LASERS PRACTICE STARTS

Recent "Speed and Smarts" news letter told the story of Dave Dellenbaugh's trip to the Lightning circuit and his preparation.   And his practices...

Practice number two, after spinnaker handling, was STARTING.

How many of you practice starting?

He had an interesting system.   Find or put out an anchored buoy to be the starting line and then set up to leeward and to the right of the buoy.  Start your watch for ten minutes and try to be at the "line" in one minute and at full speed.   A few seconds past the line, circle back and repeat at the next minute.  

When you get that down pretty well, move your set up point closer and closer to the buoy to see how little distance and time you need to get up to full speed.

At the start you are closer to all you competition than any other time in the race. 
Shouldn't you be at your fastest and best?   Well, get out and practice.

Dave doesn't comment about the last race in the series, when he lost the lead....I may tell you about that next time.

LASER LIST FOR 2011 #4

Number four is "LASERS START FAST"  APRIL 14, 2011

Nothing like a good start to get you out where you can work you plan.

If you have trouble moving out fast, review this and get some practice in. 

My pick for number three coming up tomorrow.

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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 TIME THE LINE

I have been looking for a new suggestion to help us all out, but in looking back through all this stuff I think I should just pick out some important ones.

Time the line.  One of the four things to check before each start.  Not only will it give you a good idea about how to get to the other end if the wind changes, but a feel for how much distance you go in a certain time and how to position yourself with the rest of the fleet.  Sail other little distances and guess how much time and then check it.   Dennis Conner was always guessing and checking time and distance.

Try it.  Everyone needs better starts.
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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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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 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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DELLENGAUGH TALKS TO LASERS

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In the December Speed and Smarts Dave Dellenbaugh tells how he sailed away with the Thistle Championship.
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Startegizing, starting, boat prep, tactical moves, and speed testing.
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Working for speed 1) New Sails. 2) Get the mast straight. 3) Clean the hull.
4) Speed test with a friend. Mark the fast points. (2010 rules allow Laser to mark up mast, booms and hull for fast points. Not sails yet.)5) Get everything as light as you can.
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Avoid breakdowns.. Check all you lines and equiment and replace if warn.
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Starting avoid the crowded ends. Get line of sight and be near the line.
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Sail fast up the middle and work the shifts.
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If you are fast it will make everything else look good.
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Suprise anyone??
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Subscribe at www.speedandsmarts.com if you want to read all 16 pages.
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LASER SEMINARS

Meka Taulbee sent us two DVDs. One is from the 2007 and 2008 Seminars at Clearwater, Florida. 82 minutes of drills, tacks, gybes, mark rounding. All the stuff, many of it wrong, but with Kurt's Comments. The "Sail with out a rudder" is really worth seeing and many other little comments about how to do things better. It is an interesting look at that side of boat handling. Kurt has done a 5 day Seminar here in Eustis, Florida and is well thought of. Tillerman attended at least one in Clearwater and was impressed. Some of the stuff I stole from Kurt and is in the blog.
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The other is "Daring Downwinds-- Clearwater Pass". When the tide is ripping out the pass and a big sea breeze is coming in this is a crazy place to be sailing and you get to see them doing it, and not doing it. Big wipe outs. If anyone finds out what happened when it look to me like a Laser hit the bridge and Kurt says "Oh, my God", and then switches to sailor, let me know.
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LASERS GET OLD.

There is a tendency for Lasers that get old, to be soft in the deck and on the bottom. They will be slow in chop and gusting conditions, but you don't need to break the bank for a new boat with all the fancy stuff. Grab an old soft boat some place with some kind of sail to go with it . Find a fleet someplace. Get busy and chase the guys and gals at the end of the group. Win the start and see how long you can hang in there with the top dogs. If you end up winning some races be sure to help the others figure out how to do it. You will find it is no fun winning races, if you don't have to sail hard to do it.

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DO LASERS NEED TWO WATCHES?

Anna on port tack in China. Is that the big yellow faced watch on her right wrist? I think that is a dark faced one on the mast.

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In the second picture at a start, I see masts of five boats and four of them have the watch on the mast. If you are on port tack you can't read that baby.

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Maybe when I go to the Olympics I will get a second watch.

