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PREPARE YOUR BOAT FOR SPEED

The following tips come from an article “Prepare Your Boat For Speed” written by a good friend of Sailing to Win and sailing legend, David Dellenbaugh www.speedandsmarts.com The top sailors have all but won any regatta before it starts because they’ve prepared themselves and their boats so well. – Paul Elvstrom In sailboat racing, success often depends more on what you’ve done before a race rather than on what you do during the race. Even if you have the best tactics and strategy in the fleet, you won’t finish first if your bottom is slow or if your tiller extension breaks on the last beat. No matter what type of racing you do, it’s important to get every ounce of speed out of your boat. In one-designs all the boats are nearly identical, so you have to look for any little advantage you can get. One of the best ways to improve speed is by fine-tuning your hull and equipment. Certain ideas, like keeping your boat dry while racing to save weight, will have a direct impact on speed. Other ideas, such as adjusting your hiking straps properly, make it easier to sail your boat and will thus help speed. Still other ideas, like taping the places where a chute might rip, will prevent breakdowns.

Make Improvements To Your Boat

I do not claim to be an expert boat mechanic, but I do get excited about making improvements to my boat. And being prepared definitely helps me feel more confident. A pre-regatta wet sanding of my hull may not improve my speed very much, but it does give me a psychological boost. With this in mind, here is a brainstorm of tips, tricks and techniques that can give you a physical and mental “preparation edge” over your competition. These won’t all work on every boat, but at least some of them will work on any boat. By themselves, many of these ideas will probably not have a noticeable effect on your speed. But if you systematically make as many small changes as possible, the cumulative effect can be significant. SAILING TO WIN BOOK & BONUSES

Cut some slack

Shorten all your sheets, halyards and control lines as much as possible. This will reduce weight and minimize the amount of clutter in your boat. Use a magic marker or electrical tape to put reference marks on each line. Make a mark on your spinnaker halyard at full hoist and marks on your jib sheets as guidelines for rough trim.

Tweak your mainsheet

On light-air days, use a smaller diameter mainsheet, so it will run through the blocks more easily. Turn off your ratchet and consider making the mainsheet 2:1 or 3:1 instead of 3:1 or 4:1. If your mainsheet runs aft underneath the boom, attach a loop or two of duct tape, webbing or sailcloth around the boom to hold the sheet up so the skipper won’t get strangled on tacks or jibes.

Tweak your chute

On boats smaller than a J-24, tie the sheets to the spinnaker instead of using shackles. This saves weight and prevents accidental releases. In light air, keep your sheets and spinnaker dry until the race starts.

Help your halyards

Use a low-stretch line or wire for your halyards to minimize stretch. On smaller boats, tie the hoisting end of the spinnaker halyard to a fixed point so it won’t twist or knot while the chute is set.

Customize your straps

Adjust your hiking straps for crew height and wind conditions, and test them before each race. Use shock cord to hold them close to their normal hiking position so it’s easy to find them after tacks. Check your hiking strap attachment points for chafe, and be sure knots are tied tightly.

Tape your rig

Use electrical tape to cover sharp parts of the rig where sails may tear and to hold ring pins in place. To prevent tape ends from unravelling and flapping in the breeze, dab on a little silicon sealant to hold them in place.

Support your centreboard

Shim the head of your centreboard (or the inside of your centreboard trunk) to get a tight fit. You can use specially made Teflon strips or get stick-on Velcro strips and use the fuzzy side in your trunk. Mark your centreboard (1/4, 1/2, 3/4) so you’ll know how far up or down it is while sailing. STW FOR YOU & ANOTHER FOR A SAILING BUDDY

Rudder

Be sure the rudder catch will keep your rudder in the boat if you capsize. Work hard at getting a smooth, positive feel between your wheel or tiller and rudder. Put marks on the wheel so you know how many degrees of helm you have. For a tiller, use a solid rubber universal, and make sure the tiller fits very tightly onto or into the rudder head. Make sure the hiking stick universal is not cracked as this is a common failure. To extend its life, coat it with lubricating oil or sun protection cream.

