2006 - IDRA 14 Class Diamond Jubilee!
A very rough guide to the
IDRA 14
by Frank Miller
This short guide aims to
help sort out priorities for anyone trying to find their pace in an IDRA 14.
The ideas are offered to help people new to the class to get their boats up to
speed and also to help "silver fleet" sailors get into the
"gold" fleet, therefore making racing closer and more exciting for
everyone. The guide is a personal one cannot be definitive and if you see
errors or have suggestions please point them out so that I can fine tune it.
The aim is to develop this guide with the help of other IDRA 14 sailors into a
more comprehensive manual of IDRA 14 maintenance, tuning and sailing.
One of the greatest
problems racing is sorting out priorities. There appear to be so many but
surely some are more important than others ??? Yes and
yes ! Winning crews get the main things right but get
the little things right too. If you get the big decisions right and even some
of the little things you should end up at least in the front third of any race.
To win a race your boat
must be in good condition, with at least reasonable sails, and with all the
main controls working properly. You must arrive well before the start of the
race and make correct decisions about your race strategy. You must get a good
start, sail in clear air, keep up optimum boat speed and concentration and use
whatever tactics are necessary to follow through or modify your strategy. If
you do all this to perfection you will win the race. It's that simple, and that
difficult.
Lets break it down ;
THE BOAT
You can make every race
more enjoyable by eliminating as many problems as possible with your boat
before you ever go afloat. The IDRA 14 fleet is sometimes criticised as being
casual to the point of sloppiness, boats with things that are just dying to
break or fall apart. If this description matches your boat start to change it
now, spend a little time and money getting it into shape so that everything
works. Just having a boat in good condition almost guarantees that you won't be
last in any windy race because you'll find that someone else has retired due to
gear failure.
The IDRA 14 is a classic
sailing dinghy. It's relatively heavy weight (325lbs hull) is offset once
afloat by a healthy sail area (Main & Jib 110 sq. ft, spinnaker 140 sq.
ft.). While the boat will plane off the wind in a decent breeze (force
There is very little
difference in performance between timber and glass fibre boats. Well set up
boats compete head to head on very equal terms. Let's look at how to optimise
the boat 's performance while staying within the class
rules;
A. Weight. The lighter the boat the sooner it
will plane and the faster it will go offwind. Class
rules dictate that the hull (with all normal fixed fittings but without
floorboards, centreboard, rudder, mast, sails) must weigh at least 325 lbs. It
is highly probable that most boats are at least a little overweigh with timber
and glass fibre absorbing water over the years. Short of major rebuilding work
there is very little that can be done here. Weight of the fitted-out boat can
however be reduced a little by;
1. Lighter floorboards,
replacing heavy floorboards with much lighter ones from 4mm plywood supported
by lightweight bearers epoxy resined onto the floor
of the hull. It's very important that the floorboards are well sealed with
resin or paint to stop absorption of water (& thus weight).Make sure your
floorboards have a really good non slip surface, for example by adding clean
sand to the final coat. If your existing boards are heavy you can lighten your
boat by as much as a stone by replacing them.
2. Foils - The centreboard
and rudder can be made by butt-jointing hard and soft woods together for
minimum weight while keeping strength once they are kept properly sealed. Worth
replacing if your existing foils are bad. Alternatively you can work on your
existing foils if you have more time than money. You are looking for good shape
and a good finish and both take time to achieve. The centreboard wants a fine,
but not too fine entry, with a curvature a little like that of your index
finger. too sharp and the foil can stall out and too
blunt and you won't point as well as you might. The entry point gently widens
as it goes back to the maximum point about one third back, then if thins out
evenly as it goes back to the trailing edge which should be very fine, but not
sharp, ideally one millimetre but not more than two ! The board should be stiff
and some people use woven glass to help achieve this - I'm not sure if it's
worth the extra work. The board should be coated in at least two coats of West or
similar epoxy, sanded completely smooth and any imperfections filled with
marine filler, then sanded again . Then
coated with at least one, probably two coats of marine undercoat paint.
Sanded very lightly then coated with at least one and up to three top coats of
gloss. The gloss should be let harden completely - this takes at least a week,
often three or more in warm conditions. Then wet sand with wet or dry
paper, starting with 120 grade and ending up with 600
grade when the board is completely smooth. You could use gelcoat
instead of paint if you wished. As you'll have gathered all this takes time,
and lots of it but the finish is really important to top performance.
Another thing to check is
that your board is vertical in the boat. Tilt your boat over on tyres and check
it. Mark the board inside the boat so that you know where vertical is. Alistair
Duffin in Belfast (tel 0801
232 457381) makes light foils for IDRA 14'S at a very fair price but you have
to coat them with resin or paint yourself. Alistair also makes rudder stocks
which weigh far less than some older versions you see around and Seasure make good strong, light alloy rudder fittings. All
this helps keep weight away from the back of the boat, avoiding drag. Generally
you want to concentrate all unavoidable weight in the centre of the boat and as
low as possible. Thus the anchor for example is best kept on the floor under
the mast rather than up the bow.
3. String. Ropes, control lines can be heavy, especially when
they've absorbed water. Use the thinnest ones that are reasonably comfortable
for the crew to handle and that work properly in your cleats.
4. Water. The heaviest unnecessary addition
to your boat. David O'Brien performed an interesting experiment at one
National Championships. Before going afloat he poured rainwater from a barrel
into his IDRA to see how much fitted in below the floorboards, out of sight.
Almost the entire barrel !! It's faster not to carry
this kind of weight around the course. The moral here is to make sure you have
two good self-bailers in the boat and use them. On a windy wavy day when water
is sloshing into the boat it's well worth the extra drag of open bailers rather
than the additional weight of the water, even on the beat. In a timber boat
it's probably worth adding extra buoyancy under the bow to displace as much
water as possible in the event of a capsize. At least
one boat has had the gap under the floorboards filled with expanded polystyrene
to displace water there - not a bad idea but polystyrene should be sealed in
some way to prevent absorption, and there's also the question of letting the
floorboards and bilge breath and dry out properly.
Buoyancy tanks in glass fibre boats have a tendency to crack around the seams -
repair them with fibreglass tape and resin for reduced weight as well as
safety. Generally keep your boat dry out of the water, garaged if possible in
winter, well covered and tilted back to drain otherwise. Remember that wood and
glass fibre absorbs water over time if pools of water are allowed build up.
Glass fibre boats are reinforced with plywood in certain internal parts and
these tend to get soggy - try to keep them sound by filling any flaws or cracks
with an appropriate sealant - resin and varnish for wood, resin and gelcoat for glass fibre. Use silicone sealant for screw
holes and fittings.
The
Mast. IDRA's can be seen with various types of
mast. In terms of age they vary from timber masts (all but gone), to the heavy
Holt mast, to the Proctor mast to the Superspar mast,
the latest to be allowed under class rules. In all cases the mast should be
raked back a little rather than straight upright in the boat. The ideal amount
of mast rake is the subject of debate within the class. One very rough guide is
that with kicker on if you sheet in the main very hard the two blocks should
come quite close together but not quite touch. By raking back your mast you do
several things; you move the centre of effort of the sailplan
back behind the centre of lateral resistance (the centreboard mainly) giving
you weather helm. This means that even sailing the boat dead flat (as you
should) there is a little pressure on your rudder telling you that the boat
wants to luff towards the wind. A little weather helm
is considered a good thing - it gives a bit of "feel" to the rudder
and if you both fell overboard the boat would automatically go head to wind
& stop. Too much however will force you to use the rudder constantly to
bear away while you counteract this tendency to luff.
This gives you constant drag on the rudder and you'll be sailing slowly. The
other disadvantage of raking back your mast is that you're lowering the height
of the entire sailplan & missing out on some nice
wind high up! This may however be worth doing in very windy conditions - yet
you don't often see IDRA sailors playing around with their rigs.
On the other hand the mast
rake affects the exact shape of the "slot", the all-important gap
between the mainsail and jib. The faster boats have a good bit of mast rake and
it's probably this slot shape that gives some of the speed. On balance the best
thing is probably to copy the exact rake of a fast boat of similar type with
(ideally) similar sails and to use this as a starting point. The bottom line;
do rake your mast back but don't go so far that you introduce terrible weather
helm and give the crew a hernia trying to get under the boom every time you
tack. And if the mainsheet blocks can touch easily you've gone too far!!! Of
the masts now available the Superspar probably has a
very slight edge on the Proctor only because it's a little lighter. Both have
an edge over the older heavier Holt mast but since boats with the Holt mast
still can and do beat boats with the lighter masts it's not worth getting
paranoid about.
Spreaders. Not all boats have spreaders on
their masts. If yours is one get them - spreaders stop the mast from bending
sideways and giving a poor sailshape. Spreaders also
control mast bend fore and aft, sometimes known as pre-bend. As far as I can
see IDRA's are generally sailed with a stiff mast,
people don't generally go for a lot of pre-bend and the sails tend to be cut to
suit this. The available masts are all stiff type masts by modern standards.
Spreader height is too high to adjust on the water and nobody appears to change
their spreader settings for different wind strengths- again probably because
the masts are quite stiff and there isn't that much to gain. If you're fitting
spreaders set them up the same as on a similar fast boat that already has them.
Roughly speaking you want the spreaders to intersect the shrouds (side-stays)
at 90 degrees and you don't want them much longer than the distance between the
mast and the shroud, but certainly not shorter. Fix the spreader (seizing wire)
where it joins the shroud and tape it up to stop things (like the spinnaker
halyard) catching there.
It's important to check too
that your mast keeps straight when rig tension is applied, ie
when you hoist and tighten the jib. To do this set up your
jib for medium conditions and then look up the luff
track for the mainsail from the bottom to the top of the mast. Any bend
should be slight and even, fore and aft and the bend should not go off to one
side. If it does you can correct it by adjusting your spreaders and possibly
the point where the shrouds are attached to the boat at the chainplates
below the side decks. In theory the clevis pins should fit the same (eg four holes from bottom) on each side but that's not
always the case. When you get it right write the settings with waterproof marker
beside the clevis pins.
