LASERS SAILING GETS EASIER

Reported in the recent Sailing World. Dick Rose and the US Sailing racing rules committee proposes some changes in the rules. They say that in some regattas a lot of protests are made. In others none or not many. Some fleets are doing a lot of penalty turns and other fleets not many. They don’t state where the data came from, but they want to fix it.

Three ways: 1) change the two turn to one turn penalty except in the zone except for the start. (Apparently one turns at the start)

2) If protested and didn’t do on water turns, accept fault and receive 20 % penalty or 30% depending on how quickly you do it.

3) A simpler protest procedure.

So, no real change in the rules –just the penalty system.

Talk it over with your fleet. You can use the experimental rules or not. Don’t disappoint the Rules Committee. They will keep meeting.
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LASERS SAIL SMART-- GROUP 6

Actually these are not Laser sailors but MC scow sailors at Lake Eustis
Sailing Club in Florida.

What a good looking bunch!

During the past year I used some material from Buddy Melges book "Sailing Smart"

and I group them together.

Lasers Look Out for the Rules... January 6, 2011

Lasers Sail Early ...January 10, 2011

Lasers and the Melges Start ....   January 14, 2011

So here are the scow sailors along with good advice from the son of the MC scow designer,

but that is another story.

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LASERS AND A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS.

There are a lot of little things (maybe not so little) that you can add to your sailing program.  Let me list a few.  Are your doing any of them?
1.  Be the first one rigged and out sailing to the course.
2.  Stay out and sail longer than anyone else.
3.  Sail more.  Sail more often.
4.  Clean the bottom of the boat.
5.  On a non-race day set the boat up.  Look things over.  Change what you want to have better.
6.  Make a check list of the things that you need to bring from home.
7.  After every race (soon after) make that list of the stuff that you did wrong and add it to the lists after every race.  Then review it regularly.
8.  Bring your rule book with you and maybe your appeals book.  Rules make the game.   If you have a discussion with your friends, you may need the rule book.   Maybe two.   See if you can find the May 28, 2010 blog "Lasers hail protest".  It is labeled  fun and rules.

LASERS LOOK OUT FOR THE RULES.

Thanks again to John Payne Photo.com for the great pictures from Orange Bowl Regatta.

Now we are back to advice from Buddy Melges and "Sailing Smart"...   "My basic racing rule now is that I will never steer myself into a situation that I will know will create a discussion after the race... Any jam up can easily effect my race results no matter who is right."
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LASERS HAIL PROTEST LOUD, CLEAR, AND PROMPTLY.

                                                      In the March - April “Speed and Smarts” David Dellenbaugh tells us all about the protest stuff.

First the requirements:

1) Hail “Protest” loud and clear and promptly.

2) Big boats display a red protest flag. Not Lasers, they just yell.

3) Written protest delivered to the committee before the end of the time limit.

4) Show up at the hearing.



And then he has 16 pages of details.



I remember years ago, when if you fouled some one, you retired from the race and took a last place. After a while they figured out that that spoiled it for everyone with fewer people in the race, so they added the 720 turns and if you hit the mark, just go around it again. Then the mark thing got changed when they figured out that the early mark rounders were rerounding in everyone else way, so they changed that to “get out of the way and do a 360"



Then about 10 year ago a big revision to keep the boats from running into each other.



Before that, if you wanted to prove someone was not keeping clear, just hit them. If you didn’t think you were given enough “mark room”, try to hit both the mark and the offender.



Small boats usually bounce off each other, if they are going in the same direction. Big boats particularly with wave action, tend to have a lot of damage when they hit. So we had this change. We had a year of the “experimental rule” and then the big change. Since that rule change, the number of protest have gone way down. Maybe that is good, but maybe it is harder to learn the rules.



Now the new stuff:

Part 1 Fundamental Rule 2 Fair Sailing. “Recognized principals of sportsmanship and fair play” (Fill in the rest of that yourself.)

Part 2 Section B

14 Avoiding contact.- but not penalized unless the contact causes damage or injury.

15 Acquiring right of way.- initially give the other boat room to keep clear.

16 Changing course. ROW boat changes course , she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.

17 On the same tack, Proper course. Boat to leeward with in two boat lengths will not sail above her proper course.



So if you go into a protest meeting you always have that difficult job of deciding if the ROW boat gave enough room, sailing above the proper course, or sailing fairly.



