LASERS TAKE A TACK.

Two things happened this weekend that suggests this post today, although it is pretty much a repeat.    My knee is still sore and my tacks were lousy losing a lot every time I tacked with some one and when I didn't tack on the small wind shifts I lost a lot on that.  The better tacks get you ahead and the bad ones behind.

The second thing was my copy of Buddy Melges' book "Sailing Smart" was returned from a loan and it is in that book he tells about practicing fro the Olympics.  He would start out with 50 tacks and then 50 gybes.  WOW!

When was the last time you did 50 tacks in practice?

LASERS FORM A GROUP

 Reported in January Sailing World, a group of Etchells sailors hired a coach to prepare for the Worlds.

 You could get a group for Laser sailing. Maybe only two boats. Could be a lot more. It might help to:

1) Get out on water more.

2) Compare your sailing with others.

3) The good folks work harder to make it look good.

4) The improving group sees the better sailing.

5) You can do speed testing.

6) You can have repeated starting practice.

7) You can throw in extra races.

They have a list of 10 suggestions, but I would cut it down to. Have a leader. Have a plan.
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Lasers have PAIN.

 I wandered off-- following links to blogs on Laser sailing and stumbled onto one by Kevin kevinlikesstuff.wordpress.com with a title “Lost At Sea”. He has various topics including one on pain in Laser sailing both when windy and light wind. We recently had a sailor stop sailing at least partially because he developed sore muscles. It can be a problem, but not forever.

Oh yes, I stole the picture above from Kevin.

My reflection on the subject goes back 10 years or more in Key West when a friend of mine, Howard Crane, wanted to sail a Laser. Howard and I had sailed Sunfish together for a few years and had enjoyed each other. We both fixed up some old boats and went at it. When I had sailed a Laser years before, I had hurt my back pumping and told myself if that happened, I would stop right away. What happened was sore legs at night which had me taking Tylenol with Codeine or Ibuprofen at night to sleep. That lasted for a couple of months and since OK.

Remember with a Laser, there are smaller sails, the radial and the 4.7, that you can use when the wind is above what you can handle with the full rig. Sail yourself into shape or skip some of the higher wind races. Get to the gym. Use the smaller sails.

Why the pain if you would rather be without?


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LASERS AND THE DEATH ROLL

The death roll or quick roll to windward on the downwind legs has been a long term problem.  The picture above is from Yachting January 1979 an article by Finn sailor Van Collie about fellow Finn sailor Edward Bennett of San Francisco. (I have all kinds of old papers here.) Edward practiced capsizes in order to handle them better.  Edward proposed to lie back in the water instead of trying to get back in the boat.  That unweighted the down side of the boat and helped turn up into the wind.  Van Collie called it “Bennett’s bath”.  In the old days when I tried it, it never seemed to work well, so now I try to remember the “boat whisperer” advice.

That is Steve going upwind in a radial.   Steve says to stop the death roll turn toward the sail. The rudder will dig deep into the water tending to right the boat and the worse that will happen is a gybe.  Get or borrow the "boat whispperer" CD.  Maybe I will get my rubber suit on (It will be getting cold here in Florida next week--that will be next year--check the date.) and go out and practice capsizes.                                                                            .

LASERS PRACTICE THE ROLL TACK

Big and Little, you need to practice those roll tacks.  They make a big difference.   And the tacks in medium and high winds are all different.  If you are interested is finishing higher in the races, you need to get in more practice time.
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LASERS TURN THE HEAD

Two issues ago:

R. W.Rawles commented that when rolling the Laser well over to weather to be careful not to look back. 
Actually you will be half way turned and you need to look back to see the wind streakes coming down from windward (you wnat to get in them) and to check on the boats behind that might be trying to take you wind  or establishing an overlap to leeward (toward the sail) and the the right of way.

So stretch that neck and keep looking around.
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LASERS LEARNING

When learning new skills   1) Understand that you need to fix something.  2) Work out what you are to do and go through it in practice.  3)  Do it enough so that it is "automatic" in your brain and you don't need to think out each step.

Studies have shown that one hour of practice a day followed by the sleeping--- when your brain is making these new connections, is more efficient than just a whole lot of hours on the water. 

Most of us can't sail every day, but it helps to know that even little short sessions help get to the "automatic".

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LASERS AND OTHERS REST

Now just after we have been told to get plenty of sleep, this stuff about resting comes to the surface.  If you don't get proper rest after strenuous exercise, the muscles will not build in strength and bulk.  If you exercise too close together, the muscle doesn't have enough tiime to rebuild.