Make cleats friendly

Mount your control cleats so lines are easy to adjust from a hiked position on either side. When putting your boat away, don’t leave lines in cam cleats because this wears out the springs. If you have “clam” cleats, use metal cleats (instead of plastic) because these hold much better and last longer. On smaller boats, adjust your main cam so the jaws are just below the mainsheet when you are trimming it from a hiked-out position. You want to cam low enough so the sheet won’t automatically go into the cleat, but high enough so you can get enough leverage to put the sheet into it occasionally.

Draft some stripes

Draft stripes (horizontal lines across your sails) are a good way to visualize sail shape. These should be positioned at roughly 33% and 67% (or 25%, 50% and 75%) up the luff of the main and jib/genoa. Add a short vertical cross-hatch at 50% aft on each stripe to help you gauge the position of the maximum draft. It can also help to put short draft stripes on the spinnaker (perpendicular to each leech about 1/3 of the way down) to help you visualize the luff shape and curl.

Use an old chute

Find or buy an old spinnaker that you can use for practice. Bring this out on race days and use it before the start so you won’t rip, soak or have to re-pack your good chute. Then leave it on a support boat.

Think battens

Make sure the most flexible end of each batten is inserted into the pocket first. I carry a couple spare battens in case one pops out or breaks during the race day. These spares should vary in stiffness so they can double as light or heavy-air battens. If you have battens in your jib, check to be sure these aren’t broken.

Use flag decals

Buy stick-on decals that show all the race signal flags with their meanings, and mount it in your cockpit. This way you won’t be scratching your head when the RC makes a signal you don’t recognize.

Scribble on deck

Bring a grease pencil to record race info on the deck where you can easily see it. Things you might write down include the starting sequence, course info, tide times, wind bearings and reminders about how to sail fast and smart. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Draw tacking lines

On boats that are at least 20 feet long or so with a flat deck area, put tacking lines on each side of your cockpit. You can draw these on with a marker and protractor, or stick on ones that you can buy commercially. Tacking lines are great for help with laylines and ladder rungs, both upwind and down.

Prepare your telltales

On your jib or genoa, place telltales about 150 to 300mm aft of the jib luff. I prefer lightweight yarn attached with a small circle of sail repair tape. I like having three sets of telltales from head to foot, and I make sure they’re away from seams so they won’t get stuck. Use different coloured yarn on each side (red for port and green for starboard is logical). Put starboard-side telltales slightly higher than those on port so you can tell them apart. On your mainsail, put a telltale on the end of the top batten and use this to gauge leech tension. I also use a telltale halfway up the main luff and a couple feet aft of the mast to help with reaching trim. For tangle-free telltales on shrouds, attach yarn to a plastic bushing that rotates around the shroud and is held up by a small wrap of tape. To get rid of static electricity, spray yarn telltales lightly with lubricant. One other good telltale spot is on the topping lift just above the pole attachment (easy reference for chute trimming).

Toss extra stuff

Keep your overall weight to a minimum by removing any unnecessary gear. Store essential gear where a) it won’t get wet and heavy (sometimes I use a plastic garbage bag for this), and b) it’s low and as close to the keel or centreboard as possible (to minimize pitching moment).

Drink and be war

Sailors, like all athletes, need fluids to keep from getting dehydrated. Get a water bottle with a pop-up spout for every crewmember (write their names on them), and mount holders around the boat where they’re easy for the crew to reach. If you sail in salt water, be sure to wash your boat thoroughly after each day of sailing to keep all moving parts salt-free and dirt-free.

Stay dry

I never understood why sailors work so hard to get rid of every unnecessary ounce and then sail around the course with water in their bilge. The lesson is you should always sail your boat as dry as possible. Get the right equipment (e.g. sponge, bailer, bucket, pump) so you can start every race with your bilge dry. If you have automatic bailers, make sure they move up and down easily, don’t leak and are flush with the bottom. On rough days, it may be best to leave them open for the entire race. Make sure flotation tanks are bone dry and air-tight. Check port covers and plugs before sailing each day to be sure they are tight.

Make marks

Stick on or draw numbered reference scales along the outhaul, jib tracks, halyards and so on. These are important so you can easily duplicate settings that you know are fast from the past. They will also help you improve communication with your skipper or crew about trim. For example, you might say, “Move the jib lead aft to #4.”

