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WZB50-P-VB-03
1 year ago
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
SHORT BEAT TO THE FINISH......
1) Set outhaul and Cunningham up for the beat before coming into the excitement of the mark rounding. Centerboard can wait till the last. Vang after rounded and sheeted in.
2) Think about the last wind shift. Is it from your right looking down wind? Then port tack after rounding will probably still be the lifted tack. If a big shift from the left then think about a tack to starboard as soon as reasonable after leeward mark rounding. Starboard tack close hauled will have right of way over all those coming down wind, but the wind may be all cut up and collisions don’t make you go fast.
3) Try not to round outside. Slow up to get behind, if on the outside. S turns, trim sail in, move to back of boat to drag stern. If you get behind, try to make it more than just a few inches. You don’t want to have to go below the boat ahead to keep from hitting him/her.
4) Consider if you are close enough to those ahead to be able to pass someone or are you better served to hold your position and stay ahead of those behind. Are those behind close enough to challenge? What is your position in the series?
5a) Make a good rounding and if challenging those a head, split tacks as soon as reasonable. It will be hard to pass following behind.
Hit the shifts.
Tack on the first lay line to finish. Sail up to the lay line junction and judge which end is downwind (closest) and go for it. If there is a big shift from the right then the pin end will be it and if from the left then the boat end.
Sail to the down wind end and shoot the line.(Head straight into the wind the last ½ boat length. Shoot the line for practice even if no one is near. It will get you an extra place occasionally. You can’t do it in the middle of the line, because you can’t tell just where the line is.
5b) Make a good rounding and if covering those close behind, stay on port tack as long as they will follow you. If they tack, then you need to tack to cover. Go to the downwind end of the line as in 5b. Don’t get in a tacking duel with the first boat and let another close behind beat you both.
5c) No one close behind or ahead, sail the shifts and finish as 5a.
1) Set outhaul and Cunningham up for the beat before coming into the excitement of the mark rounding. Centerboard can wait till the last. Vang after rounded and sheeted in.
2) Think about the last wind shift. Is it from your right looking down wind? Then port tack after rounding will probably still be the lifted tack. If a big shift from the left then think about a tack to starboard as soon as reasonable after leeward mark rounding. Starboard tack close hauled will have right of way over all those coming down wind, but the wind may be all cut up and collisions don’t make you go fast.
3) Try not to round outside. Slow up to get behind, if on the outside. S turns, trim sail in, move to back of boat to drag stern. If you get behind, try to make it more than just a few inches. You don’t want to have to go below the boat ahead to keep from hitting him/her.
4) Consider if you are close enough to those ahead to be able to pass someone or are you better served to hold your position and stay ahead of those behind. Are those behind close enough to challenge? What is your position in the series?
5a) Make a good rounding and if challenging those a head, split tacks as soon as reasonable. It will be hard to pass following behind.
Hit the shifts.
Tack on the first lay line to finish. Sail up to the lay line junction and judge which end is downwind (closest) and go for it. If there is a big shift from the right then the pin end will be it and if from the left then the boat end.
Sail to the down wind end and shoot the line.(Head straight into the wind the last ½ boat length. Shoot the line for practice even if no one is near. It will get you an extra place occasionally. You can’t do it in the middle of the line, because you can’t tell just where the line is.
5b) Make a good rounding and if covering those close behind, stay on port tack as long as they will follow you. If they tack, then you need to tack to cover. Go to the downwind end of the line as in 5b. Don’t get in a tacking duel with the first boat and let another close behind beat you both.
5c) No one close behind or ahead, sail the shifts and finish as 5a.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
THE LIST
..