Remember you are doing this thing for FUN. Try to win by sailing fast and smart and follow the rules the best you can. Things have been a lot worse.



If you think winning a big regatta will depend on you winning a protest, then get Dellenbaugh’s 16 pages. Then read the rule book a number of times. See if you can figure out what “Fair Sailing” is and what they mean by “clearly established”. When you read the rule book, it will help to read with a second rule book open, because in part 1 and Part 2 included in a rule is a reference to another rule by number 33 times (my count) and you will have to look up each one to understand the first one.



Now you will not really understand what they are talking about, until you get and read the latest appeals book.



For the ordinary sailor, I suggest Sam’s list of rules “howtossailthelaser” October 9, 2009 “Laser rules of the road”and with diagrams. Doesn’t cost as much as a rule book either.



Get out and sail the boat. Get your boat handling down, sail fast, play the shifts, and stay in the pressure. Don’t depend on the rules.



Talk about the rules with your friends when you need to. Occasionally you may have to yell “PROTEST” at some dummy. More likely that will distract you from sailing fast and smart, and if you get into the protest meeting you only have a 50-50 chance of being right.



Then remember coming up against those angry, obnoxious, dumb folks that fouled you is an opportunity to exercise you understanding and forgiveness. Make them your friends and keep on having fun.

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LASERS TALK TO EACH OTHER

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When I sailed on a J24. I had an assigned person to do the talking so that the helm and trim people were not distracted.

On a Laser you need to do some talking. This is a game played by devoted people like yourself. they are brothers and sisters in this world of sliding forward through the water, squeezed by the forces of the wind. If they are not friends, then you have a spiritual challenge to get with it. Make them friends.

When you are on starboard in the port-starboard situation, warn them.

If you are the leeward boat speak up to the windward boat.

If you are tacking close, call out. Let them know.

If you need to tack for an obstruction, the rules require you to hail.

We often have problems at the leeward mark "zone".

If you think you may have inside overlap, ask the outside boat "Do I have an overlap?" If they say "yes", expect that they will give you room. (On bigger boats the folks ahead have a better view of overlap.)

If they say "no overlap", then bear off behind them and prepare to pass them on the next leg.

When you are half way down the leeward leg, start heading for the left side of the zone (Boat A in illustration) at the leeward mark. That sets you up to be the inside boat of boats entering straight and from the right (Boats C and D). A boat that has a marginal overlap on your left side will have the overlap broken if you turn to the mark just as you enter the zone (A3).

Call out to them that they have no overlap when you do that. The ones that are coming in from the right-- call out to them "inside give me room". If you are on starboard you can do a tactical rounding. If you are starboard leeward boat you can do a tactical rounding. If you are port tack and the windward boat you have to do a "seaman like rounding" i. e. close to the mark.

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Speak out loud and clear, so your friends know what you are doing.

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LASERS ARE HARD WORK

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Marlin Burnham listed seven virtues as general advice..
1) Commitment.--- get to the races.
2) Dedication --- work every day at it.
3) Hard Work--- get busy and get it done.
4) Team work --- spread the load.
5) Follow through--- check to see that it gets finished.
6) Playing by the Rules -- be fair, be good.
7) Planning ahead --- Work the stuff today, but look ahead too.

1, 2 and 3 sound like sort of the same thing-- why do you suppose?
7).-- I plan to tell you about that tomorrow.
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LASERS LOOK UP AGAIN

Yes, I did put trim stripes on the sail. I used the top mast as a straight end and drew them on with a magic marker.

Yes, it is easier to see the camber and where the draft is when you are playing with the controls.

Let me warn you that it is probably illegal-- particularly if you go faster after you put them on.

Anything in the rules that is allowed is allowed. If the rules don't say then it probably not allowed. If you do things that make you slow--nobody cares. If someone thinks this makes you faster then it will be illegal..

Probably no one will care, if I have them on-- we will see.

If you want to try it, put the strip on with plastic electrical tape and then when they protest you can peel it off.