Add a mini-sprit

On some boats, the spinnaker sheet often goes under the bow, creating a real speed and boat handling problem. To prevent this, consider adding a short, blunt “bowsprit” sticking out a few inches to hold it up. A short piece of batten or bent coat hanger will work for this.

Go on breakdown patrol

Breakdowns are the enemy of good race results, so work hard to prevent them. Identify areas on your boat where breakdowns are most likely, and check these a few days before every regatta. Then inspect them again each race morning. If you sail more than one race in a day, go over your list again between races (especially if it’s windy).

Carry a Ditty Bag

Bring out a small bag of supplies and/or tools you might need during a race. This would include things like tape, a knife, marker, grease pencil, sail repair tape etc. Try to keep this lightweight and appropriate to the size of the boat you are racing. When the race is over, remember that this is the time to start preparing for your next race. On the way in from the finish, begin writing a list of things that need to be fixed, or ideas for improvement. In between regattas, talk to the competitors in your fleet, and spend some time perusing the docks or dry-sail area. You will undoubtedly come away with a few new tricks to try. And these little things will help you go faster!

The Importance Of The Start

Photo – Andrea Francolini The Importance Of The Start – It’s no secret that the importance of the start is the key to a successful regatta. Good starts give you the best chance of sailing your own race and being able to implement your pre-determined strategy. When you start poorly, you are dictated to by the fleet and are constantly searching for a clear lane. In most cases, you are sent where you don’t want to go and more often than not, end up on the wrong side of the course. SAILING TO WIN BOOK AND BONUSES

Goals for a Good Start – The Importance Of The Start

  • Be moving at full speed on the gun, be on the line and have clear air.
  • Sailing toward the favoured side of the course with a wide lane of clear air.
  • Start as close to the favoured end of the line without massive traffic and have space below to enable you to put the bow down.

Determine the Favoured End

  • Do a head-to-wind in the centre of the line to work out which end of the line your bow points more closely to. That is the end that is favoured.
  • With a compass, sail along the starting line on starboard tack. Note the compass reading, then turn the boat head-to-wind and note the compass reading. If the heading is less than 90 degrees greater than the compass course down the line, the pin is favoured. If the number is more than 90 degrees, the boat end is favoured.

Deciding Where To Start

The favoured end may not always be the best place to start. You must weigh up whether there are large clumps of boats slowing each other down and creating a potential wind shadow. Only a small number of boats can emerge sailing at full speed from a large group. The bigger the pack, the worse your odds of escaping with a good start. If the racecourse is biased to one side due to current or geographic wind effects, the favoured side of the course may be closer to the unfavored end of the starting line. When the pin is favoured, but the wind is oscillating, starting at the favoured end can make it difficult to get onto port tack. If this happens, you end up headed on starboard and eventually out of phase. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Be Prepared to Change Your Strategy

Smart sailors know how and when to reorder their priority list because every race presents a different set of conditions. There are times when the favoured end is closest to the favoured side of the course and it is better to just bite the bullet, start in the pack, and take your chances. Even the fastest boats go slow when they are stuck in packs of boats. Regatta winners often gain their advantage early in each race. They avoid problems at the start that can keep them from sailing at full speed.

Do Your Own Thing

A good start only works when it’s done in conjunction with your upwind strategy. Before the start, think about which side of the racecourse is favoured, where you want to go, and why. If you want to go left, continue on starboard tack after you start. If you like the right side, look for opportunities to tack to port and get out to the right. The advantage of finding a less crowded spot on the line is the freedom you get to follow your game plan.

Simple Rules – The Importance Of The Start

  1. Find a clear comfortable spot on the starting line and be prepared to tack or gybe away to get a spot with clear air.
  2. Have enough space to allow you to accelerate to full speed by the time you hit the line.
  3. With 30 seconds to go create as much space to leeward as possible.

GET SAILING FIT

  With the sailing season fast approaching in the Southern Hemisphere, and winter series in the North it’s time to get sailing fit. Physical demands of high-performance sailboats and the weight limits in many one-design means that fitness is in the spotlight.