18 ADVANTAGES OF THE LASER SAILBOAT
1. Forget the crew.
2. Race regularly, sail for fun or hang it up in the garage.
3. New vang, out haul and Cunningham system make it easier to sail.
4. Multiple rigs adjusts to skipper weight or wind strength.
5. At Lake Eustis, Florida we race in the morning and leaves the afternoon free.
6. At Lake Eustis we have 11 year olds sailing against 80 year olds.
7. Six to ten minutes to get the boat rigged or to put it away.
8. Half or less of the cost, unless you do Sunfish or Optimist pram.
9. Most popular adult and youth sailing boat .Current world wide number 190,000.
10. Racing around the Florida, your state, around USA, around the world. And in the Olympics.
11. Six continents and 122 countries.
12. Local help available lots of places and in Eustis.
13. Books, DVD and Clinics about how to sail the Laser.
14. Race during the Summer, frost bite or come South and sail with us in the Winter..
15. Boat is a "hoot" to sail.
16. Pile the whole family on board.
17. If you come by Lake Eustis, we will loan you a boat.
18. Tell your neighbors you sail the Olympic Boat.
..
18 ADVANTAGES OF THE LASER SAILBOAT
1. Forget the crew.
2. Race regularly, sail for fun or hang it up in the garage.
3. New vang, out haul and Cunningham system make it easier to sail.
4. Multiple rigs adjusts to skipper weight or wind strength.
5. At Lake Eustis, Florida we race in the morning and leaves the afternoon free.
6. At Lake Eustis we have 11 year olds sailing against 80 year olds.
7. Six to ten minutes to get the boat rigged or to put it away.
8. Half or less of the cost, unless you do Sunfish or Optimist pram.
9. Most popular adult and youth sailing boat .Current world wide number 190,000.
10. Racing around the Florida, your state, around USA, around the world. And in the Olympics.
11. Six continents and 122 countries.
12. Local help available lots of places and in Eustis.
13. Books, DVD and Clinics about how to sail the Laser.
14. Race during the Summer, frost bite or come South and sail with us in the Winter..
15. Boat is a "hoot" to sail.
16. Pile the whole family on board.
17. If you come by Lake Eustis, we will loan you a boat.
18. Tell your neighbors you sail the Olympic Boat.
..
Friday, May 8, 2009
Light wind down wind.
So we want Marc to get a little better– and I am dead last in the 5th race on Sunday. Charlies Jensen and Marc are about 5 or 6 boat lengths ahead of me and Charlie is on the left, lounging in the cockpit with his feet out to the side and the boat straight upright. Marc is in the middle of his cockpit with the stern dragging a little and both have gybed to port. Sam is on starboard, by the lee, boat heeled to windward, and sitting up next to the dagger board. After the race and after I pass them I am going to tell them about how to do it right, except Mark sails away a little and Charlie J disappears down to inside at the mark and I struggle to catch a couple of boats on the short beat to the finish (that one with massive shifts, I think). Sometimes all the good stuff, just doesn’t seem to work.
I hope that most of you reading this realize that Alejandro is doing transitions down most of the leeward legs. Not sailing dead down wind, but starboard by the lee big time to get inside and shake off anyone trying to steal his wind. Then he turns right and goes broad reaching for a little ways and then back to by the lee. He does a good job on the beat, but really puts the races away going down wind.
He is out in front showing you how to do it. You spent the day –“paid” for the lesson. It is not his fault if you are not paying attention.
I hope that most of you reading this realize that Alejandro is doing transitions down most of the leeward legs. Not sailing dead down wind, but starboard by the lee big time to get inside and shake off anyone trying to steal his wind. Then he turns right and goes broad reaching for a little ways and then back to by the lee. He does a good job on the beat, but really puts the races away going down wind.
He is out in front showing you how to do it. You spent the day –“paid” for the lesson. It is not his fault if you are not paying attention.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
BORROWED FROM CEDAR POINT YC
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Winners Chalk Talk: Spring 09, Week #5 Mike Matan - Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Interesting conditions on Sunday – my best guess was 8-18 knots from the west which meant big shifts usually accompanied by significant increase in wind strength. I don’t think anyone could really predict what would happen next. My own focus for the day was on starting conservatively (in the middle of the line/fleet where there was space), not sailing to the edges of the course and then really focusing on sailing as fast as possible in whatever conditions I found myself in.