Rudder
setting. It's
very important that the leading edge of the rudder remains fully vertical at 90
degrees in the water. Very many boats have rudders that are raked back a bit,
probably because of the way the stock is set up, perhaps never allowing the
blade reach 90 degrees. Many others have a bad arrangement where a bit of cord
is supposed to keep the rudder vertical. As soon as any speed builds up the
cord stretches and the rudder rakes back a bit giving you weather helm and loss
of control. This effect is at it's worst on windy
days, exactly when you most need the rudder vertical, especially dead downwind
where a raked rudder guarantees a swim. The solution is a rudder stock set up
to allow the rudder stay at 90 degrees, use non stretch string (kevlar or spectra) or use a pin system to keep the rudder
at 90 degrees. While on the subject it's worth mentioning that the tiller
should fit absolutely snugly in the stock and there should be no amount of
play whatsoever. The tiller extension should be long enough to allow the
helm play it from the maximum hiked and forward position you think you'll ever
need, and in light winds this is important
Control Lines
It is vital that all the
key controls in your boat are easily adjustable
on each tack while racing so that you can match
your sail shape to the changing wind conditions. The must-have key control
lines are obviously main and jib sheets but also kicking strap, cunningham, outhaul. Well worth
having are adjustable jib fairleads, mainsheet traveller, twinning lines for
spinnaker. Some boats have a muscle- box type system for the jib tension
(instead of highfield lever) and can thus adjust rig
tension while sailing. Since these boats tend to be at the front of the fleet
adjustable rig tension must be at least worth considering.
1. Mainsheet. The mainsheet should be long enough
for all conditions (so that you never need to let it go), not thicker than
10mm, and should run freely through all it's blocks
without twisting or kinking. Sailors usually put a figure-of-eight stopper knot
so that it won't run further out than allowing the boom to touch the shrouds or
sidestays. A good ratchet block is very important on
the main - without a ratchet you'll find yourself easing the sail out too much
in medium or windy conditions - loosing power and speed, just so that your arm
can have a rest.
2. Jibsheet. No thicker than 8mm, must run freely through fairlead or
blocks. Must be long enough for all conditions, many jib sheets are too short. Must be long enough for the crew to be able to play the jib from
the wire, towards the back of the boat on a windy reach. Very important
that the jib cleats don't slip - this will drive your crew insane and insanity
slow s your boat
3. Kicker. The kicking strap, which along with
the mainsheet controls the leech (back edge) of you mainsail and a lot of your
boat's power and pointing ability, is the first priority among control lines.
To sail efficiently you must have a reasonably powerful kicker (8:1 absolute
minimum, ideally 16;1) led back to the helm on each
tack. The helm must be able to adjust the kicker easily while hiking out in the
most extreme conditions - that's exactly when you need it most and also when
the crew least needs to be in the centre of the boat fiddling with an
inefficient kicker cleat. The best way to go about setting up your kicker
properly, or any control line is to look at a similar boat which is well set
up. You'll find the owner only too happy to give you advice. Generally sailors
tend to use small ball bearing blocks to divide the control lines back to both
port and starboard sides of the boat and through cleats under the thwart One
good kicker system is called a cascade system, which you can make up yourself
quite easily with spectra rope and small ball bearing blocks. The distances
must be measured carefully to suit the boom height in your boat - again look at
a similar boat and ask for advice. You should be able to set up a decent kicker
for £50-£60 and it's worth every penny.
4. Cunningham. The cunningham is a funny word for a piece of string
which controls the shape of your mainsail by dragging down on the luff (front) area. At it's simplest it's a piece of string
looped through the cunningham
hole on the mainsail and tied off near the gooseneck. It's worth leading back
however with dual control lines to the thwart so that it can be quickly applied
when you're overpowered without the crew going into the boat. Essentially the cunningham drags the camber (curve)
of the sail forward to where it should be in heavier winds.
5. Outhaul. The outhaul controls the foot of
the mainsail by dragging it outwards along the boom. It affects the sailshape in the lower quarter or so of the mainsail,
outhaul on hard flattens the camber of that part of the sail. The worst outhaul
controls cleat off at the outer end of the boom where, unless they are able to
fly, neither helm nor crew can adjust it.. There are
two good possibilities, both involve a block inside the boom to make it easily
adjustable, then led back, either to a block and cleat on the underside of the
boom near the gooseneck or led back like the kicker and cunningham to port and starboard sides of the thwart.
6. Main halyard. Often not
recognised as a control line but worth mentioning because it affects the luff (front edge) tension of the mainsail which is
important for power. If it's too tight you'll have a vertical crease
running down and flattening the luff of the sail,
hurting your sailshape and speed, especially in light
to medium airs. If it's too loose you'll have a baggy luff
which is also slow. Adjustment points are different on different boats. Some
have adjustable gooseneck height, some have spectra halyards which can be cleated at any height, some have worked out the ideal
tension for average conditions and everything is fixed. In the latter case you
can still adjust luff tension by using different
length shackles where the halyard joins the head of the sail - obviously a
longer shackle (or two) gives a "softer" luff
shape. Not worth getting paranoid about but this is an important speed control
- when on the water keep an eye on the luff tension
of faster boats.
7. Mainsheet traveller. The use of the mainsheet traveller
is often misunderstood in an IDRA. Essentially it controls the point along the
top of the transom where the mainsheet pulls from. Because an IDRA mainsail
sheets from the back it directly pulls down on the leech (back edge) of the
mainsail and has a very marked and immediate effect on the leech shape. On the
beat you obviously want both good speed and pointing ability - both are
affected by leech shape. Broadly speaking an open leech is good for speed but
bad for pointing, a closed leech is good for pointing but bad for speed. Thus in
light airs on the beat (ie close hauled) if you
sheet in hard to get the boom close in to the centreline you are pulling down
sharply on the leech and closing it, hurting your speed. If you ease off
dramatically on the mainsheet, opening the leech, your speed will improve
greatly but pointing will suffer because your boom in now
well off the centreline. One solution is to use your mainsail traveller,
pulling it up to windward of the centreline, allowing you to set an open leech
but with the boom close to the centreline, thus retaining decent pointing
ability. In very heavy air when you are really overpowered some sailors
like to allow the traveller down to leeward to spill air easily. This will help
your speed and control but hurt your pointing. If you have a boat without a
working traveller and don't have the time, money or inclination to set one up
you'd be best advised to fix the mainsheet bottom block on the centreline of
the transom, rather than allow it run off down the existing older type
traveller on timber boats.
Jib/rig tension. On an IDRA 14 the jib tension
controls the rig tension of the boat, ie the amount
of tension in the shrouds (side-stays), the downward pressure on the mast
(affecting mast bend, sometimes called pre-bend), and the tension of the luff (leading edge) of the jib. The amount of tension is
usually set with either a highfield lever or with a
muscle box. The highfield lever is cheaper and
simpler (you set the tension before sailing and live with it) but with a muscle
box the rig tension can be adjusted while sailing. Rig tension is important and
is usually adjusted for different wind strengths. Too little in good wind will
make it harder for the boat to point well because the jib luff
(leading edge) is "soft" or falling off the wind, not presenting a
good shape. Too much tension in light winds induces a vertical crease into the
jib luff which is bad for speed. Opinions differ
quite a bit between IDRA sailors about ideal luff/rig
tension but the main principle is more wind - more tension. Feel the rig
tension of a well sailed similar boat (by pulling on the shroud) to get a rough
idea or invest in a tension meter if you're fussy ! If
you have a timber boat be especially careful not to overdo the rig tension -
it's been known to pull the planks apart a bit & allow water in. Other
classes like the Fireball adjust rig and shroud tension while sailing but in
the IDRA it's debatable whether there is much extra speed to be gained from
what are expensive and fiddly controls. Those with muscle boxes sometimes like
to ease the rig tension off the wind, allowing the rig (no longer compressed
down) to go more upright or even slightly forward. If you want to hold onto
your current mast this is not advisable in strong winds. For those who like
extra adventure it's worth mentioning that you can adjust the highfield lever on the water between races - the strongest
member of crew leans forward and pulls the forestay towards them (using the
painter) , taking up most of the tension while, simultaneously (very simultaneously
!) the other person quickly moves the lever to the new setting. Note that it's
easier to reduce the tension than tighten it and remember that fingers are very
useful and worth keeping attached to your hand.
Transom
Flaps. A very
worthwhile addition to a fibreglass boat, transom flaps allow you to quickly
flush the water out of the boat after a windy capsize, speeding up your
recovery and allowing you back into the race more quickly. The best flaps are
made of thin (1mm) polystyrene (available in large sheets from graphic design
shops such as O'Sullivans for just a couple of
pounds) or perspex sheeting because they are light
and flexible enough not to need hinges. The flaps cover holes which you
(carefully) cut in the transom. Thin shock cord keeps them closed against a
seal you create with stick on rubber draft sealers (made for house windows) or
silicone. Examine carefully and measure good flaps before wielding the electric
jigsaw, making sure the transom holes are just above the normal waterline,
otherwise you'll always have water trickling into the boat. Note that this
material is not UV stable and will get brittle and crack after a while - make a
few at a time & drill them out for the screw holes and shock cord so that
you always have a spare ready.
Using Transom Flaps; There is a bit of a knack to using
the flaps & it's this; after a windy capsize scramble back into the righted
boat, open the flaps, get control of the main and jib and move your combined
weight right to the back of the boat. Sail off at whatever angle gets the boat planing as fast as possible, The
speed flushes the water to the back of the boat and out the flaps. In good wind
you should be able to clear most of the water in less than a minute, then
resume your normal course and allow the self-bailers to clear any remaining
water. Be very careful in strong windy and wavy conditions to get the weight
well back quickly, it's easy to submarine the boat if the water aboard is
allowed to rush forwards. To date nobody appears to have set up flaps which
work well in a timber boat because a huge amount of extra water lodges under
the deck creating that submarine effect not conducive to planing.
A greatly increased amount of extra buoyancy under the deck should solve this
but it would have to be really well fixed in place to displace the water from
the front.
