SOME NOTES AFTER SAILING IN A LITTLE MORE WIND

With the wind increase when tacking, the old man should be getting in the hiked out position sooner in the higher winds. It will get more like jumping from side to side.

With the little chop of 18 inch waves that we had going up wind it is probably best to just sail a little full and power through the waves. In the bigger waves that we either don’t get at Lake Eustis or not often, it is general up the up side of the wave and down the down side with a move your weight back to push the tiller to leeward going up the wave and a move forward with the pull on the tiller to turn down the wave. One of those things that takes a lot of practice to get the rhythm right.

Going down wind in our 18 inch waves that we could get a little push from especially if you are sailing in "transition". Broad reach to the right and then roll to the right and transition to "by the lee" when going down a wave for a little extra push and not staying in the dead down wind slow mode. We get to roll the boat to help steering, if you are worried about rule 42. Do the "by the lee" and then come back to broad reach rolling the boat to steer and working as many waves as you can.

Four of the five youth foundation boasts boats have the old vang system and are without the supper vang ability. The old system to set up the vang was to stand up when head to wind with the hiking stick hand on top and the boom. Lean on the boom hard while you set up the vang with the sheet hand. It wasn’t easy to get off again either. I don’t recommend that to anyone now. If you get caught with too much wind just go from block to block to ease more sheet, keep the boat near flat and keep sailing fast. Sail fast is better than pinching up to keep the boat flat. Pinching up into the wind makes you just go slower. The waves will stop you especially when you try to tack and don’t have much boat speed and hit a wave.

THE SAILBOAT LIST...

It took me about two weeks to remember all these boats. It covers about 72 years of sailing and I may have forgotten a couple. I am going to put it in here in case you want to know it I ever sailed anything else but a Laser. I have tried to put it in the side bar, but it is to long to fit.

THE BOAT LIST.
Boats I have sailed on and the ones I have owned marked with* and if I owned a few or a lot **
Somewhat in order of from 10 years of age up.
Old Town Sail Canoe
Moth (old wooden)
Snipe**
C scow *
R boat
Suicide
Rebel (Ray Green)
Hagerty Sea Shell**
Thistle*
Star
Sunfish**
Sailboards**
Laser**
Hobie 14
Hobie 16
10 sq meter canoe*
St Lawrence skiff*
Minifish
Nomad (not Vanguard)*
Alden 38
J24*
J30
J33
J44
Holder 20
Optimist Pram*
JY15
Cape Cod Frosty*
Westsail 43
Cape Dory Typhoon*
Stiletto 30
Catalina 27
Day Sailer
Piver 24 catamaran
Hirondella catamaran
Sea Pearl
Sea Snark
Flying Scot
Irwin 30
Raider
Bolger Tortoise*
Bolger Brick*
"50 footer" Springbok
Phantom
Hunter 140
Peep Hen
Bay Hen*
Victoria
Pintail*
MC scow*
Wayfarer
Key West Schooners
Wolf
Western Union
America (copy with modern design)

..
Occasionally we fall behind in helping newbe Laser folk get going in the boat. So here is
Laser Coaching 101 that every one should know,,,,
A 1. Let’s get the hand exchange down!
2 When tacking, back foot over the toe strap first and the strap on elastic so it is off the bottom of the cockpit.
3. Long tiller extension carried in front of sailor with "microphone grip". (Easier tacking than with the from the "frying pan grip" from behind the helmsman.
4. Boat moving before the tack. That makes the rudder work.
5. Tack coming out near 90 degrees. Maybe looking at a spot on shore until you get a feel for it.
B. Two handed trim of the sheet. Long pulls with sheet hand and then tiller extension hand.
C Boat flat going up wind.
D Tell tails flowing on both sides of the sail.
1. Especially the far side of the sail.
2. If you can’t see the far side, then turn up wind just a little till the windward one begins to lift and then bear off slightly.
E Down wind
1. Heel to windward.
2. Weight forward.
3. Boom out 90 degrees or more.
4. By the Lee or broad reach, not straight down wind.
F Gybe
1. Trim about 2 feet of sheet in from just down from the forward boom block when the boom comes over.
2. Or trim BIG on the sheet as the boom comes over. (To start sheet over the stern and away from the transom.)
3. High wind– Trim from boom out 60 degrees, move to the other side quickly and S turn back to broad reach.
4. Light wind you can reach out and catch both sheet parts coming from the traveler block and pull that over your head..
G Tactical leeward mark rounding.
1. Outhaul and Cunningham set up for up wind before the three boat length circle.
2. Board down.
3. Enter wide and exit close.
4. Trim the sheet with long quick pulls with both hands and head up to close hauled course even it you are luffing the sail during the turn.
5. Gybe before mark rounding if possible.
6. Gybe with the rounding if necessary.,
7. You can not practice leeward mark rounding too much.
H. 360 and 720
1. Good boat handling practice and you will need them sometime.
2. Going upwind quick gybes and can take more time with tacks.
3. Going downwind quick tacks and can tack more time with the gybes.
4. Practice the 360 and 720 separately and be sure you count the tacks and gybes and come out going fast the way you want to be going.
..

DIGGING OUT OF SECOND ROW START...
1 Get with it. This is your big chance to show you can sail the boat! Anyone can tack with the shifts and keep going if they are out ahead. In any long series, your worst races are the one that will eat you up. Anyone can win from the front.
2. Bow down and sail fast.
3. Stay with the big shifts.
4.Clear lane when possible.
5.Stick with the big lifts and tack out for the clear lane on the medium shifts.
6. Tell tails flowing on both sides of the sail.
7. Boat flat or healed to windward.
8. If pinned, widen out to leeward and tack to escape across the stern.
9. Go to the starboard tack layline a little early if you are still in traffic.
10. Downwind- stay in the wind lane.
11. Downwind- stay out of groups.
12. Downwind- work hard, weight forward, big heel to weather.
13. Downwind- by the lee or broad reach with transition in between.,
14. Downwind- look for waves to surf or to sail around.
15.. Downwind- work to the inside.
16. Downwind - if outside slow up to get behind.
17. It is a 3 boat length circle this year.
18. Outhaul and Cunningham set up before the excitement of the three boat length circle.
19. Call for the overlap and no overlap early and loud.
20. Make a great leeward mark rounding and do the "short beat to the finish thing".

STRUGGLE WITH THE PICTURES.

I finally got the picture of Anna sailing in Holland and going fast down wind. Boom out. Ease the outhaul. Board up. Heel to weather and get sail up in the wind and neutralize steering. Sit forward. Dive into the low spots between the waves. Be broad reaching or sailing by the lee unless you have caught a surf on a wave and then just ride it. How do I know all this? Maybe I read it someplace.

Oh, yes, look behind you for where the best wind is and try to get into it.

Stay away from bunches of boats. They blanket each other and are all tied to the slowest.

Go for inside at the mark and on starboard if you have a choice.

Any other suggestions??

MAYBE THE TINY PICTURE

THE TINY PICTURE