Design of a Specific Sailing Program

Being robust and resistant to injury should be the primary factor when devising a strength & conditioning program. Seek professional help to create a program to focus on your sailing discipline. Current strengths and weaknesses will be assessed and will be taken into account before you start. CLICK FOR FREE SAILING GLOVES

Physical Attributes Required For Sailing

Aerobic Capacity – Get Sailing Fit

Aerobic capacity is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use during intense exercise. Sailors need to tolerate repeated efforts over a varied time frame being the duration of a race. This of course depends on the type of boat they sail with off-the-beach boats and sport boats being the most demanding.. An example would be grinding. Being able to sustain this action over an extended period requires endurance and an efficient aerobic system.

Agility – Get Sailing Fit

Agility is one of the most overlooked physical attributes in sailing and is difficult to replicate in a gym setting. Attempting to be too specific is often where sailors and their coaches fall short. There are many examples of complicated agility drills that could be simplified for less time investment.

Balance

Balance and agility are required when moving from different positions on the boat while sailing in varying wind and sea conditions. Attaining balance is a non-transferrable skill. The way that balance is required on the boat is highly unpredictable so training for balance is a waste of time. Time spent sailing in various conditions is the best way to develop balance.

Strength – Get Sailing Fit

Develop strength with structural balance in mind and this goes hand in hand with robustness and injury resistance. Sailing athletes are often ‘pull’ dominant. Muscular structures that initiate pulling motions are often overdeveloped relative to ‘push’ dominant muscles producing numerous muscular imbalances. It is also important to focus on posture as more often than not this will limit strength long term and put the sailor at greater injury risk. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Training

A serious sailor should allocate time to train around 3 sessions per week. Complete Aerobic capacity sessions on either the same day after sessions also later in the day or on separate days.

Top Eight Sailing Exercises – Get Sailing Fit

I looked at plenty of sailing workout routines and selected several based on simplicity and adherence to the above principles.  The most common exercises in these plans are:
  1. Sailing on a windy day
  2. Hiking on a bench or ball
  3. Chin-ups or lat pulls
  4. Inverted rows
  5. Leg extensions or squats with leg curls for muscle balance
  6. Sit-ups, planks, or leg lifts with back extensions for muscle balance
  7. Rowing
  8. Cycling, Running, or Elliptical

CREWING – HOW TO GET INVITED BACK

When you are crewing, the best way to get invited back is to arrive at the boat with a positive attitude, fully prepared and in a great mood. The next thing to ensure you are asked back is a willingness to listen and learn from your teammates. Contribute to the day’s race, offer suggestions and share information without upsetting the people who you are sailing with.

Preparing For The Day’s Race.

This should start before you leave home. Have a decent breakfast, put together on board snacks and drinks (unless the boat you sail on has that in hand). Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly, packing the right onboard gear necessary to cope with the weather for that day. CLICK FOR FREE SAILING GLOVES

Arriving At The Boat

Don’t hang around the clubhouse gossiping and catching up with mates, you are there to sail. Make sure you get to the boat early and be prepared to do any job that is asked of you. This is the best time to familiarise yourself with the boat and its systems so you won’t get caught out in a pressure situation. Find out who is the person in charge and ask what you are doing on the boat and what needs to be done and get into it. If other crew members are lurking about don’t join them, start getting sails ready, and gear stowed. If not sure, ask, there is plenty of time to socialise once the jobs are done.

Heading Out

Once you have left the beach or Marina start thinking about the race and finding out about the course, and competitors to watch out for and what to expect so you can get your head in the right space. Ask about any idiosyncrasies of the boat that may not be obvious. Get to know the positions and strengths of your crewmates. Listen and don’t be boastful about your own abilities. You may well be sailing with some very capable but quiet crewmates who can teach you plenty. On the way out to the racecourse, find out what sails you’re putting up. Then, while warming up on the course, discuss boat setup and racecourse features. Find out where the boat needs weight placed in different circumstances to give the best boatspeed and be ready to move without being asked. As an example, does the boat perform best slightly heeled or dead flat upwind?

The Start Sequence

Every helmsperson and team have different procedures and techniques for starting a race. Find out what is normal so that when an emergency manoeuvre is necessary you are not blindsided and have no idea what to do. Do not hope to wing it and don’t be too shy to talk it through with those nearest you.