Self-bailer. The self-bailer is a small one-way
valve placed to flush small amounts of water from the bilge under your
floorboards. To create the suction to get the bailers to work the boat needs to
be going at a reasonable speed (not necessarily planing).
In lighter winds remember that the reaches will be the fastest point of sailing
and present the best opportunity to get rid of water which has splashed or
seeped in. Self bailers are a virtual must for any racing IDRA and most boats
have two or even more.
Spinnaker
Halyard. The spinnaker halyard must be set
up to get the sail all the way up very quickly and without snagging or sticking
and also so that the sail comes down just as smoothly. This means as little
friction as possible so it's worth giving quite a bit of thought to the best
layout to suit your boat and spinnaker chute or bag system. Examine your
existing set-up carefully on the hard and work out what is causing friction or
snagging - then eliminate it. You may well want to drill a small hole
(careful!) at the side of the mast to avoid the halyard having to go around the
sheave at the mast foot. Many of the older halyard layouts are very poor. I
believe that the best position to pull is from the floor of the boat - this
allows you to hoist in about two or at most three pulls because you pull (from
floor to the sky !) the combined distance of your
height plus arm length. Setting it up this way involves a couple of good small
ball-bearing blocks, the main pulling point being anchored onto a solid floor
bearer so your efforts don't just pull up the floorboards. The halyard should
self-cleat and you might need to set the cleat on a raised wedge to achieve
this. Another good system has the halyard on the centre line of the boat, say
on the back of the centre board case. The big advantage here is that the helm
or crew can get to it easily in a severe gust to dump the kite. Have a good
look at the solutions on other boats and copy the one that you think will be
best on your boat. There's nothing more painful that a jammed spinnaker during
a race - it's really worth sorting out your halyard.
Spinnaker
Chute; A fancy hole in
your deck with smooth edges from which the spinnaker is hoisted and recovered. Ideally the chute should be on the
port side of the boat since most races are left handed, ie
you leave the windward mark to port (left side) as you bear away onto the first
reach and set your spinnaker. On very many boats however it's on the starboard
side. A spinnaker chute makes hoisting and (especially) recovery of the
spinnaker very easy once it is well set up. Essentially the smooth mouth of the
chute gives way under the deck to a softer sock, ideally made of some type of
netting to allow water through. The spinnaker has a downhaul point, a
reinforced patch to which the downhaul line is attached, the downhaul being
simply the other end of the halyard. When you (helm) want to take the kite
(spinnaker) down you release the halyard from the cleat and pull in the
opposite direction, pulling the spinnaker through the chute and into the sock, unsnagged, untwisted and ready for the next hoist. While
you are starting to pull it down the crew is simultaneously taking the pole off the mast, the uphaul/downhaul,
and lastly the guy. The key to success is again to eliminate friction and make
sure all blocks are working well.
Spinnaker
Twinning Lines.
Twining lines (sometimes called barber haulers) are strongly recommended for
fast, controlled, spinnaker hoists and gybes. They are relatively cheap and
easy to set up. Essentially what happens is that each spinnaker sheet/guy runs
through a very small, light block, controlled by a line on the side-deck, near
the shroud. A small "runner" on the guy stops it going any further
forward than you want. This is set up (trial and error on land) so that the
pole always stops just short of the jib luff,
allowing the spinnaker to set immediately after the hoist - the crew (or helm)
simply pulls on the sheet and the sail sets. The crew can then adjust the exact
(fore/aft) pole position to suit the wind angle. It also prevents the sheet/guy
from getting wrapped around the end of the boom. Before the gybe
the crew (or helm) pulls in the twinning line for the new guy and the sail is
under complete control during the gybe, again
preventing the sheet/guy from wrapping itself around the boom and discouraging
the pole from "skying" up in the air making
it very difficult to remove from the mast for the gybe.
Spinnaker
pole uphaul/downhaul. At it's most simple a short length
of heavy shock cord acts as the uphaul while an
attached line leading to the deck or (much better) to the side of the
centreboard case acts as the downhaul. Remember that a stopper knot in the
right place will help discourage the pole from skying.
Work out the highest point you'll ever need the pole and position your stopper
knot so that it stops at a fairlead at this exact point. Other systems use a
length of shock cord running along the floor of the boat while the uphaul is a cord exiting from small sheave on the mast.
Mainsheet. Worth mentioning that as well as
pulling the main in towards the centreline it pulls down on the leech of the
sail, affecting your sailshape, pointing and speed.
See also mainsheet traveller and kicker. Make sure that you have a good ratchet
block on the mainsheet, otherwise you'll keep easing
the sheet to give your arms a rest and will be dumping power in medium/heavy
winds. The maximum diameter for the mainsheet is 10mm,
anything thicker will not run smoothly through your blocks in lighter winds.
Make sure it's long enough to allow you play the sail while hiking from far
back in the boat during windy broad reaches.
Jibsheet. Maximum diameter
8mm, worth marking with waterproof marker at normal close hauled position (on
each side) for a quick visual reference. This allows helm & crew to
see at a quick glance if jib should be sheeted further in. A loosely sheeted
jib hurts pointing, and over sheeted jib hurts speed in light air especially. Also
helps judge favoured end of start line (see starts).
Jib cars/Barber hauler. These control the jib leech
(trailing edge) shape by adjusting the take up point of the jib sheets. There
are two types; a "car" type which runs on a track or a block on a line
which controls the sheeting angle. The latter is probably easier to set up in a
timber boat and the car type is probably easier to set up in a fibre-glass
boat, because there aren't many places to run powered up blocks from, unless
you reinforce the buoyancy tanks. This is an important control worth having
because finding the ideal jib sheeting angle for different wind conditions will
help you point better on the beat, and help prevent being overpowered on really
windy days. With cars you can move the fairlead position forward (closing the
leech somewhat) on light/medium air, flat water days, and back in very strong
winds. In waves you want to move the jib into power rather than pointing mode
and you might move them back a bit to open the leech and keep the air flowing
free and fast through the slot., ie the all-important
gap between jib and main. If you don't have jib cars you can still control the
jib leech somewhat by sheeting in hard on the lazy jib sheet to help pull down
on the leech.
Sails. After the skill of the helm &
crew decent sails are the key to good boatspeed. The
sails are the engine driving the boat and it's well
worth getting good ones and looking after them. Signs of tiredness in sails to
look for are lack of "crinkle", increased bagginess in the mainsail
with the main camber (or "belly") shifting back from the aerodynamic
ideal of about one third back from the edge. The power created in a bagged out
mainsail no longer gives proper lift to help drive you forwards on the beat, instead
there is a significant side drag force. The leech too stretches with age and
flaps merrily, which is not good for lift or pointing. In an older jib it's the
leech again which tires and flaps but the camber also shifts back and the foot
and clew area gets "marbled" and soft. A new spinnaker is crisp and
has good shape, an old one is soft and baggy, less
inclined to fill and the distorted bagged-out shape less able to keep air
exhausting freely through the sail, which is the general idea. If sails are really shot no amount of adjustment will coax them
into race wining shape. New sails are crisp and smooth and are exactly
the shape the sailmaker intended. More importantly sails in good condition can
be made, via mast bend and control lines, adopt a near optimum shape for the
variety of wind conditions we encounter while racing.
Judging by race results the
most successful IDRA sails are made by Mike Mountifield
(0044 1705 463720) (main and jib), followed by Richard Estaugh
at Speed Sails, then McWilliams, Watson and Jameson, and Sterling Sails. Harry
Sterling in Bray (01 2863401) also does good fast repairs and makes IDRA 14
covers and great spinnaker socks. Batt Sails (0044 1494 441422) seem to make
the most successful spinnakers. Since the spinnaker is the same as that of a
Fireball sailmaker Tim Rush (0044 1159 790684) is another good bet for
spinnakers. The bottom line is that if you want to get to the top of the fleet
you need sails as good as the opposition, in top condition. IDRA mainsails can
be changed only once every three years, a good rule since it helps keep sailing
affordable. Many people keep a number two set for club racing and take out the
newer set for regattas and major events. For serious competition you might want
to change you jib annually, or keep the new jib for the big events. A spinnaker
used only for major events could last about four or five years but one used
regularly will quickly tire so consider a second-hand fireball spinnaker for
club racing. Tim Rush sometimes has good second-hand spinnakers for sale. If
you're not especially interested in racing use second-hand sails or check out
When ordering a mainsail
your chosen sailmaker will want to know your combined crew weights and your
type of mast. The heavier your all-up weight the more powerful the mainsail can
be. The sail will be cut to suit your mast - essentially a stiff mast needs
less curve cut in the luff and a bendier
mast can cope with more curve because some of it will
be cancelled out when you put on rig tension, inducing some prebend
into the mast. Don't worry about this - trust your sailmaker to get it right -
the successful ones obviously do. Since sails from the
SORTING OUT PRIORITIES;
Time is limited so you must
prioritise, use your time to sort out the things which will have the greatest
effect on your sailing. More than any other factor the skills and judgement of
the helm and crew is the key to winning races. This means that time spent
improving the ability of the helm and crew team is a priority over tweaking the
boat. To improve your skill you must go out and practice, spend more
time on the water than the competitors you hope to beat. To win the world
Fireball championships John Lavery and David O'Brien
sailed every morning for the year leading up to their victory. You can imagine
the kind of seamless helm/crew skills this leads to - a team that thinks and
acts as one with totally co-ordinated and fluid movements. It's that kind of
confident, automatic teamwork, combined with a well set up boat, which has kept
Terry Harvey and Scorie Walls at the front of the
IDRA fleet for so long. If you want to catch up with the leaders in the fleet
you need to practice - increase your time on the water and use it constructively.
This should be fun, it's not meant to be drudgery.
Going out early before a
race is one way to increase time on the water. Check wind direction regularly
on the way out & spend the extra time setting your boat up for maximum
speed for the prevailing conditions. Sailing in the expected race area check
the wind & tide patterns on the beat & try to figure out the best route
to windward - ie left, middle or right side. Practice roll tacking (up to force 3), spinnaker hoists,
lots of gybes, and drops. A word of warning though - don't wear yourselves out mentally or physically before the start,
especially if it's windy!