I spent two weekends in March at a ‘sailfit’ clinic down in Clearwater beach run by Kurt and Meka Taulbee and would really recommend the clinic to everyone. I leant a lot and had a fun time – it’s really enjoyable spending time on the water training in warm weather and makes a nice change from racing. On Sunday I tried to focus on three things I learnt at the clinic:
1/ Don’t oversteer. There were no real big waves on Sunday – at sailfit, Kurt Taulbee spotted me sailing upwind steering over every wave. I thought I was working the boat hard over every wave – Kurt pointed out that the waves were too small – so on Sunday I focused on what he told me – try not to steer AT ALL (except for bow down see below!) and just keep the power on to blast thru the smaller waves. Steering, as we all know, just slows the boat down (obviously you need to steer as the wind shifts but then back to no steering)
2/ Bow down. It’s easy to keep the boat flat in the windy spots, just point into the wind until the boat becomes flat. Kurt kept shouting at all of us “BOW DOWN”. I spent Sunday hiking VERY hard and as soon as the boat approached coming flat pulled the tiller towards me a LITTLE bit to come off the wind a few degrees and get the bow down and then hiked HARDER (the boat will be heeled to leeward a bit but this is fine) hence always keeping maximum power on the boat. You may think, as I did, that you already do this but I guarantee you’ll find at the clinic you don’t do it anywhere near enough.
3/ Keep the outhaul tighter. As a heavier sailor I’ve tended to sail with a pretty full mainsail even in wind. Kurt had me sailing with a much flatter mainsail than previously but as a result I had to ensure I eased the outhaul quickly when the wind dropped. On Sunday, as my sail was flat, I had hardly any Cunningham on even in the windy bits – lighter people would pull some on.
I think all these points helped me on Sunday. The other thing I noticed was that all the people who attended the clinic (myself, John Coffey and Mark Laser) were really buzzing – all of us enjoying trying out new improved techniques. I’d really recommend sailfit in Florida or the laser training center in Cabarete, Domican Republic as a fun way to improve, cheers! Mike
..
Winners Chalk Talk: Spring 09, Week #5 Mike Matan - Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Interesting conditions on Sunday – my best guess was 8-18 knots from the west which meant big shifts usually accompanied by significant increase in wind strength. I don’t think anyone could really predict what would happen next. My own focus for the day was on starting conservatively (in the middle of the line/fleet where there was space), not sailing to the edges of the course and then really focusing on sailing as fast as possible in whatever conditions I found myself in.
I spent two weekends in March at a ‘sailfit’ clinic down in Clearwater beach run by Kurt and Meka Taulbee and would really recommend the clinic to everyone. I leant a lot and had a fun time – it’s really enjoyable spending time on the water training in warm weather and makes a nice change from racing. On Sunday I tried to focus on three things I learnt at the clinic:
1/ Don’t oversteer. There were no real big waves on Sunday – at sailfit, Kurt Taulbee spotted me sailing upwind steering over every wave. I thought I was working the boat hard over every wave – Kurt pointed out that the waves were too small – so on Sunday I focused on what he told me – try not to steer AT ALL (except for bow down see below!) and just keep the power on to blast thru the smaller waves. Steering, as we all know, just slows the boat down (obviously you need to steer as the wind shifts but then back to no steering)
2/ Bow down. It’s easy to keep the boat flat in the windy spots, just point into the wind until the boat becomes flat. Kurt kept shouting at all of us “BOW DOWN”. I spent Sunday hiking VERY hard and as soon as the boat approached coming flat pulled the tiller towards me a LITTLE bit to come off the wind a few degrees and get the bow down and then hiked HARDER (the boat will be heeled to leeward a bit but this is fine) hence always keeping maximum power on the boat. You may think, as I did, that you already do this but I guarantee you’ll find at the clinic you don’t do it anywhere near enough.
3/ Keep the outhaul tighter. As a heavier sailor I’ve tended to sail with a pretty full mainsail even in wind. Kurt had me sailing with a much flatter mainsail than previously but as a result I had to ensure I eased the outhaul quickly when the wind dropped. On Sunday, as my sail was flat, I had hardly any Cunningham on even in the windy bits – lighter people would pull some on.
I think all these points helped me on Sunday. The other thing I noticed was that all the people who attended the clinic (myself, John Coffey and Mark Laser) were really buzzing – all of us enjoying trying out new improved techniques. I’d really recommend sailfit in Florida or the laser training center in Cabarete, Domican Republic as a fun way to improve, cheers! Mike
..