The Race

Concentrate on the job you have been assigned to and if not sure, ask but always at an appropriate time. Find out what communication the helmsperson or on a larger boat the tactician requires and try not to add something that is not your job. Fewer but concise words are generally the best way to pass on what you have been asked to communicate. It’s best to ask beforehand how they want to receive the information. Communicate what is important based on the current situation, and realise that the situation can change. Above all stay positive even if things are going to hell in a handbasket. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Post Race

Help to pack the boat up and wash it down. Don’t rush to get to the bar or go home. Join the debrief, ask questions, be curious, work hard, and you’ll always be invited back.”

STEER FAST

To steer fast, telltales are an excellent guide for steering in the groove but are by no means the only indicator the helmsperson uses. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

STEERING UPWIND

Jib Telltales

The position of the windward telltales gives a clear idea of whether you are slightly pinching, slightly footing, or sailing at a normal upwind angle. If you’re only watching the lower telltales, you may be misled if they are breaking differently from those at the top part of the sail. Most sailors use these as their primary “go-to” when sailing upwind but you shouldn’t depend on these as your single source of information.
  • Bow Down Speed Building Mode – Leeward telltale dances windward Telltale streams straight back.
  • Max Speed Mode – Bothe telltale stream straight back.
  • Pointing Mode – Leeward telltale streams aft, Windward telltale dances between straight back and 45 degrees Upwards.
  • Pinching Mode – Leeward telltale streams aft and windward telltale stands straight up.

Angle of Heel

A good helmsperson finds the angle of heel that feels fast and then steers to maintain that angle of heel. A combination of weather helm and watching the angle that the forestay makes with the horizon are used by the steerer if instruments are not available. Heel angle is another way to gauge how close you are sailing to the wind; the higher you head, the less you heel, and vice versa.

Instruments

If your boat has instruments, your priority should be to post target speeds for each wind velocity and place within easy sight of the helmsperson. Instruments should be placed where all crew members can see them. Placement should be such that the helmsperson can watch them, the telltale, the waves and the angle of heel simultaneously.

Look Out Of The Boat

If you are sailing on a boat with several crew, have someone tasked with the job of calling, puffs, waves and lulls. In a dinghy or small keelboat that job generally falls to the skipper. The steering technique depends on how you’re moving relative to other boats. Have one crewmember give continuous readouts of speed and height compared to boats around you. This helps you to know whether you should steer higher or lower. If there is a problem,  ask for feedback on what the other boat is doing. Often a slight change in steering technique will make a difference.

Practice and Experience

Time in the boat is often the best way to learn how to steer fast. FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

STEERING DOWNWIND

Finding a groove downwind is usually much harder than upwind. You don’t have the positive feel of weather helm, and it’s tough to settle in on a heading where the boat feels like it is effortlessly making its best VMG downwind. Fortunately, there are a few guides you can use.

Course To The Mark

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line, so you can often steer straight for the next mark, and trim your sails to match. This is particularly true for symmetrical boats or single sailboats. Not so for assymmetricals. Just be careful not to get so fixed on one heading that you ignore changes in the wind and other variables.

Polars and Target Speeds

These are just as important for steering on a run as they are on a beat. It is helpful to create a chart that gives your optimal wind angle and boatspeed for each true wind speed and then place it where it is easily seen. When you find the angle your boat likes, steer up and down to maintain good pressure in the sails. With an asymmetrical kite, maintain a curl in the luff. This will ensure that the trailing edge is not bound up and acting like a handbrake. Adjust the pole on a symmetrical spinnaker as you change the steering angle to take advantage of wind shifts or changes in pressure.

Feel

The downwind groove is usually “mushy,” so it takes extra awareness to know when you are there. Second, you can’t read the wind on the water as easily because you are facing away from it. Third, the wind you feel (apparent wind) is less when you’re sailing downwind, so it’s harder to feel on your body.

A Final Suggestion

Keep the rudder as still as possible when steering downwind. This is a change from going upwind, where the rudder provides lift and can help you steer around waves. When you’re steering downwind, the main result of rudder movement is increased turbulence and drag (except when steering to catch waves in surfing conditions), so use your weight and sails to neutralize the helm.