Practice & exercises;
There is no end of things
which are worth practising, again the trick is to concentrate on the important
things that you don't do well and eliminate your weak points one by one. Key
things include starts, mark roundings, tacking, roll
tacking, gybing, (including gybing
in heavy wind, gybing with spinnaker), sailing in
waves, sail settings (preferably with another similar boat), spinnaker hoists,
spinnaker pole settings, spinnaker drops, boat balance (fore/aft, athwarthships, sailing rudderless, sailing backwards,
trapeze tacking techniques, dealing with gusts, dealing with very windy
conditions and wavy conditions.
Since the start and first
few minutes of the beat are probably the most important part of a race it's
vital to learn effective start techniques. The key to a good start is to hit
the line at the favoured end at full speed, ideally both close hauled and on
starboard. The challenge is that all the other boats will be trying to do the
same thing. Most of the time you'll want to be on
starboard since you have almost no rights on port. You'll want to bone up a bit
on the rules about the start, being clear that port gives way to starboard and
that windward keeps clear of leeward. Be very clear that you can't just reach
in above the other boats with full speed on - you are windward boat and must
keep clear of leeward - this practice is known as "barging".
Starts are best practised
during organised training sessions with other boats on a fairly crowded line.
On your own find a buoy and practice speed control and holding the boat in one
position. Letting the jib flog is the traditional way of slowing down, coupled
with playing out the main so that only a part of it is drawing. Don't forget
that if you've any kicker on the leech of the sail is powered up even if you've
let the mainsail out fully. Pinching close to windward is another way to slow
but it assumes space to windward, something you won't always have. Holding the
boat in a fixed position just behind the line and sheeting in the sails during
the final seconds before to the start takes a bit of practice to get right but
is a very worthwhile exercise. Essentially you let off any kicker, let the jib
flap, heel the boat a bit to windward, let out the
mainsail. To counteract the sideways/backward drift you sheet it in a bit to
move forward or to windward together with some rudder movement. The position
you're trying to hold should be behind the line with enough distance to reach
full speed by the time the gun goes.
Traditional IDRA starts
have been likened to a herd of elephants - people tend to reach up and down the
line swooping in at full speed at the exact moment. This often works because
the numbers tend to be smallish and everyone finds a space to start. If you're
standing still just off the line there's a real danger of being completely
overrun by a wall of sails and not having the wind to start. The ideal is
probably to keep a little speed on so that you can extract yourself from a
situation where it's looking like you are going to be overrun. If you're
"standing still" just off head-to-wind and need to get moving first
get the crew to sheet in the jib to get the boat to bear away a little, then
sheet in the main and get going.
After crossing the start
line you need to be clear about several issues - are you in clear wind, are you
on a lift or a header, are you sailing towards the side of the course that you
planned before the start as part of your race strategy ?
If you're sailing in dirty wind tack out of it as soon as space allows -
however don't then take off miles away from the rest of the fleet - tack
back to keep in contact unless you're really certain of a major
advantage to going out to one or other side of the beat. Even if you're sure
that (say) the right side of the beat is favoured (for example more wind, more
favourable tide, less waves) the trick is to sail a bit further to that side
than the rest of the fleet to get the anticipated gain, but not so far that if
you turn out to be wrong you're down the tubes.
Clear Wind, Dirty Wind..
It's really important to
know whether you're sailing in clear or dirty wind. Ideally you never ever want
to sail in dirt, in reality you'll probably have to suffer dirt before and
after the start and at various stages during the race, especially going around
the marks when boats converge. Do everything in your power to sail in clear air
for the maximum possible time during the race. There are two main types of
dirty wind, wind shadow and lee-bow wind. Wind shadow is the disturbed air from
a boat to windward. Study the diagram to see how wind shadow is deflected onto
you and remember on a light day wind shadow can slow you down at ten boat
lengths away. Lee bow wind is actually more damaging than wind shadow and
harder to imagine because the perpetrator appears to be downwind from you and
it's hard to imagine them damaging your progress, but they will! The wind is
actually deflected to windward (upwind) a little and is more disturbed and
therefore more damaging. The worst-case scenario is to have a boat on your leebow, that is ahead and just to leeward. You'll
immediately loose speed and fall down to leeward and into their wind shadow,
where you'll lose more speed. The solution obviously is to tack away for clear
air but tack back soon if that's the direction you want to go.
Covering
Covering is a defensive way
of sailing where you aim to stay in clear wind while keeping the boat or boats
behind in your dirty wind. It is most used when under pressure from a near
competitor that you must beat, for instance when a single point wins the race
or the series. It is used most on the last beat to retain your position all the
way to the finish line. Tight cover means positioning yourself to windward and
ahead of the competitor to deflect maximum bad wind onto them. Loose cover
means ahead and to windward but only giving them a little bad wind, ie not so much that they'll want to tack immediately. Very
lose cover is generally used on the final beat of a race where the leader try
to place themselves between the boats behind and the finish line, ensuring that
the followers don't gain more than them in any wind shifts. Covering requires
very good boat handling and excellent tacking because close cover often creates
a tacking duel with the covered boat trying to break free. The great danger of
covering is that other boats break through while you concentrate on a single
rival.
Capsizing
!
I should mention the art of
capsizing, or perhaps that should be the art of recovering from a capsize. For anyone new to racing it's important to know
that while capsizing is a minor drama and irritant, it's not a crises and while you should avoid capsizing you shouldn't
sail in permanent fear of it. Remember that IDRA 14's have plenty of buoyancy
and won't sink, nor will you since you'll always be wearing your buoyancy aid.
Capsizes happen because the
primary forces driving the boat become unbalanced, and that happens because of
lapses in concentration by helm and/or crew. The most common areas for capsize
are on the beat in windy conditions, at the gybe mark
in windy or gusty conditions or while setting or lowering the spinnaker in
windy or gusty conditions. On the beat the problem tends to be a sudden gust or
lull. Gusts are very easy to see, dark patches on the water, coming your way ! Helm and crew should both be on the lookout for them,
and call "gust coming", or "gust in ten (seconds)". This
allows both to be prepared, the helm is prepared to hike harder, steer up into
the gust to keep the boat flat, and ease the mainsheet, the crew is ready to
trapeze lower, or in extreme cases to dump the jib for a second. If you've
become used to the pattern of gusts and are confident that the gust will be a
lift rather than a header you can heel the boat to weather a bit so that the
gust will lift it straight and shoot it forward, rather than sideways. This is
a great way of gaining a few yards on the competition. In the case of sudden
lulls the helm must be able to come out of the toe straps and into the centre
of the boat, while steering to keep the sails full, the crew must be ready to come
in off trapeze, initially on "hunkers", then slide into boat. If the
boat heels right over to weather it's sometimes possible, if everyone keeps
their heads, for the helm to steer for the new close hauled course and wait for
the next gust to pick the boat and "teabagged"
crew out of the water.
The gybe
mark is where many boats capsize on windy days. The key things for a dry windy
two sail gybe are - keep the boat going at full speed
before the gybe, the crew cleats the new jib before
the gybe (and uncleats
the old one) , the helm gets the timing of the gybe
right, both move their weight back a little and to the new side during
the gybe, the helm quickly reverses the tiller during
the gybe to help the boat onto the new course, helm
and crew get the boat going fast on it's new course without delay. If there are
gusts around the boat should be gybed immediately
after a gust, never just before one ! If flying a
spinnaker the sequence has added fun - the crew pulls in the twinning lines
before the gybe and sets the new guy and pole after
the gybe, the helm in this instance keeping the boat
downwind until the new kite is organised. The most controlled gybes are from
run to run and in heavy conditions it's best to steer to ensure that you're
never forced to gybe from close reach to close reach.
When a spinnaker is up and
pulling and properly set the boat is well balanced and in no danger of
capsizing, even in strong wind. In fact it is more stable in strong winds to
have a kite balancing the mainsail. It's in the setting and retrieval that
things can get wet. The key really lies in the helm's steering and the crew's
balanced efficiency, and the two working together. The helm must keep the boat
downwind until the pole and guy are set and the kite is filling and balanced.
The faster this happens the better, you don't want the kite flapping wildly, this is when it's most dangerous. The windier it is the more
downwind the boat needs to be. As soon as the crew is clipped on and ready to
go out on trapeze the helm can luff to the optimum
course, the crew going out on the wire sheeting in the kite as they go. In
gusts the helm bears away smoothly and the crew eases the kite until the gust
passes, then the helm steers up again while the crew sheets in. Again it's
really important to see the gusts before they hit you because you need to be
ready to bear away with the gust . When taking down the kite the helm has to bear away
and allow the crew into the boat. With a chute the helm usually pulls the kite
in quickly while simultaneously the crew takes off the pole, with the kite
filling till the last moment. Without a chute the crew must be allowed more
time to pull the kite into the boat using the guy on the windward side, stow
the kite and then the pole.
Avoiding a
capsize.
In most situations when a capsize is imminent simply letting go of everything and
throwing your weight over the stern windward quarter (or as close as you can
get) will prevent the capsize. You'll probably take on quite a bit of water but
at least will remain upright.
If you do capsize you
should try to dry capsize, ie get onto the
centreboard as the boat is going over. This is not so that you'll be cosy, it's
so that you can right the boat immediately, by leaning in and pulling the boat
up using your body weight standing on the board and pulling in reverse on the
jib sheets - that is pulling on the sheet so that the stop knot rests against
the fairlead. Obviously you uncleat the jib before
you do this and if you had a spinnaker up you almost always need to get it at
least partly stowed before you right the boat. With a chute you may well be
able to pull it into the chute while the boat is in the water, by leaning in to
the retrieval line. If you try to right the boat with the kite set chances are
that either it'll capsize you again immediately or, worse, get wrapped around
the shrouds and end your race for good.
