTICULAR EVENT

Once you have decided which event is the mostimportant to you, the one which you want to beat your peak performance for, you need to comeup with a plan.

It goes something like this:

Logistics

• How long do you have until the event?

• How much time can you personally put in?

• How will you get to the event and how can you cover the finances?

• Where are you going to stay?

• Do you need to do any warm-up regattas?

In the perfect world you would spend as muchtime as possible training at the event venue.

88 HOW TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP

Back.Stretching: Quadriceps.

Calves.Hamstrings.

HOW TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP 89

For my 2000 Olympic campaign I spent a total of nine and a half months over three yearstraining on Sydney harbour. In reality mostpeople cannot afford the time to do this so it is really a case of doing as much as you canwhen you can. It is also a good idea to chat toother sailors and find out what they are planningto do. If you are the only person training it can be a bit lonely after a couple of days, so try andget someone to train with.

To cut costs you could team up with somefriends and travel together, which can also be a lot more fun. Similarly with accommodation it can be easier and cheaper to team up. If you are the sort of person who needs time to themselves then it might be better to sort out your own arrangements so you are able to get away if you feel the need.

You do not want to go for too long without anyracing practice. Training is important but thereis no substitute for the real thing especially ifyou are young and relatively inexperienced. So try to get to an event where you think theconditions might be similar to those which youare likely to encounter at the main event.

The venue

• What are the prevailing winds at that time of year?

• What is the climate at that time of year?

• Is the wind normally very shifty or steady?

• Is there much tide or current?

• Is it a nice place to spend some time?

You need to know what the conditions are like so that you can try and simulate your training to those conditions. You will have a better ideaof which areas of your sailing you will need towork on improving. The wind strength will also have a big effect on your fitness training. If it is a light-wind venue then you might need to look at losing weight so that the boat is not too heavy. If the conditions are likely to bewindy then you may need to do more weighttraining and eating in order to increase yourstrength and body weight.

The climate can have a big effect on your

performance especially if you’re not used tosailing in those conditions. If the temperature is very high you will need to look at whatclothing you are going to wear and ways ofkeeping yourself hydrated.

If the winds and current are different from what you are used to then try to train where the conditions are similar. If you can’t findanywhere then it will be more important to get to the venue early.

Make sure that you will be happy spending timeat the venue and training there beforehand. If it is not your kind of place or for whatever reasonyou will not be happy there then minimise theamount of time you spend at the venue.

One good tip is to check with your NationalAuthority. Other sailors or coaches may haveraced or sailed at the venue. If you can talk to them or look at their notes it may give you a better idea of the conditions you will be up against

Weaknesses

Look hard at the areas where you feel youstruggle while racing or training. The truth is sometimes hard to take but it is only byattacking them and overcoming them that you will be best prepared for the event.

Fitness

I have already talked about focusing your fitnessroutine around the conditions which are likely to be encountered. Other than that it is mostimportant to be sailing fit and free of injury.

Peaking

All sailors’ performances vary over time but it is crucial that when you hit the startline of thefirst race at this regatta that you are sailing toyour maximum ability. If you train flat out formonths and months you will turn up to theregatta tired and slightly unenthusiastic. Youneed to feel fresh and positive, ready to reallygo for it. For this reason it is important that youtaper your training so that by the end you are

only doing very short periods on the water and in the gym. That way your energy levels will increase and you will feel really fired up to get out there on the water and win. So makesure you plan your build-up to the regatta withthis in mind.

RACING TO WIN

It is easy to make assumptions about winning but after much experience of racing Lasers the most successful are those who make thefewest mistakes, are able to pull something out of the bag when they need it and are themost consistent.

These days nearly all events are of twelve racesor more, so this really puts the emphasis onconsistency. Think of a series as a structure,you need some solid results in the early racesto give you a good foundation to work from. As soon as you become inconsistent you are in trouble; it is the uncertainty which ruins your confidence leading to erratic decision-making and probably just as erratic results.



Psychology

I remember when I was in the Youth Squad, everyyear Jim Saltonstall would have evening lectures,which were great, but every now and then therewould be a lecture on psychology. At the age ofseventeen once psychology was mentioned I wasoff in a dream world and anyway ‘I could just hikeharder if I had a problem’.

I now know that psychology is the key toeverything, in life and sport. What is goingthrough your mind will affect how hard you train,how determined you are, your ability to dealwith pressure, how you get on with your fellowcompetitors and your enjoyment of racing.

If you want to get to the top of the Laser fleet

then you have to be totally committed. The days of training at the weekend and summerholidays have gone. It has to be your job,hobby, life. I can say with some conviction that the reason people like Robert Scheidt andmyself have been successful is that we put inmore effort than most sailors. I remember onevery good example of this was just before the’96 Olympics in Savannah. There was a warm-upregatta at Hilton Head, which is about 25 milesfurther down the coast. Robert and I sailed down there while the rest of the fleet either got their boats towed or driven to Hilton Head.We were lucky that it was a downwind sail on the way and when I sailed back it was alsodownwind but this meant very valuable timesailing in the strange and confused waves off

Savannah and it paid off.When you get out on the water you need toleave behind anything in your mind which is notconnected to winning the race or sailing well.Forget about problems with your girlfriend,bank manager or whoever - your mind needs tobe totally focused on the job in hand. Try not toget too involved with the social side - again itdepends how serious you want to be but themore time spent chatting will drag your focusaway from the racing.