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LASER AT THE FINISH

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NOW REFER TO THE POST BELOW MY PICTURE...and then

Yes, at the finish there is the zone at both ends of the line.
So a port tack boat coming in at the pin end can't peel a windward boat off at the pin, but needs to give him "mark room".
AND starboard tack boat coming in to the boat end of the line can't peel a windward boat off at the boat. Give them "mark room".
NOW you know as much about the rules as I do.
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LASERS NEAR THE ZONE

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Two days ago here in Florida, we were discussing inside at the zone and stuff like that.. So here is what you need to do (according to Sam).

In a marginal overlap near the down wind mark, the person inside asks the outside boat, "do I have the overlap". (On a bigger boat the helm on the ahead boat has the best view.) If he replies "Yes and I am giving you mark room." That solves that problem.

If he says "No overlap", just turn down behind him/her, and get ready in case they mess up the mark rounding.

If you are the inside boat and have a pretty good overlap, be sure to tell the outside person. He may be thinking about something else or looking the other way.

If you are the boat ahead and you are near the zone, you can volunteer the information. "Overlap and giving room" or "No overlap, stay out." We need to do some talking back and forth before the zone, not as two or three boats or more are trying to get around it together.

At the windward mark, the zone in only good for two situations, both port tack. The starboard tack guys have automatic, windward boat keeps clear-- nothing new there.

If two or more overlaped port tack boats are coming into the zone, the windward ones can claim "mark room" and not get scrapped off on the buoy.

If the port tack boats meet any starboard tackers in the zone, they have to be careful tacking in front or below them, because if after they tack, the starboard folks have to do something to miss them, the tacking ones have committed a foul. This is a rule to try and clean up the windward mark roundings, especially for larger boats.

So talk to you friends on the other boats. AND if Sam is there, speak up. The old guy is a little deaf.

Is there a zone at the mark on the finish line? I will look it up, and tell you tomorrow.
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WHEN FOR LASER RULES....

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Racing rules start with the PREPARATORY signal. At Lake Eustis Laser with a three minute sequence, it is the 2 minute signal with the "blue peter" flag (blue with white square in middle). In the Five minute sequence it is at the 4 minute signal..

After that, anytime you hit a mark or committee boat you need to do a penalty - get clear of other boats and do a 360 degree turn with one tack and one gybe.

If you foul another boat, then it is a 720 turn with two tacks and two gybes. If the foul happens before the start, you can do the turns before the start.

You finish by part of your boat going across the finish line. The boat doesn't need to cross the line, but you need to not hit the buoy or the committee boat. If you do then you have to do the 360 turn and recross the line from the course side.

Do your penalty turns-- it proves you are a good person and interested in the game.

After you have finished and not hit the mark, then you can bump into people and the marks again until the next PREPARATORY signal.
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LASER RULES "OF THE ROAD"

Welcome to Sam's rules of the road. (I do this Friday night because I have a little time and this is the blog for Saturday.) I hope you find them easier to use than the rule book, if you are getting started with your sail racing. The red boat is the burdened and the green the go ahead.

I tried to put this note up at the top, but was lucky to get "rules" on in order.

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LASER FUNDAMENTAL RULE 2 REGATTA

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Yesterday we had the First Annual Fundamental Rule 2 Regatta and it was a great success. There were three sailors that for the first time sailed the race course. They were out in maybe force 3.5 wind with 4.7 sails. The most wind they had sailed in.

The Fundamental Rule 2 rules were in effect. Youth and women start first and the others later. No roll tack. No roll gybe. First one to the mark rounds first. No shouting. No yelling. The first near finish wait for the others so we all finish together. We help each other get the boats out. Then Pizza, Greek Salad, Spinach pie, Ice Cream and cake.

The down side is that we discovered that some of us wanted to WIN. Or if we didn't today, then next week or next year.

Now we have slipped down that slope to better and better, trying harder and harder.

We will be back to regular racing this weekend, but could have the Second Annual Fundamental Rule 2 thing again anytime.
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FUN AND LASER SAILING

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Yesterday was all about the year long hard work to sail better. We just had this little episode that I thought might be fun to report here-- to contrast with yesterdays PROFESSIONAL thing. I will change the names and modify it some to protect the innocent.