A big consideration when
you capsize is to be aware of how the boat is lying to the wind. If the mast is
pointing straight into the wind you'll be flipped over again by the wind as
soon as you get it up. Ideally you want the boat lying mast away from the wind,
so that it comes up into the wind and stays up. In fact with practice you can
"skid" the boat around in the capsized position by lifting a foot of
sail off the water and leaning to one side or the other until it's blown away
from the wind, then pull and right it fully.
If the boat turtles (mast
straight down towards bottom of sea !) it usually means that the helm and crew
have been too slow to get to the centreboard and preventing it from turtling by grabbing the board and holding on or pulling
weight up. In a capsize quick decisive action is called for, not philosophy ! In very heavy conditions as soon as the boat is
righted and the first person scrambles aboard they should raise the board by a
third to reduce the heeling force and risk of a further capsize. The best place
to get the second person aboard is usually at the windward shroud, eg helm in boat leans out and helps pull crew in at this
point, they have shroud to hold onto. Some sailors have a strop, a length of
rope with loops for a foothold, to help someone in over the stern. The problem
there is that the weight at the back of the boat causes the boat to sail away
downwind, also the risk of damage to rudder.
Fitness is a factor in
capsizes, if you can pull your body weight over the side of the boat it helps.
Swimming is an ideal exercise !!! The IDRA is however
a safe boat in a capsize, it floats low in the water
and is relatively easy to get into.
Recommended Sequence;
1. Avoid if at all possible !
2. Get to centreboard as
fast as possible, prevent boat from turtling, climb
onto board, uncleat jib, pull
in spinnaker if necessary/possible.
3. Crew (or helm) holds
boat at bow to keep it head to wind if necessary
4. Helm (or crew) pulls
boat upright, using jib sheet against fairlead,
scrambles in, lifts board in very heavy weather.
5. Helm helps crew into
boat at windward shroud.
6. Get sailing as fast as
possible, with flaps and bailers open to shift water. Use bucket if necessary.
Keep weight back in boat.
Safety
Safety is the number one
priority afloat. Common sense is the obvious requirement. Some pointers;
1. Always wear a
buoyancy aid on the water.
2. Always check the
sea area forecast before going sailing (1550123836)
3. While you should push
yourself a little don't sail if the conditions are clearly going to be beyond
your abilities.
4. Wear clothing
appropriate for the conditions forecast and take extra clothing aboard (in a
plastic bag under the deck) if in doubt.
5. Always carry a sailing
knife on board (ideally each member of the crew should have a knife), ideally
also carry some spare shackles, bungs and short (2ft - 3ft) lengths of cord.
6. Make sure your boat's
buoyancy is adequate before going afloat.
7. Try to sail in company
and make sure someone knows where you are and when you are expected back, and
tell them when you are safely back ashore.
8. Don't panic in a capsize, even trapped under the sails or hull don't panic,
there is air there.
9. If a problem develops
always stay with the boat.
10. If the wind increases
beyond manageable proportions go head-to-wind and drop your sails, sail home on
jib only, it's slow and your tacking angles will be very flat but you'll get
home. If your rudder breaks you can steer with an oar stuck out the back under
the traveller. If your centreboard breaks you can still make some progress to
windward by getting the crew forward and digging the bow into the water. Never
panic.
Fitness
You don't have to be very
fit at all to sail an IDRA 14. Having said that a reasonable
degree of fitness will help your sailing and make you more confident and
relaxed on the water. Fitness helps especially in heavy weather, not
just because you can move your weight around more efficiently but because you
won't tire as quickly as the opposition and therefore your concentration will
be better. People who are tired make more mistakes. Strangely enough fitness
also helps on light air days when you may have to adopt very cramped positions
to keep the boat at optimum heel. Generally the crew needs to be fitter than
the helm, but the helm does need to be fit enough to hike and move their weight
about quickly as required. Many IDRA 14 sailors take exercise through the
winter when not sailing, typically walking, hill-walking, swimming, hockey, rugby.
Basic Points for Beating...On the beat you'll want to sail
the boat flat (in all but the very lightest conditions), you'll want to
concentrate on keeping the boat close-hauled and driving on the edge of the
wind, watching your tell-tales for signs of lifts or headers. Your telltales on
the jib when close hauled tell you what the wind is doing - if the windward
(inside) telltale flutters and falls you're steering too close to the wind or
you've just experienced a header, if the leeward (outside) telltale lifts up
you've just experienced a lift or else you've lost concentration and you're
steering off the wind, ie on a close reach rather
than close hauled. Steer (luff) up immediately with
every lift; bear away smoothly, without loosing speed, with every header. If a
header stays for more than a few seconds consider tacking, because on the other
side of every header is a lift ! Whatever the wind
strength take up positions where the helm can easily read the telltales and the
crew can move about (gently!) to keep the boat flat. A common mistake when
people start racing is for the helm to be too far back in the boat on the beat.
If you're not holding the tiller extension at it's tip
you're almost certainly too far back.
Concentration
For those new to racing
concentration is the big first skill for helms to learn on the beat. The helm
sails the beat concentrating on sailing fast and pointing well, which means watching
the telltales like a hawk , and watching your heading
for lifts and headers! The helm doesn't need to look around because the crew is
feeding them all necessary information about other boats and gusts ahead. When
a helm looks around they almost always bear away because they automatically
pull the tiller with them as they look.
The Jib on the Beat
The jib should be sheeted
in fully on the beat. If it's even a little short of fully in you'll loose
pointing ability and will lose out on the beat to the boats around you. On a
windy day the crew may not have the arm strength to get the jib fully in with
one arm in one go. The trick here for the crew is to
sheet it in as much as possible after the tack, get out on the wire, then sheet
in the last few inches with two hands or else the helm may be able to get it
in. On a light air day if you sheet the jib in hard you may get a horizontal
crease along the foot - you don't want this, so ease the sail a tiny bit (half
an inch may be enough) to get rid of the crease. It might be an idea to mark
the jibsheet where it goes through the fairlead at
what you reckon is the ideal position for medium winds - then you can both see
at a glance if it's a bit loose.
Types of wind; the hardest bit of sailing is
probably figuring out what the wind is doing, and even more important, what
it's going to do next. For simplicity let's look at some of the common wind
patterns;
Oscillating; The wind
flicks back and forward through a constant average heading, for instance on
starboard tack the average compass heading is 120 degrees but through
observation (you've arrived well before the start) you've worked it out that
your heading is popping around between 100 degrees (a 20 degree header) and 140
degrees (a 20 degree lift). Without a compass you take a landmark on the shore
- you're headed when you are suddenly pointing below it, lifted when you're
pointing above it. Other boats ahead also give you advance warning of lifts and
headers. The idea in this type of wind is to tack on the headers, therefore
spending the maximum time possible on lifts and getting to the windward mark
more quickly. So in an oscillating wind (unless strategy dictates otherwise)
tack on every major header, sail up the centre of the course playing the
shifts.
Shifting
wind. You've
listened to the sea area forecast and arrived early before the start and your
observations confirm the forecast, that the wind is shifting steadily in one
direction, eg 120, 130, 120, 135, 125, 135, 130, 140. The idea here is to bite the bullet and sail towards
the side the wind is shifting towards. So if you figure the wind is shifting
left you sail towards the left side of the course. This can be hard on the
nerves because you have to sail in a header towards the shifting side. The gain
is only realised when you tack and get lifted towards the windward mark. Again
the idea is to take a tack a bit further towards the favoured side than
the opposition, don't go miles further towards the layline
than the opposition - you risk being left out on a lonely limb.
Wind
THE
Here's a short and
simplified guide to the race itself. Almost all dinghy racing is around
variations on a triangular course with a beat to windward, one or two reaches
or run downwind. Sometimes the old Olympic style course is used, which consists
of a triangle (ie beat up to windward mark, reach to gybe mark, then reach to leeward, then beat again...),
sausage (beat up to windward mark, then run down to leeward), triangle, sausage
etc. The number of rounds will be displayed on a board on the committee boat,
or else may be fixed in the sailing instructions. When you sail out to the race
area you'll remember that the first leg is (nearly) always a beat and it's not
too hard to figure out that the committee boat will be in the downwind part of
the sailing area somewhere setting up the start line. If you look directly
upwind of the committee boat you'll probably be able to make out the windward
mark in the distance and if it's a standard port (left hand) course the gybe mark will be some distance out on the left, completing
the triangle. A port course is indicated by a red flag on the committee boat,
indicating that you leave all marks to the left of your boat when you round
them). A starboard, or right hand course is indicated
by a green flag.
All the race course
information will be in your sailing instructions which you should read
carefully. Things to keep a close eye on are your flag (the class flag is plain
yellow "Q" but sometimes other flags are used so check), the starting
sequence (ie is your start the first or the fifth ? ,
remember especially which class goes before you), the types of marks used (the
start and finish line may use the leeeward/windward
marks for one end, or it may have a different mark for the start and finish -
be very clear about this), the recall sequences for individual and general
recall, the time limit for the race, the shortened course signals and flags.
DEVELOP A
Once you have found the
race area and your committee boat you should check out the wind patterns and
look at what the tide is doing and make a judgement on it's
strength and significance. Take a good look around and develop a strategy for
your race based on the conditions you find. For instance your strategy might be
- "we'll start at the committee boat (usually right) end of the line
because we'll need to tack in right out of the adverse tide and get close to
the shore for the first beat. The wind seems to be oscillating so we'll play
the bigger shifts, but working our way right to get out of that tide...On the
first reach we'll need to remember the tide again, it'll be flushing us
downwind of the straight line course, so we'll need to point a bit higher to
compensate. We'll line up a transit (if possible) to keep our course.."
So have a strategy before
the start and carry it out. Revise it however if as the race develops you see
that you've forgotten something (eg you went right
out of the tide but there was less wind there and those who went less far right
gained on you). Also keep in contact with the rest of the fleet unless you're
absolutely certain of your strategy. Remember you only need to win by a couple
of inches, if you take a flyer hoping to win by a mile you'll more likely loose
by a mile. If you're convinced that right is the way to go, go right, but only
a bit more than the rest of the fleet.