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
SOME OBSERVATIONS about what we can do better.
Coming into the windward mark. You are not quite there and need and double tack to make it, but another starboard boat is just above you and on the lay line. Be conservative, take a deep duck to leeward and tack to clear the starboarders transom or gybe around to port tack and go behind him. You have the next two legs at least to catch him. Do the Alejandro thing or at least sail fast and wait for him (or her ) to make a mistake.
Another windward mark thing, it you are trading tacks with someone coming up to the mark, stay to the right of your competitor so on the last crossing you will have starboard and that should be worth at least one boat length.
On the run into the leeward mark, if the last wind shift was from the left (looking downwind) then after the rounding, tack onto starboard as soon as you are clear of down wind sailors coming into the mark. Yes, I know you will have right of way as the close hauled starboard tack boat, but collisions are very slow. If the last shift is from the right (looking downwind) then stay on port tack until things get sorted out.
Keep track of the upwind end of the starting line. If you get too far to the right (looking upwind) then it is hard to get back to the pin end if the wind shifts left. Use the three minutes– Time the line, get a range and check for the favored end. I think this is a repeat, but it seems we need it.
Then I promised about Sam’s Sunday capsize. It was in the fourth race at the gybe mark with the biggest blast of the day surrounding the mark and Marc Solal right in front of Sam. Marc gybed around the mark and Sam figured he had room to gybe and go above Marc. Sam was concentrating on getting turned enough to get above Marc and caught the sheet on the transom. Now the sail is trimmed in. Drop the sheet and it doesn’t go out. The boom end goes in the water. Sam is looking over the high side at the centerboard and still thinking he might come out of this. Then the sail is in the water, and now he climbs over to stands on the centerboard and we will be right back in the race, but when the boat comes up, he has tacked through the wind and the whole thing blows over on top of him. Now get around and pull on the centerboard climb in the boat– he is heading the wrong direction. Nice sixth place. Glad we didn’t have 20 boats or it would have been a 20. Thank goodness for the warm weather! Did anyone say boat handling was important or it needed practice?
If you can’t figure this stuff out, e-mail me the question, and maybe we can get some diagrams or something simple.
Coming into the windward mark. You are not quite there and need and double tack to make it, but another starboard boat is just above you and on the lay line. Be conservative, take a deep duck to leeward and tack to clear the starboarders transom or gybe around to port tack and go behind him. You have the next two legs at least to catch him. Do the Alejandro thing or at least sail fast and wait for him (or her ) to make a mistake.
Another windward mark thing, it you are trading tacks with someone coming up to the mark, stay to the right of your competitor so on the last crossing you will have starboard and that should be worth at least one boat length.
On the run into the leeward mark, if the last wind shift was from the left (looking downwind) then after the rounding, tack onto starboard as soon as you are clear of down wind sailors coming into the mark. Yes, I know you will have right of way as the close hauled starboard tack boat, but collisions are very slow. If the last shift is from the right (looking downwind) then stay on port tack until things get sorted out.
Keep track of the upwind end of the starting line. If you get too far to the right (looking upwind) then it is hard to get back to the pin end if the wind shifts left. Use the three minutes– Time the line, get a range and check for the favored end. I think this is a repeat, but it seems we need it.
Then I promised about Sam’s Sunday capsize. It was in the fourth race at the gybe mark with the biggest blast of the day surrounding the mark and Marc Solal right in front of Sam. Marc gybed around the mark and Sam figured he had room to gybe and go above Marc. Sam was concentrating on getting turned enough to get above Marc and caught the sheet on the transom. Now the sail is trimmed in. Drop the sheet and it doesn’t go out. The boom end goes in the water. Sam is looking over the high side at the centerboard and still thinking he might come out of this. Then the sail is in the water, and now he climbs over to stands on the centerboard and we will be right back in the race, but when the boat comes up, he has tacked through the wind and the whole thing blows over on top of him. Now get around and pull on the centerboard climb in the boat– he is heading the wrong direction. Nice sixth place. Glad we didn’t have 20 boats or it would have been a 20. Thank goodness for the warm weather! Did anyone say boat handling was important or it needed practice?
If you can’t figure this stuff out, e-mail me the question, and maybe we can get some diagrams or something simple.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
..