So now sleep and rest --- go to the gym occassionally and sailing occasionally.  

Well, how about FUN.   Maybe do what you like.
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LASERS SLEEP

Well, yes, he doesn't look like he is sleeping.  Looks like cold water. Serious guy with watch on mast and one on his left wrsit.  Vang and "ham" on.  That is Evan Lewis who wrote the article in Spring 2011 Laser Sailor on sleep before sailing.  He tells you all about it, but in brief:

What happens when you sleep?   The brain reorganizes and inproves the recent practiced skills.  The muscles rejuvinate and replace glycogen stores.

Without adequate sleep you will get fatigue, irritability, mood changes, poor concentration and lose of patience.

Adults need 7 to 8 hours sleep.  Young and young adults 8 to 10 hours.

Get in the dark, the quiet, the regular routine, no food or exercise just before bed.   At a regatta, look for a good place to sleep.

Check out Evan's web site for more tips and Laser stuff.... http://www.evenlewis.ca/
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LASERS START FAST

Well, yes, that is the same picture Tillerman used a few days ago, but Paul Goodison has won enough races that maybe we should pay a little attention to any suggestions he has. Now I happen to have RYA Laser Handbook by Paul Goodison on my coffee table, so I just looked through it for maybe the “best” suggestion.


I settled on STARTING, but before I start copying from the book, I will tell you that in many many pictures the “clear start watch” is around the mast just below the goose neck. It is even there when he is putting the mast and sail in the boat. If you do that, you will need a watch on your left hand, so that you can read time when on port tack. Then you will need both watches running accurate. I would suggest getting perfect time, checking on your wrist first and then punching the mast watch. Then synchronize the mast watch with next signal.. I bet really good sailors have the time right on the button.

Then before the start Paul is “hovering” below the starting line. Close-hauled heading or a little below that with sail at full luff and kicker (vang) off. Just before starting to accelerate he reaches forward and puts the kicker (vang) on for up wind settling. Now quickly “jab” the tiller up wind and hike the boat to windward to turn the boat to below close-hauled course. Flatten the boat, trimming in some and heeling the boat to leeward as you come below close hauled. Sheet in more. Hike hard to flatten the boat and drive it forward. Once the boat is up to speed, trim to block to block and return to close-hauled course. Full concentration now on sailing fast.

Timing, force, direction and rolling all the little things together --- maybe will give you a better start.

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LASERS AND THE MELGES START

This is the last of my notes from rereading Buddy Melges' "Sailing Smart".

1. Start near the favored end or in the middle.  Simple, but not so easy.  It means that you have to keep checking the wind direction and guessing where the other folks are starting.  Buddy doesn't shoot for the boat end or the pin end.  Just near it.

2. Room to leeward at 10 to 20 seconds to go.  If you don't have Buddy's experience you may need to be practicing stopping the boat, holding position, turning cross wind and then back up to close hauled and stopped.

3. Hang close to the line in light wind.

4. Don't barge.

Now you can go out and do the Melges start.  Don't forget the bow even and then sail faster.  Have Fun..
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LASERS CHECK THE LINE

This is an Etchells start in Miami from our favorite Photographer.  I think that the right end of the line was favored from the look of the angle of boats crossing the line down close to us, but I imagine that the boats are tacking in less than 90 degrees, so it may be more even.  And there is a crowd at the other end.

We are still checking out Buddy Melges' "Sailing Smart" so we are going over more that you know all about...  Spend some time checking out the line as soon as the RC or PRO sets it up.

1.  Time the line.  That will help you know how to set up for the start and also help you get a feel for how fast you are traveling and how long it takes you to get from A to B.  Do it several times because the time will change with wind strength.

2.  Check for the up wind end.  Go head to wind and see which end of the line you bow points toward.  Check it with your compass.  Check the flags on the committee boat.  Check the angle you cross the line when you are closehualed.

3. Get on the line and pick out a range.  A spot on shore that lines up with the pin end.  Maybe a spot on shore that lines up with the committee boat end (the flag they sight the line from).  No shore in sight, then use your compass to get a bearing.  Maybe pick out a range from two boat lengths behind the committee boat.  Then when you are on the range, you will be one boat length behind the line when you sail up to the middle of the line.  Try that for a midline start.

4.  Check the pin for current.  If you are sailing in tidal stuff, I hope you have the tide tables down and some local knowledge and your local time watch on.

5.Check right and left laylines to the starting line.  Keeping checking wind heading right up to the start.