THE START. The start and the first beat are
the most crucial part of any race and it's important to get them right. You've
got your plan, now let's check the start line. Almost
every start line has one end more upwind than the other, and since the first
mark is upwind you'll generally want to start at that favoured end. There are
various ways to check the bias on the line. You can put your boat head to wind,
make sure it's really head to wind and not moving - the end that your bow
points towards will be the favoured (upwind) end for starting. Another way is
to use your jib setting. Sail the line exactly in each direction with the crew
trimming the jib properly so that both telltales are streaming. Whichever end
you sail away from with the jib further outboard is favoured. You
should mark your jib sheets to make this job easier, a mark in waterproof
marker exactly the same distance down from the jib clew on each sheet.
Having found the favoured
end you then need to make an informed decision on where you want to start. If
the pin (left) end of the line was favoured but you reckoned that you wanted to
go hard right immediately after the start (to get out of that adverse tide for
instance) you'd be better off starting where you knew you could tack easily to
the right. In a big fleet that may mean the unfavoured
end of the line, in a smaller fleet it may mean somewhere up from the pin,
without many boats on your right.
Now you know where you want
to start you'd better have a game plan on being there. The big thing is to be
where you want, closehauled, on the line, with full
speed, when the gun goes. Just as important you want a bit of space to windward, and even more important to leeward to keep your
speed up off the line without being either overrun to windward by a faster
boat, or squeezed out by a boat to leeward. Either boat could
cause you big problems with dirty wind, and the boat to windward will prevent
you tacking.
Some rules; You should
read and be aware of the rules about the start. The main ones are windward
(upwind) boat gives way to leeward (downwind) and most of the time the only
intelligent tack to start on is starboard, because of
the racing rules which say that port gives way to starboard. If you started on
port you'd have absolutely no rights and would have to give way to every
starboard boat. As starboard boat you'll still have to keep clear of other
starboard boats below (downwind of) you because of the windward gives way to
(same-tack) leeward boats rule. In practice what sometimes happens on the start
line is that some genius comes screaming in on a beam reach with great speed
shouting for water. This person has no rights at all on close hauled starboard
boats, is known as a barger (but may be called worse
in the heat of the moment) and will be disqualified in any protest. Be one of
the boats approaching the line at a nice close-hauled angle, don't be the barger !
Be aware too that there are no rights to room (or "water") as it's
known at the start marks. If you're that barger
you'll be squeezed out at the committee boat end of the life and if you
misjudge the far ("pin") end you'll either be sailed past it or
pushed over the line by your nearest competitor. If you're new to racing don't
however be intimidated on the start line, you have to get stuck in and learn -
people will tell you very quickly if you're in the wrong and that's the only
way to learn.
Plan your approach to the
line, do a dummy run if you have time, to arrive close hauled or slightly lower
(full-and-by), this should prevent anyone sailing over the top of you. Control
your speed, slow down if you're going to arrive too early, but slow down far
enough back from the line so that you can build up full speed for the start on
the line. To slow down use the sails and steering, but mainly
the sails. Let your jib flap totally and use just enough mainsail to keep you moving at the right speed for the time
remaining. To keep in one position let the jib flap, ease the kicker totally,
keep the boat at a point between close hauled and head-to-wind, use little
pulls on the mainsheet (to luff up to the wind) and
vigorous rudder and body movements (to bear away from the wind) to keep
yourself in position. If you get head to wind by mistake the crew should be
ready to back the jib (ie pull it in on the
"wrong" side to make the boat bear away on starboard. To get moving
from almost stopped the crew first pulls in the jib gently and the boat bears
away to close hauled, you then pull in the main and get going.
Start sequence and flags - You get your time from the
committee boat which will fly and then drop the various class flags for each
start and sound a hooter or gun as the sequence rolls
on, usually in three or five minute intervals. Get a stick-on guide to the
flags in any chandlers - and stick it where you can esaily
see it in the boat. Having read your sailing instructions carefully you'll know
the sequence, timing and know when to expect the flag for your start. The
normal flag sequence will be - a named flag to identify your committee boat, a
red flag for a port course or a green one for a starboard course, then the
first class flag and gun (or hooter), identifying the
ten (sometimes six) minutes warning signal to the first start, then at five (or
three) minutes the "blue peter" flag "P" is flown
identifying the five (or three) minutes to the first start, and indicating that
the racing rules now apply. At the gun for the first start the class flag will
be dropped and the class flag for the following start will be flown
immediately, indicating the five (or three) minutes to the next start. Note
that the Blue Peter will remain flying until the last class has started - so if
you arrive late and see that your flag is flying along with the Blue Peter your
start is the next one and you need to get your act together fast
! If one or more boat is over the line at the committee boat will fly
flag X and sound a hooter. If you're over the line sail
back without interfering with any boat racing and restart. You can usually just
dip back behind the line to restart but sometimes the sailing instructions will
compel you to sail back around the ends of the line. The crew takes and calls
the time continually during the start sequence, ie
calls 5mins, 4 mins, 3 mins,
2 mins, one and a half, one, fifty, forty, thirty,
twenty, fifteen, ten , 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. At the gun you want to be crossing
the line where you planned, close hauled at full speed, free to go to the
preferred side of the course (if any ), without a boat to leeward squeezing up
giving you dirty wind, or a boat to windward sailing over the top of you. In
any fleet there is usually only one perfect start if any - try and make it
yours, and failing that aim for a clean start in clear air as close to where
you'd have liked to have been as possible. If you have a disastrous start don't
get flustered, settle down for maximum boat speed and tack if necessary for
clear air at the earliest opportunity, but just as important, tack back as soon
as you have clear air and stay in contact with the fleet while playing any
shifts and keeping to your strategy. It's here that a lot of people go very
wrong, are forced by dirty air to take a tack and once on it head off to the
horizon on a long cosy tack to oblivion.
The first beat.
Having had a decent start
you are sailing off the line in clear wind on the favoured tack, ie on a lift or on a tack taking you to the preferred side
of the course. Protect your clear wind throughout the beat,
accept dirty wind from competitors only when there really is no choice, such as
immediately after a crowded start when you've no room to tack, or on a crowded layline in the final approach to the windward mark. Keep your boat sailing as fast as you can get it pointing as
high as possible (but without pinching). This take
concentration and teamwork from helm and crew. Usually the helm concentrates on
boat speed and steering, making sure not to miss any lifts by constantly
watching the jib telltales, and steering for speed by smoothly bearing away in
any headers before deciding if a tack is called for. The crew keeps the boat
flat by constantly moving up and down, in (hunkers) and out on the trapeze if
the wind is sufficient. The crew also does a lot of the looking around feeding
useful information to the helm on wind patterns and on the other boats
positions and relative progress. Useful information would be for example;
" 38, ahead of us at
1. Medium winds force 2-3, small or no waves. In medium winds
you are obviously not overpowered so you want to extract as much power and
pointing ability as possible from your boat. Typical settings would be; Rig
tension tight, Jib cleated in hard. Hard means
sheeted in until the foot of the sail just begins to fold up in a
crease. Sail by the jib telltales gently testing the wind to make sure that you
are actually close hauled and not close reaching - the jib telltales should be
streaming either parallel or with the inner (windward) one slightly breaking,
or angled up at 45 degrees. The idea here is that you're continually testing
the wind to make sure that you don't miss any lifts. The fine line however is
that you don't want to pinch, with the inner telltale broken continually. Also
keep an eye on the outer telltale - if it flies up you're too far off the wind
and have missed a lift. Steer up immediately and smoothly until both telltales
stream again.
Outhaul on 80% or so
flattening the foot of the main a bit but not completely, ie
leaving a little belly. The mainsheet traveller should be centred and the
mainsail should be sheeted in on or very near the centreline. The main luff tension should be normal or a tiny bit
"soft". You should not be using cunningham
at all. You should have some kicker on and be watching your top mainsail
telltale (on leech, behind top batten) - you want it streaming 50%-80% of the
time. In gusts you'll want to ease the mainsheet for a second before pulling it
in again or else pinch for a second to keep the boat flat, or else a
combination of these two techniques. The balance between the two techniques is
quite a personal one - I prefer to play the main almost exclusively but in
strong gusts on flat water you can sometimes gain a few feet to weather by
"squirting" the boat to windward for a second, the key being to bear
away again to close hauled before you lose momentum and speed. In waves it's a
bad idea to pinch, you'll lose your momentum and get increased leeway and lose
out overall. Crew weight should be close together around the centre of the
boat, it's quite common for helms especially to sit too far back during the
beat. A clue is the tiller extension, generally in medium winds you should be
far enough forward to be holding the tip of the extension, if you're holding it
in the middle you're probably too far back in the boat and dragging your stern.
The helm should have his/her feet hooked into the toe straps and be hiking
whenever necessary, such as in gusts.
Beating in Light Winds; Recommended settings - Very little
or no kicker. Luff tension normal, outhaul same as
for medium air, no cunningham
obviously. Rig tension a bit lighter than normal to allow the
front edge of the jib take up more camber and power. Jib cars can be
move back a little to open slot. The really important thing is to keep the boat
moving and not worry about pointing at all. Crew positions and movement is
critical. You should both be well forward in the boat to prevent the stern from
dragging - it's difficult to be too far forward especially in really light
winds. The crew should either be right forward and to leeward or sitting right
out to leeward - but out of the slot, ie not
interfering with the airflow between the main and jib. Crew and helm movements
should be very gentle All tacks should be roll tacks.
Jib should not be sheeted too hard and pinching should be avoided at all costs
- sail with both jib telltales flowing parallel. Mainsheet should be sheeted
gently, rarely right into the centreline as it closes the leech too much. The
traveller should be centred or even up to weather a little - this allows you to
sheet the main in a bit closer to the centreline without closing the leech. In
very light air when there isn't even enough breeze to
make the sails take up their proper shape you should heel the boat to leeward.
This does two things; it reduces the underwater wetted area and therefore drag
and the gravity helps the sails adopt a decent shape. The big thing though is
to keep cool and keep the boat moving all the time. Avoid sailing into a hole, areas with less or no wind, by looking ahead,
especially at the progress of boats in front of you. If you do sail into a hole
don't tack !!!, it's usually better to free off and
get through it than the pain of tacking in no wind. Tack as little as possible
in light airs, even the best roll tacks lose out.
