LASERS SAIL TO RULE OF THUMB.

Lasers and the Rule of Thumb.


The Last “Speed and Smarts” by Dave Dellenbaugh was on the “rule thumb” helps. He gave a list.

Rule of thumb is an old English expression perhaps to Judge Roger Thumb’s rules or the measurement of small distances with the last section of your thumb–about an inch. Now just the quick easy answer.

Most of the rules refer in some fashion to playing the shifts of wind direction. My most important one being “foot to the headers” which gets you some separation as well as on the best wind angle. The one I had not thought about before was “if you are going slow, change something.”

Actually David picks “sail the longest tack first” as the most useful and puts a new twist to it.

As you sail the longest tack and approach the the lay line, that tack gets shorter and the other longer. Now he applies that rule again, and sails the new longer tack. OK, that brings in the other rules of thumb, stay out of the corners and delay going to the lay line.

Nice job, David.
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