6. You want to know what to do next.. Keep tuned in.  That will come up next..                                                                              

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LASER STUFF 9,8, AND 7.

This picture is not related to my best 10 posts of 2010, but I like it.  Everyone working hard.  Maybe a gate because they are going around to starboard.  Maybe a team race with S and B shirts on.

Picking the best 10 have been tough for me but here are the next three.

9)  LASERS CONSOLIDATE, November 22, 2010.  This is Buddy Melges after getting a short lead looks for the first chance to move over in front of some of the fleet.  Not trying to win the race, but to stay in contention.
8)  LASERS TACK AND GYBE, November 9, 2010.  Buddy Melges takes us on practice sail and starts out with 50 tacks and then 50 gybes.  Wow!  If I did this a couple of times!

7) THE LASER SAILOR AND 10,000 HOURS, October 29, 2010.  This is a look at the time and experience that is necessary to be good at anything.  Another WoW!

So I will leave that for today and try and fit the others in to the next few of days.
Still can't get the link to work.
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LASERS GYBE IN HIGHER WINDS

The recent note about sailing in high winds did not talk about the gybe. So let me touch on some points. 1) Get the boat going fast. Down a wave or in a gust, you want the apparent wind with less force. 2) Induce the turn with a little windward heel (let out some sheet). 3) Turn with the rudder into a shallow S turn so that you are turning straight again as the boom is coming over and you are moving to the new windward side. 4) Then level the boat as you turn more downwind and make the hand exchange.




You will be toward the back of the cockpit to help keep the bow up. The turn with the rudder into the gybe with the windward heel, will help elevate the bow so the boat turns more easily on the stern sections.
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LASERS IN HIGH WINDS.

CAPSIZE AND HIGH WIND ADVICE.

If your life jacket can catch on the boom, then wear a shirt over the jacket to hold it down.

If you fall out of the boat, let go of the tiller extension and hold onto the sheet. You can pull on the sheet to get back to the boat and don’t have to swim after the boat.

Don’t sail alone on windy days.

To Manage storms. 1) Turn down the boat and sit on the high side until the wind gets lighter. Then right the boat and sail home.
2) If home is down wind, let the sail out in front of the boat and let it luff, while you broad reach or run under control. If you have standard sheet, you will have to untie the knot at the end, pass the end through the racket block and retie the end. If you don’t retie the sheet will run out and hard to get back. If you have the knot at the boom block, you can change your mind about sail direction. You can head up and get the sheet end back. If you have a 50 foot sheet you can let the sail all the way out without fooling with the end, but you have to put up with the extra 4 to 6 feet of line in the bottom of the boat the rest of the time.
3) If you need to go upwind in survival situation, get the vang all the way off or unhook it so when you ease the sheet a little the boom will rise. Then close reach back and forth, driving the boat with the bottom half of the sail full and the top in a luff.

Tacking in high winds 1) Be moving fast when you begin the tack. 2) Tack in a flat spot or on the down side of a wave. 3) Turn fast to a close reach, hike, trim in and then get back to close-hauled. 4) If caught in irons, fall off to almost beam reach, trim in fast and try and get going before the wind cranks you back into irons again.

UP WIND AND DOWNWIND.. Try to keep the boat balanced– near flat. If a gust makes you heel, ease the sheet to keep flat before the end of the boom hits the water (too Late). If the boat heels to windward, trim in and bear off or both.

When on a run or reach and fast planing, get the board half way up. A full board can plane up to the surface if it gets a little angle.

When planing move as far back in the boat as you can to get on the more stable stern sections and the bow up.

When on a reach or a run, control the heel by sheeting in or out. If a gust catches you, heeling and forcing you up, sheet out to flatten the boat and gain control.

On a run you are more stable by the lee. Keep the boom in at 70 or 80 degrees from hull midline. You may want to put an extra knot is the sheet there so it won’t go out further if you drop the sheet. Not too much vang as you want some twist at the top of the sail to help prevent accidental gybe.

By the lee is a little more stable, but dead downwind can be really unstable.  So go downwind by the lee or broad reaching.

If the boat heels too much to windward, turn the boat toward the boom with the rudder. This will tend to sink the transom and twist the boat more upright. The worst that will happen is a gybe. Don’t try to head up, like some of us did years ago.

The “death roll” happens when the top of the sail get pointed to windward and starts the boat rolling, and then the apparent wind at the top of the mast kicks in and accelerates the capsize to windward. “Death roll” because it happens so quickly it is hard to control. When the roll starts turn the boat toward the boom with the rudder – see “if the boat heels too much to windward” above.