3 Beating in windy
conditions (force 4-5).
In windier conditions the emphasis changes from getting more power out of your
boat to depowering your boat to the point where it
and you are in control of the elements. The main depower
controls are the kicker ,cunningham,
outhaul, and rig tension. Plenty of kicker helps bend the mast which flattens
the mainsail, it also makes playing the main much easier and more controlled.
Cunningham flattens the main and drags the camber or draft forward to it's correct position, you can use maximum outhaul to
completely flatten off the foot of the main. Your rig tension should be at it's maximum, helping to bend the mast and making sure that
the jib luff doesn't sag. The crew will be flat out
on trapeze, using the adjuster to get parallel with the water, just above any
waves. Helm will of course give the crew plenty of notice for tacking to allow
the crew to raise themselves on the trapeze before coming in. Both helm and
crew will look for and call the gusts. Helm will be flat out on toe straps as
much as fitness allows, but especially for critical periods such as starts and
overtaking situations. In heavier winds good boat handling is the big winner
and good communication and understanding between helm and crew is vital.
In gusts the helm eases the
main just enough to keep the boat flat and driving and sheets in again the
second the gust is past. In severe gusts which can capsize the boat the helm
calls a clear signal to the crew (eg DUMP !) and the
crew does the same with the jib, ie eases it out,
then in again after the gust, always keeping the boat flat and driving, never
losing forward driving force. The crew may need to keep the jib in hard but uncleated in heavy winds because it can be virtually
impossible to release a cleated jib in a severed
gust.
The tacking sequence we use
in heavy winds is - helm gives advance notice ( except
in emergency or crash tacks !!!) for tack, crew raises him/herself on wire, uncleats the jib but keeps tension on using arm,
crew calls for the exact moment of the tack and comes into boat, helped by helm
who eases main just enough to keep boat flat, crew has kept tension on jib so
the boat still has enough momentum to complete the tack. Helm puts tiller
across as soon as crew has unhooked from trapeze wire, both cross boat, crew
pulls in new jib sheet to 80% ASAP to at least get speed up, helm has sheeted
in, crew goes out on wire as fast as possible & gets remaining 20% of jib
sheeted in, helm steers new close hauled course.
Try to keep tacks to a
minimum in heavy winds. Keep the boat flat all the time by easing the main as
much as necessary. If you're really overpowered let the traveller down to
leeward and bring the jib cars, if any, back to keep the slot well open. If
you're really overpowered raise the centreboard a little (10%-20%).
4. Strong winds and waves. Settings as above but the jib cars
could come back a little and the jib set sheeted a little less hard to produce
a fuller jib and drive the boat through the waves. The knack is to keep full
speed on while luffing into the waves, bearing away
down the back of them to build up full power and luffing
into the next, keeping the boat flat as always. Watch for big waves which can
stop you dead. Usually you'll find that one tack is much more difficult than
the other, ie one is almost with the waves but the
other is slamming straight into the waves. You need to practice your steering
for these conditions, there is an ideal steering
technique for even the worst conditions, usually a damage limitation exercise.
The big thing all the time is keep the boat moving at top speed. We usually
leave the bailers open all the time in these conditions so that water doesn't
become a big problem in the boat. You may want to move your weight (helm and
crew) back a little to ensure that the bow doesn't dig in to the waves. Total
concentration is needed for big waves and big gusts !
The windward mark & first
reach
Hopefully you will have
sailed the beat well, sticking as much as possible to your strategic plan,
keeping away from adverse tide, staying in the windiest part of the course,
tacking only on windshifts and arriving at the
windward mark in good shape. We will assume that (90% of the time) the mark
must be rounded to port, ie passed on the left side.
You will find yourself approaching the mark either on the port or starboard layline. Be aware that arriving on port tack at a crowded
windward mark leaves you little or no rights under the new rules,
you are give-way boat in almost all scenarios. So ideally your final approach
should be on starboard and the idea is that you will smoothly bear away around
the mark onto your new course for the first reach with the spinnaker going up
and pulling within a few seconds. Arriving on starboard in lighter winds also
allows the crew to have to spinnaker pole set. Remember always that heeling the
boat a little to windward will help the boat turn off the wind. To help achieve
a quick rounding and spinnaker set the crew (in light to medium winds) will
have already set the spinnaker pole before the rounding, clipping it onto the
guy, the uphaul/downhaul and of course the mast. You
need to watch your weather quarter to ensure that no close following competitor
luffs up above you and takes your wind - if a
threatening boat is close behind luff a little above
the ideal course for clear air before you set your spinnaker. Otherwise you can
bear away and set the spinnaker, having of course checked (looking at boats
ahead and the wind angle) that the reach is broad enough to allow a kite to be
flown. Typical sequence is that the helm hoists kite while steering downwind
with tiller between legs, crew cleats guy onto the reaching hook, ensuring that
pole is about right angles to the wind. Helm should be able to sheet in
spinnaker and fill it & hand it to crew as soon as crew is ready. Helm then
sheets main back in and steers for the optimum course. Helm (not crew who has
just two hands) uses spare hand to sheet jib in just so that it is neither
flapping madly nor in tight and backwinding the
mainsail.
The first Reach
The straightline
course is the ideal one for most reaches but there are exceptions. Firstly you
must sail in clear air and that may mean luffing
above your straightline course to prevent competitors
sailing over you and taking your wind. The main rule here is that you can luff and the windward boat must keep clear but they must be
afforded time and room to keep clear. You need to also be aware of the
"proper course" rule. In practice keep your eyes open and luff early to protect your wind. You need to be aware of
any tide and adjust your course from the start of the reach to compensate, otherwise you could end up sailing an arc rather
than a straightline course to the next mark. Ideally
find a landmark behind the next mark and use it as a transit to ensure you're
sailing a straight course. The other exception to the straightline
course is a gusty reach where it can pay to luff up
in the lulls, increasing your speed because you're now close reaching, and bear
away in the gusts, keeping full speed on with the increased wind. The extra
speed generated by the weaving course can make up for the extra distance
sailed.
Crewing the spinnaker from the trapeze. This is one of the most exciting
crewing tasks and should really first be practised away from the drama of a
race. Sequence as above, however this time helm and crew calculate that it is
windy enough to require the crew on trapeze during the reach. Usually it's also
a question of how close to the wind the reach is because the closer it is the
more heeling moment the wind will create, requiring the balancing weight of the
crew on the wire. If the reach is very broad you will only need the crew on
trapeze during the very windiest days. Sequence after
rounding windward mark and hoisting spinnaker while crew sets pole and puts guy
into reaching hook so that wind is at right angles to the pole - helm sheets in
spinnaker while steering boat off the wind enough to keep it flat. Crew
clips on trapeze wire onto harness, takes the spinnaker sheet in one hand and,
keeping the spinnaker sheeted, pushes out on trapeze
without allowing spinnaker to collapse. Meanwhile the helm luffs
smoothly to windward while sheeting in enough mainsail
to support the crew's weight as he or she goes out on trapeze, thus producing
the heeling force which helps keep the crew out. As you can guess this requires
co-ordination and trust between the helm and crew and this is best achieved
through practice. Common mistakes are the crew not keeping the spinnaker full
as they go out - remember crews have a vested interest here because it's mainly
the power in the spinnaker that's keeping you out there! The helm too must
steer whatever course is required to get the crew out and use the mainsheet and
steering to keep them out.
Once the spinnaker is
pulling well you can concentrate on the quickest course to the next mark. If
the reach is close keep the crew out on trapeze and aim to arrive a little to
windward of the mark, this allows you to bear away for the final few boatlengths and arrive at the gybe
mark in a controlled way, with the crew off the wire and everybody ready for a
smooth, controlled gybe. If the reach is broad, and
if the wind is light do not sail a high course initially, sail a straightline course, or even slightly lower, saving the
slightly closer reach for the final approach as this angle will be much faster.
It's very important to
remember on the reach that there are huge speed gains to be made if you can get
the boat planing and keep it planing.
The means of doing this includes keeping crew weight back a little, raising
centreboard as much as halfway, keeping the boat flat, and steering for as long
as possible down the face of any waves. It may also mean sailing slightly
higher than a straight line course initially to get the boat to plane and
gently steering back to straightline while keeping it
planing, repeating this throughout the leg.
The crew needs to respond
with spinnaker trim to the helms steering. In trapezing
conditions it's not practical to adjust the guy and pole continually so the
technique is simply sheet in smoothly as the boat luffs,
and ease the kite out smoothly as you bear away. The spinnaker luff should be kept just on the point of breaking,
otherwise the sail is being oversheeted, backwinding the main, and creating
excessive heeling forces in the boat. For major course alterations and for windshifts you would of course adjust the pole angle
relative to the apparent wind, keeping the pole square to the apparent wind.
It's quite important that the helm and crew are in constant communication while
flying the spinnaker, the crew should be the first to feel any extra pressure
in the kite indicating that the boat should bear away, the helm should tell the
crew about each course alteration so that the sail can be properly trimmed
throughout.
The Gybe Mark. In a trapezing situation you want
to arrive at the gybe mark in complete control. This
really means getting an inside overlap at the mark so that you have the right
to round in a seamanlike manner without interference from competitors to
leeward. What you are really aiming at is a controlled gybe
from a broad reach to a broad reach, regardless of the angles of the course.
This often means sailing the last few lengths to the gybe
mark well above a straight line course, allowing the crew in from the trapeze
and a controlled gybe from broad reach to broad reach
around the mark. If you're using twinning lines you cleat in both lines before
the gybe and release the line controlling the new
spinnaker sheet when things are back in control and the crew has reset the pole
for the new course. While all this is going on the helm sheets the spinnaker to
keep it full while steering with the tiller between their legs. In heavy
weather this may not be possible and the object is to gybe
around the mark staying upright, then the helm gybes the boat while letting the
kite (held down by the twinning lines) take care of itself, then immediately
sheets in the new sheet to regain control and steer a course that "keeps
the boat under the rig", ie sail downwind to
keep control until the crew has set the pole and is clipping on and ready to go
out on trapeze. Only then can the helm luff up,
sheeting in the main to help keep the crew out on trapeze. All this should take
seconds because every delay is taking the boat downwind from the ideal course,
and any flapping of the spinnaker is destabilising the boat and threatening
capsize. Obviously the key to success in windy gybing
with a spinnaker is practice away from the racecourse.