You’ll notice that the really top sailors arenormally the most modest, the reason being that they know they are good so they don’t need to tell everyone about it. If you hearsomeone blowing their own trumpet about a great start or something, just ignore it and gothrough your own mental de-brief of the race.This is really important as it enables you to pickout where you went wrong, areas you need toimprove and the positives. You also don’t get putoff by the guy telling you that the only reason youpulled off that great port tack start was becausehe had to bear away for you and by the way youowe him a few beers. The more you go throughthe racing mentally the better prepared you willbe for the next race. I really enjoy watchingvideos of sailing races, in any class of boat. Not only is it fun watching a good video but it is a form of mental rehearsal where you can also pick up tips from the racing.

At most regattas there are times when you will be held ashore due to a lack of or too much wind.All the hanging around can be really frustrating,boredom sets in and you lose all interest in goingsailing or alternatively you get really wound upas you are dying to get out on the water and goracing. Try to have a plan for these situationswhich will give you something to do while nottotally distracting you from getting ready to race.A bit of a kick around can be good fun (but makesure it doesn’t get too aggressive), or try reading a book or playing a computer game.

When you hit the water you want to be ready. The very nature of the class means that the racingis very close and there are times when you willneed to be very aggressive. You cannot afford togive an inch to anyone at any time. So be mentally

prepared for some tough racing out there.

A TYPICAL RACE DAY

This is an example of a normal race day at a major regatta.

Wake up and go for a slow/ medium jog for 10 - 30 minutes with the emphasis being onstretching as much as possible to loosen you up for the day’s racing.

Have a decent breakfast and read the paper or a book to help you relax. Pack your sailing kitand accessories. It might be useful to have acheck list so that you don’t forget anything vital, like your brain.

Try to arrive at the boat park about two hoursbefore the start time of the first race. This willgive you about an hour to sort out your boatbefore going afloat. Firstly turn your boat overand give it a wash and tip it up to check forwater inside the hull (even if it was clean it is still reassuring to check). Rig up your boatmaking sure to double check fittings and ropes.

Once you are happy that the boat is all set goand check the noticeboard and try to get hold of the weather forecast. A decent weatherforecast may help you decide on how toapproach the day’s racing and may answerquestions like ‘Do I need a raincoat to keep me warm between races?’ ‘Do I need heavy orlight air hiking shorts, or both?’ ‘Should I havemy light or heavy mainsheet?’ The weatherforecast will also help you to start runningthrough the race strategy in your head. If youhave a coach go through the forecast with themas they may have some good suggestions. Try to keep to yourself to give yourself time to thinkabout the day’s racing and check that both youand the boat are ready.

Unless the racecourse is either very far away orvery close you should probably launch aroundan hour before the warning signal. There isalways someone who wants to launch first andpeople who will give you a hard time forlaunching early but just stick to your routine.



In ’96 I was always one of the first to leave the shore at around an hour before the race.Then at the Olympics I was suddenly the last to launch - it was really strange but showed how anxious we all were. I was happier stickingto my routine.

On the way out to the course try to get a feel forthe wind and the waves. If it is a beat then sailclose-hauled so that you can start to get in phase with the shifts. If the course is downwind

and you are sailing near the position of thewindward mark then stop and get a feel for how the wind is at the top of the course and take a wind bearing if you have a compass.

Once you are at the bottom of the course thensail an imaginary first beat at 80% effort so thatyou are sailing at proper angles to the windwhile not exhausting yourself if it is windy. Thisshould give you a better idea of the conditions,help you get in phase with the windshifts and

pick up any current or tide out on the coursearea. Sailing properly upwind will also enableyou to tune the boat and get an idea of whatsettings you will need for the race.

When you are happy with the conditions sailback down to the start and again make use of the time. Sail fast to get an idea of thetechniques needed in the relevant conditions.Also try different gybes as you may find it faster on one gybe compared to the other. Try your absolute hardest not to capsize bypushing it too hard before the start as a wet sail and mast full of water is not at all fast.

Once the warning signal has gone then get your watch set for the preparatory signal.

After finishing the last race of the day try to sail or get towed in as quickly as possible,making sure you are warm enough and have something to eat to help re-build yourenergy levels.

Pack up the boat being sure to double-check all fittings and ropes. Then turn the boat over to check for any damage. If there are anyproblems fix them as soon as you are changedas it will never get done in the morning. If you have a protest then make sure you have the form ready to hand in well before the end of protest time.

Before you leave the boat park make sure youhave checked the protest board (even if youwere not involved in an incident someone might have made a mistake and involved you).Check to see if there are any changes to thesailing instructions and start times for the nextday - almost everyone has been caught out by the start time for the next day being boughtforward. Also check the results, even if you have had a terrible day it might get worse ifyour boat number was confused with anotherwhich was over the line in a race. It could alsonot be as bad as you feared. In the Danish Spring Cup in ’99 there was one race wherealmost the whole fleet was over the line but the race was continued. I for one thought I had got away with it as I was well covered by other boats. We got ashore to find that the


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