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Sail Faster Workshop - Outline

Sail Faster Workshop - Outline. In the kind of racing we do, the boat that sails the fastest for her rating will usually win . With small fleets of different boats with different speed potentials, tactical situations are minimal. Concentration is the key to going fast. Don't be distracted.

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Sail Faster Workshop - Outline

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  1. Sail Faster Workshop - Outline

  2. In the kind of racing we do, the boat that sails the fastest for her rating will usually win. With small fleets of different boats with different speed potentials, tactical situations are minimal. Concentration is the key to going fast. Don't be distracted. Guiding Principles

  3. Sails • Newton's Laws of Motion I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. II. F=ma where F is an applied vector force and a is the resulting acceleration. M is the mass of the object and F & a are vectors. III. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. • Sails “gather” wind from the side of the boat and direct it aft. That constitutes an acceleration of the wind toward the rear of the boat (F) so there is a reaction on the boat, pushing it forward.

  4. Sails, Continued • John's Rule To the extent possible, try to keep the back portions of the sails parallel to the center-line of the boat. This can't be done very far downwind. • Airplane wings work the same. They deflect air downward to support the aircraft's weight.

  5. Sails & Wings

  6. Sail Trim • Upwind • Trim the jib until it's close to the spreader. • Adjust the jib lead until it luffs evenly top to bottom. • When in doubt, let it out (or head up)! • Remember John' rule. • Do Not Stall the sails.

  7. Stalling – To be Avoided!

  8. KISS – Keep It Simple ... • Minimize tacking unless there is a compelling reason. • More wind over there... • Your best competitors are tacking away • A big wind shift • Minimize gybes....(see above)

  9. Vectors & Scalars • Vectors have Magnitude & Direction • Velocity • Acceleration • Position • Scalars have only Magnitude • Mass • Speed • Volume

  10. Vector Components & Vector Addition

  11. VMG – TWO Kinds

  12. True & Apparent Wind

  13. Watching for Wind • A non-sailor would predict that the boat that sails in the most wind would win. She would usually be right. • Look for wind (dark water or “texture”) and sail toward it.

  14. Best places to make up time • The legs with the lowest VMG are where you should work the hardest to go fast because that's where you will spend the most time. • Make sure you are set up to go to windward as fast as possible, even if you must sacrifice speed on the reaches. • Same for the runs.

  15. If you and I are on a beat, making about 4 knots VMG and I can go 0.1 knot faster, that's like raising my rating 23 s/nm. If we are rocketing down a reach at 7 knots and you can go 7.1 knots that like raising you rating by 7 s/nm. Make Bacon While Going Slow

  16. Improving VMG - Windward • N.B. Jib Luffs are all different. Do not be afraid to sail with the windward tell-tails fluttering, or even with a bubble in the luff but do not stall the sail. • Point up whenever you get an opportunity. You may have a gust or it may be a lift. • Be very slow to bare off just because the jib begins to luff a bit. It may be a lull.

  17. Improving VMG - Windward • Tack fairly slowly. The best VMG you will see all day is in the middle of a tack, and it will help you trimmers get going on the next tack. • If at all possible, get a means of measuring VMG so that you can experiment with steering and trim. • Steer delicately and concentrate, especially in flat water. • Try to steer through waves.

  18. Improving VMG - Windward • Strong wind considerations • Keep the heel reasonable (~20 degrees?) • Ease the traveler down and point high. • To reduce the backwinding of the main, move the jib leads aft • Try to steer through the waves

  19. Improving VMG - Running • Use a whisker pole or a spinnaker • Keep crew weight forward • Adjust the sails - out-haul and backstay loose • Play the waves and gusts • Maintain control of the boat – you are the helmsman.

  20. Improving VMG Reaching • Control is paramount • Crew weight forward • Surf, surf, surf • Use a leeward whisker pole and perhaps even carry a short one for that purpose.

  21. Mark Rounding • Don't give anything up to windward! • Burn excess speed at leeward marks by heading up very fast and high. • Do that even if there is no excess speed, but not so far. • Your jib trimmer will love you for it!

  22. Mainsheet • The mainsheet person steers the boat to a great extent. • Ease the main quickly at the weather marks to help bare off. • Trim fast at the leeward marks to head up fast. • When going to windward, the main trimmer must be careful to not make the boat uncontrollable for the helmsman.

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