The second reach. The second reach, like the first,
should be sailed as fast as possible, avoiding any dirty air from other
competitors. If the first reach was very tight you can be reasonably sure that
the second will be much broader. In this case you would avoid luffing too high initially above a straightline
course because you'd then have to sail the remainder of the leg on a dead run,
the slowest point of sailing. So sail only high enough to keep your air clear.
If the second reach is close you can safely sail high initially, especially if
it's gusty, allowing you to plane back down to the straight course with each
gust. Either way aim to arrive at the leeward mark with an inside overlap and
therefore the right to round inside. If it's windy and the crew is trapezing arrive from above the straightline
course, leaving ample time for the crew to come off the trapeze and stow the
pole and kite and tidy the spinnaker sheets which have a habit of going under
the boat if not cleated into the boat.
The
Leeward mark.
Your final approach to the mark should allow you to almost touch the mark with
your windward bow quarter. You ideally want to enter the (imaginary) two
boat-length circle around the mark wide and exit tight, almost touching the
mark with the windward side of your bow. Then you're right up on the wind close
hauled with no room inside for any competitor. The crew will have lowered the
centreboard and in trapezing conditions will have
clipped on ready to go straight out as the helm rounds, ie
the crew sheets in the jib as the helm rounds the mark while sheeting in the
main. One common mistake is for crews to sheet in the jib hard before the rounding.
This pushes off the bow of the boat and hinders the rounding. The sheeting in
of main and jib should be smooth and simultaneous. A good leeward mark rounding
is particularly important. If you are leading one or more boats it ensures that
nobody gets inside you and also that following boats are in your dirty wind
(lee-bow) and will have to tack away to clear their wind. If there are boats
ahead which did not round well your good rounding should bring you sufficiently
to windward of them to be in clear air and avoid the need for a tack for clear
air. In this situation you might even luff above closehauled for a second to get upwind of boats ahead.
The Second Beat. The idea here is that you'll have
learned from the first time round which, if any, side of the course is
favoured. You'll be in tune with your compass settings (or visual transits with
the shore) and you'll know whether you're lifted or headed and react
accordingly. With this information absorbed you'll concentrate on sailing your
second beat in clear air playing the shifts to take you to the top mark as
quickly as possible. The crew will have been watching during the first beat to
see where gains and losses were made by boats of similar speed, ie whether left, right, or centre paid off. If you're ahead
at this stage you will generally stay as far as possible between the windward
mark and the boats behind you. You won't be taking any flyers out to the edge
of the course unless there are proven major advantages there. If you're trying
to catch a boat or a bunch ahead you won't take flyers either, but nor will you
follow like a sheep. You'll go a little more to the edges of the course that
you think are favoured than the boats ahead, but you'll stay in touch with them
and with boats behind.
Rounding
the Windward Mark for the run.
In the old style Olympic
course your second rounding of the windward mark will
be onto a run (ie the "sausage"). Ideally
you will have worked out before you ever arrive at the mark which gybe you should be on down the run. If there are boats
ahead you'll take your cue from them, if you're in the lead it's more difficult
- you need to figure whether the wind backed or lifted during the beat. If the
wind lifted (swung more to the right) you will gybe
around the mark and then hoist your spinnaker. If the wind has headed on the
beat you will do a "bear-away-set", ie
hoist as you bear away around the mark to go on the run. The reason is that you
always want to sail on the headed tack on the run, ie
it's the exact opposite to the beat, which makes perverse sense because you're
going in the opposite direction. The real reason is that because a dead run is
the slowest point of sailing you want to be on the tack (well gybe really !) that is more of a
reach than a run. Thus classes that gybe easily (like
the single sail Laser) will gybe many times during a
run, keeping to the headed gybe as much as possible.
Boats like IDRAs should probably gybe a lot more than
tends to be the case but you must weigh up the loss of distance due to flapping
spinnaker and elephantine helm/crew movements. If you can gybe
really smoothly and efficiently while keeping the kite full (practice,
practice, practice) it would pay to gybe every time
the wind frees (lifts), ie comes more astern bringing
you on more of a dead run than a broad reach.
The run is especially
nerve-racking for leading boats, it's the only time boats astern have the
advantage. The aim as always is to sail in clear air but following boats should
also place themselves directly in the wind of the leading boat. In light air
this will slow the leading boat from as much as ten boat lengths back and allow
following boats to claw back some distance on the leaders.
Approaches
to the Run. There are two main ways to approach
the run. One is to run directly downwind for the mark on a dead run - ie slow but direct. The other is to sail the run in a
series of reaches gybing from time to time. The idea
with the latter is that you sail the extra distance by reaching but your speed gain more than makes up for it. Remember however that
you need major speed gains to make up for the extra distance and the IDRA 14 is
a relatively heavy boat. If reaching means the difference between planing and not planing it could
well be worth that extra distance, also on very light air days reaching up to
keep the kite full may also pay off. You pay your money and take your chances.
Personally I believe that the reaching choice pays off in certain conditions
but you really need to be aware of how far you are straying from the straight
course. Remember we're talking about broad reaching here, don't dream of close
reaching down a run, you'll never make up the extra distance in speed in an
IDRA.
The
Finish.
Like the start line most finish lines have a bias, ie
one end is favoured over the other and the end you want is this time the
downwind end. Unlike the start line you obviously have no time to carefully
test for that bias. To find the favoured end sail towards the centre of the
line - as you get close to the port and starboard laylines
it should become apparent which end is closer. Thus if the port tack approach
appears to take you on a course parallel to the finish line you're going to
sail too far - you should tack to finish at the left side of the line. If
you're covering one boat all the way to the finish, and no other boat
threatens, stay between that boat and the line all the way to the finish,
protecting your place from any last minute shifts. If there is a very big bias
on the finish line it may well be shown by the flags on the committee boat.
After the
Finish.
After the finish some
people like to just take out the sandwiches and forget about the race. If you
can take the time to analyse your race and figure out what you did right and
(more often !) wrong it's a great help for future
races. We are all prone to repeating the same mistakes, over and over, and if
we can at least recognise them it's a major first step to future success. It's
very important however in this process not to enter a blame game between helm
and crew. Recognise your errors and move on by trying to eliminate them from
future races.
Teamwork., It's really important to realise
that sailing is a team sport. In IDRA 14s we sail in teams of two and all
results, good, bad and indifferent are the result of the team effort. Good
helm/crew combinations support and motivate each other around the racecourse.
They avoid negativity and blame, mistakes are corrected quickly without
recrimination and attention is refocussed on getting
back into the race and in front of the opposition. Experienced teams have a big
advantage on the racecourse, they get to know
instinctively what the other team member will do in any given situation. A
simple example is that when the crew goes forward to fix something on the deck
they don't need to tell the helm, who automatically moves back in the boat to
keep the trim constant, and not an inch is lost in the race. Equally the crew
can go straight out on trapeze, knowing the helm will automatically sheet in to
keep them out there. So find a compatible crew/helm to sail with and practice
until your teamwork is perfect. And remember above all else it's supposed to be
Bibliography...
There are many great books
on racing and here are a few that can be got in Ireland, mostly at good book
shops like Hodges Figgis, Waterstones
and good chandlers like Viking Marine and Dinghy Supplies. First however a word
of warning ! There is so much to be taken in when
learning to race, and there are so many variables that for someone completely
new to racing reading can confuse more than enlighten. In the longer term
reading is certainly a great way to learn, but it is secondary to actually
sailing races and analysing the results, with the help of books and other
sailors. The key is to try to match your experiences on the water with the
advice in the books, then the pennies will start to drop !
Winter too can be a great time to absorb racing books and get new ideas for the
next season.
Sailing -
The True Techniques, John Terry,
Racing, a beginners guide. Sail to Win
series, Fernhurst Books. An
excellent, first short introduction to racing.
RYA Race
Training Manual, Jim Saltsonstall, Macmillan Press. Probably the best racing manual
available, leaning towards the younger sailor but superb all round book, every
racer should have it.
Dinghy Helming, Lawrie Smith, Sail to Win Series, Fernhurst
Books. Very good guide to dinghy helming, nicely broken
down leg by leg of the course and for different wind strengths.
The Tactics of Small Boat
Racing, Stuart Walker, W.W. Norton & Co. Arguably the best book of
sailing tactics ever written, it's logic and intellgence
is irrefutable and overcomes its minor vices, conservatism and occasional
pedantry. A must-have for every racing sailor
Winning
in One Designs, Dave Perry, Adlard Coles Ltd. A great book
on one-design racing, recommened.
Tuning Your Dinghy, Lawrie Smith, Sail to Win series, Fernhurst Books. A very good clear
guide to dinghy tuning.
Sailing
Smart, Buddy Melges and Charles Mason, Henry Holt
& Co, NY. Interesting anecdotal book from a very fast sailor, revealing
psychology of a champion, some great tips.
Start to Win, Eric Twiname, Adlard Coles Ltd. Nicely written racing primer, clear and accessable.
Sail, Race and Win, Eric Twiname, revised Cathy Foster, Adlard
Cole Ltd Good book on the psychology of developing a winning attitude.
Dinghy Systems,
Mark Chisnell and John Hodgard
Waterline Books.
Compehensive guide to dinghy control
systems, illustrations a little confusing however
Advanced Racing Tactics,
Stuart Walker, W.W. Norton & Co. Excellent follow on from Walkers first
tactics book, more detail, more theory.
High
Performance Sailing, Frank Bethwaithe, Waterline
Books. Mindboggling but brilliant theory on
faster sailing, by the father of the modern skiff. This is the one that'll make
you wish you'd paid more attention at Physics in school. If you feel like a
challenge off the water this is the book for you.