I was checking the report card on the Laser Mid Winter Championship East. (clwyc.org)
The Laser Radial with 108 entries sailing in two fleets and finished 10 races.
Paige Railey had inserted herself above Anna Tunnicliffe for the first time in a while, but only by a few points.
I will give you a little run down (a couple of these numbers may be off , but not much).
After 10 races.
1) Paige 15 Average place 1.5
2) Anna 23 2.3
3) Ben Koppelar (Netherlands) 46
4) Alex Andersen (Junior BVI) 65
5) Chris Barnard (Junior Newport Harbor YC -California) 66
6) Ian Heausker (Junior Davis Island) 68
7) Lisa Ross (Adult, female, Canada) 76
8) Emily Billings (Adult, female, Clearwater) 76
9) Colin Smith (LESC coach) 89
18) Michael Zonnenberg (Martin’s Grandson) 105 best race a 7.. Not bad- 108 boats.
In the top 12 = 3 adult females, 2 male adults, and 7 juniors. Ladies 1-2 and 7.
If you sail a Laser, this may be the crowd you will run with. Maybe that is why we have the "masters" stuff.
Mid winters East but we let Chris in from California. Well, yes, the Virgin Islands and Netherlands.
Notice how the two top gals got away with the 1-2-3 positions with 50 boats starting. Probably the only time anybody else got first was when they were covering each other. There are videos of the races. They did well coming up wind, but were particularly fast off the wind. I think working the waves both directions. Maybe it is the full time sailing, coaching and completions around the world.
March "Sailing World" came today with an article on the 8 steps to sail better. 1. Sail a lot. 2. With people that are better. 3. With people that are not better. – Help them and that will focus you a little on what you do better. 4. Books, DVD, internet, your own notes–"What I learned today." 5. Get fit– Strength, stamina, flexibility, and agility. 6. Do other sports–cross train (not so sure about that one.) 7. Sail in different positions. This was advice for multi- position boat, but break Laser sailing easily into light wind, medium, and strong wind. All different. 8. Learn the rules. Books, discussions, big fleets.
..
I was checking the report card on the Laser Mid Winter Championship East. (clwyc.org)
The Laser Radial with 108 entries sailing in two fleets and finished 10 races.
Paige Railey had inserted herself above Anna Tunnicliffe for the first time in a while, but only by a few points.
I will give you a little run down (a couple of these numbers may be off , but not much).
After 10 races.
1) Paige 15 Average place 1.5
2) Anna 23 2.3
3) Ben Koppelar (Netherlands) 46
4) Alex Andersen (Junior BVI) 65
5) Chris Barnard (Junior Newport Harbor YC -California) 66
6) Ian Heausker (Junior Davis Island) 68
7) Lisa Ross (Adult, female, Canada) 76
8) Emily Billings (Adult, female, Clearwater) 76
9) Colin Smith (LESC coach) 89
18) Michael Zonnenberg (Martin’s Grandson) 105 best race a 7.. Not bad- 108 boats.
In the top 12 = 3 adult females, 2 male adults, and 7 juniors. Ladies 1-2 and 7.
If you sail a Laser, this may be the crowd you will run with. Maybe that is why we have the "masters" stuff.
Mid winters East but we let Chris in from California. Well, yes, the Virgin Islands and Netherlands.
Notice how the two top gals got away with the 1-2-3 positions with 50 boats starting. Probably the only time anybody else got first was when they were covering each other. There are videos of the races. They did well coming up wind, but were particularly fast off the wind. I think working the waves both directions. Maybe it is the full time sailing, coaching and completions around the world.
March "Sailing World" came today with an article on the 8 steps to sail better. 1. Sail a lot. 2. With people that are better. 3. With people that are not better. – Help them and that will focus you a little on what you do better. 4. Books, DVD, internet, your own notes–"What I learned today." 5. Get fit– Strength, stamina, flexibility, and agility. 6. Do other sports–cross train (not so sure about that one.) 7. Sail in different positions. This was advice for multi- position boat, but break Laser sailing easily into light wind, medium, and strong wind. All different. 8. Learn the rules. Books, discussions, big fleets.
..
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