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LASERS CHASE THE RABBIT

This is the start of the 505 race in San Francisco. Picture poorly stolen from the recent Sailing World. You can see the "pathfinder" (rabbit) on port tack closehauled and closely followed by the committee motor flying their flag (hard to see). The boats on Starboard cross behind the motor boat to start. A good way to start a large aggressive fleet with out a lot of recalls.

Informal rabbit races start with just the rabbit starting from the leeward mark (helps to have whistle or some sound signal saying this is the start.). The other boats line up along the port tack lay line and start by passing behind the rabbit. As soon as everyone has passed behind the rabbit can continue in the race to the windward mark. If you lack a committee boat, everyone takes their own finishes at the agreed on place.

This takes a little practice to find the spot along the lay line and you need to explain before going out on the water to those that don't understand the rabbit thing.

A more informal rabbit thing is just to tell the slowest boat "you are the rabbit" and get them started up wind and everyone else just join in behind.

Happy, chase the rabbit.
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LOOK DOWN ON LASERS

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In the May 2008 Sailing World, Gary Jobson reported on watching races from the up high in some sort of airplane.

Noted was the importance of getting up to speed at the start. The last 20 seconds he said in the big boats. In the Laser it would be the last 5 seconds.

He noted that wind shadows affected more boats than he had thought before. The worst blanketing effects extended from the stern to about 5 boat lengths to leeward.

On short windward-leeward courses boats were constantly approaching each other. As they approached each other, the most disciplined, upwind sailed lower and faster, and downwind higher and faster. The boats moving the fastest seemed to come out of most of these encounter the best.

Soooo, get out of the gate in the first 5 seconds, watch the folks to windward for wind shadows, and when anyone is around be sure you are sailing a little extra fast.
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OCCASIONAL LASER PRACTICE

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For the Sailor that has occasional Laser practices, what should he work at most? The group is long with roll tack, roll gybe, windward mark rounding, by the lee sailing, leeward mark rounding and start practice.

I would pick STARTING to be sure it is included. You need to be able to stop the boat. Hold position and then get rolling. You need to be doing it next to the other sailors in your group. You need to be doing it as good or better than them. You have to have a handle on the timing.
It will be different in each wind and wave combination.

It is probably more complicated than the other projects above.

Maybe it is what Elstrom meant by you like to play with your boat.
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MORE LASER POSITION ON THE LINE

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I have some previous material about were to start on the line. Probably worth another note.

At the boat end you can always tack out for free air or to go to the right.

At the pin end, if the line is square, you have free air. It is the only spot, if the line is full, with free air. Everyone else will be getting back wind or suffering from a lee bow person just below them. The bad thing is that you are stuck for a little while on starboard going left. The place to be if you want to go left.

In the middle there is usually a sag. Not as crowded. So you have a better chance of getting a good run at the line and speed at the start. You will have a little better chance of getting over to port tack than the people near the pin.

Often the conservative start is toward the middle from the favored end.

A lot is going to depend on your boat handling. Can you stop? Can you hold your position? Can you get going at full speed quick? Can you time the whole thing so you are at the line at full speed at the start?

If you start late? Maybe best at the boat, but get going as soon as you can.
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LASERS STARTING AT THE PIN

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We may have covered this before, but this past week we had a couple of jams at the pin, when we had a big left wind shift before the start.

Is it safe to be on starboard at the pin in a big left shift? .. Probably not .

1) You will be going the wrong way.

2) If the shift is big you will have trouble getting by the mark.

3) If you get by the mark, you will probably be pinned by the other starboard tackers on your stern quarter. You will be waiting for them to tack.

4) Try coming across on port-- take some sterns. You will be going the "right" way and ready for the shift back.

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LASER CROSS THE FLEET AT THE START

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We were discussing the problem of crossing the fleet at the start from the pin end when you have a big left wind shift or if the RC just has the line that way.

Luke Yates, our local Opti cross the fleet ace, wouldn't/couldn't tell us how to do it, but I will offer these suggestions.

1) Keep checking for wind direction by head to wind or close hauled heading.
2) Stay were you can reach the pin.
a) Along the line. Don't get more than a boat length below or if you get a big left shift, you will be beating to the pin.
b) You can go and set up at the pin, but that may draw a crowd with you.
c) If you stay within reach you can go for it as time is running out.
d) If you hang out in the middle of the line, you can do a port tack approach to the committee boat end or a starboard tack run to the pin.

If it works it is fun, but be ready to duck or tack back if you don't have enough room to get by the good starters on starboard tack.
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