Now if you turn over to windward and are righting the boat, think about holding onto the centerboard as the boat rights, going under the boat and coming up on the windward side to again right the boat or to just get in. (The San Francisco roll)

In Lake Eustis we have especially sticky mud in the bottom at about 12 feet deep. If you get you mast head into it, it may take two people on the centerboard to get it free or a motor boat to pull the bow forward and downwind.

In general, it takes PRACTICE to make these adjustments and keep the boat level. If you get over a little the boom can quickly get in the water. Time then, to practice “right the boat”

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To practice in higher winds you might want to try the 4.7 and radial and to work your way up to full rig..
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LASERS PRACTICE STARTS

More Buddy Melges suggestions:   Practice the START.   From stopped to close reach and changing gears to going fast close hauled.  It is at the start, that you have the first chance to get out in front with clear air and ability to tack with the wind shifts.

This is the time that the boats are the closest together and a little more acceleration  will  really pay off.  You need to practice this alone and in all kinds of wind conditions.  And you can practice it with a friend and after you get all the details worked out.

It needs to be automatic, so you can be keeping track of your competitors, time and wind shifts when the real starts come up.
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THE LASER SAILOR AND 10,000 HOURS

Malcolm Gladwell in this book explores the lives of people like Mozart , the Beatles, Bill Gates, and other really successful people to find that before success, they had put in at least 10,000 hours of practice (or trial) before they got really good at what they were doing.

10,000 hours is what?  It is an 8 hour day, 5 days a week for almost 5 years with no time off for Christmas or sickness.

Now that is his 10,000 hour rule. That is the minimum that great performance needs.

He thinks no one is just born with the talent.

You have to pay your dues.

So how much sailing

practice and regatta

sailing will you

be doing this

week, month,

or year?

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LASERS SAIL FLAT

This note stolen from Sailing World (November- December 2010) Steve Hunt “Open Your Bag of Tricks”. He notes 10 tricks and I just stopped with number one. “Sail the boat at the optimum angle of heel”.


I love this picture of Steve Cockerel sailing in wind and waves. He is almost flat. Flat is fastest, but with waves and spray, a little heel encourages the foredeck spray to roll off and not all come into the cockpit. He is rocking back and heading up to go over the next wave. Most importantly with the supervang, he is sheeted out a foot or so past the transom, to keep sailing fast and hold the angle of heel. Don’t let the gusts increase your heel. Sheet out and if you are supervanged the mast doesn’t straighten when you sheet out. Now you are going faster. If you heel, you will be doing more leeway, slower and rudder dragging more, as you try to keep going straight.

In less waves try to keep the boat flatter. You might even be able to sail with windward heel which makes the a asymmetrical hull work to weather. When the wind is very light, then weight forward and big time leeward heel to reduce wetted surface. (When you are going slow and not making any waves, then wetted surface is holding you back.) Going down wind, it is max windward heel to get the sail up into more wind and the center over the boat so you don’t need much rudder.

If planing, move way to the back to get the bow up and boat flat. You will be more stable planing on the flatter surfaces at the stern.

So the optimum heel changes around the course, but if you think more about that and get it screwed into your bottom automatic brain, you will have more time to look around and see what is happening on the course. Now you are sailing faster and keeping your “head out of the boat” and into the rest of the race.

Remember sailing fast makes your tactics look great.

Practice “think heel”, if you don’t already.

Now check out the boats ahead of you.

What are they doing?

What heel?
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LASERS SAIL IN HIGHER WINDS

Steve Cockerell (the Boat Whisperer) going up wind.  He called the last day of racing at the Masters a "walk in the Park".
John Bertrand struggled to stay in third for the regatta. Read John's blog "Bertrand Racing". Steve had been sailing close by this sight in England in winds in the 28 kt range.  So do you suppose it is just what you are used to doing?  Does practice pay off??

Notice he is sheeted out a foot and a half from the stern.  I think that is a compass on the deck.  He has his watch on this left hand.  Maybe he uses that coming back down the line on port and has another watch on the mast to look at when he is on Starboard.   Anybody know???
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LASER SAILORS LOOK AROUND

John Bertrand stands up to look around.  Find the pressure.  Plan the course.  You can see things better standing.  John is sailing in England on big water and has his compass handy.  That takes a lot of experience to be able to sail the boat, keep track of the other players, and not be looking at the compass all the time.
There are two guys ahead of him today-- and I wonder if they are "compass guys"?
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