Wednesday evening our first cold front came in with light wind from the north moving a little northeast after Sam put the marks in.


Our bathrooms, kitchen and tile floor in the club house got a coat of paint Wednesday afternoon. It looks wonderful for the Catamaran regatta this week end, but it (WET PAINT) cancelled the Pizza and North U for this past Wednesday.


We had a good bunch out. Sort of in order of appearance K. K., A. A., N. D., J.R., J. J. and an adult woman student R. C. , all in Lasers and then G. L. and C. R. in the Ray Green Rebel. We had the Tennis Player for the Rebel ride, but she had a look around – then drove off for home. We had some marks out that some used and some didn't. I think everyone had a good time, even during the glassy water before sunset. That glassy water with the magic sailing, when you are moving without any really noticeable wind. I like that getting something for nothing.


I think the gradient wind and then the cool temperatures blocked the sea breezes we usually have that time of day.

The boats got put away as the sun set, the sky and the lake turned red – maybe they just looked red. Great time, you should come for that, even if you don’t do the magic sailing.

This little group had so much fun just sailing the boats without all the advanced rocking and rolling that I am afraid to let them see the Advanced Laser DVD. Instead I think next Wednesday I will hold the First Annual LESC Fundamental Rule 2 Regatta. The Fundamental Rule 2 is "recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play". Look it up..


Under this program no roll tacks or roll gybes. Women and children go first at the start and the others follow. No arguments at the marks. The first ones go first. No bumping. No shouting. The fast folks wait at the finish line and we all go over together.

We help each other put the boats away and then it is Pizza, Greek salad, Spinach Pie with cake and Ice Cream in honor of whoever has the nearest birthday. M. J. has her 39th coming up the following week. Do we have any others in early October?

If the Fundamental Rule 2 thing is the big hit I expect, we might have the World Championships here at LESC. If the folks that have the patent on the title "World" complain, then we will, like good sports, let them hold it.

You are all invite to join in, MCs, Cs, Scots, Wayfarers, Portsmouth, good sports that we are.
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LASER HONESTY

Nobody saw me touch that windward mark with the end of my boom, but I have always admired those honest trustworthy guys that accept cheerful their penalty. (Besides I remember the days, along time ago, when you sailed home if you touched the mark.) So I did the 360 turn. Then I tried to do a little surfing on our little waves. I am chasing the folks ahead. Yes, I could get an occasional surge.

The Lasers ahead of me are in a pile at the leeward mark. The wind at the end of the run is coming in from my left. The second one rounding catches the transom on the gybe and has trouble trimming in. The third guy is caught outside him. That second guy has left me a gap between him and the mark.

Rounding with a preliminary sheeting gybe, close hauled at the mark, got in my tack right away, and on a lift to the finish.

Second place- my best score all week.

File under 1)Honesty is the best policy. 2) Sail the boat man, keep it going. 3) Head out of the boat and see what is going on. 4) Before rounding the mark: a. know where the next mark is and b. visualize your close hauled heading. 5) Boat handling.

LASERS AT THE ZONE.

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The zone is three boat lengths. Did you pace it off and get a good look at it? The zone is not painted in the water. Laser folks need to be civil and talk it out.

During the last half of the run, I am heading for the left side of the zone, not for the mark. If I have someone with a marginal overlap when I reach the left side of the zone, I make a right 90 degree turn and that breaks the overlap as I enter the zone without the overlap.

I need to tell him that!

If he thinks that we reached the zone before that, he needs to be talking to me.

We are sailing (mostly) with our friends and let's be honest and friendly. (Tomorrow I will tell you how that pays off.) If the other boat has much of an overlap and we are both doing the starboard tack hard by the lee thing, all he has to do is come up claiming leeward boat as he takes my wind, forces me up, goes ahead and heads for the mark.

If he comes in on port tack, I can go at him on starboard till he gybes over or we go into the zone.

Be kind. Be friendly. There is more race left. Next race, it may be you trying to get to the mark first.

Don't mess around too much and let those other folks either get ahead or catch up.
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