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PREPARE YOUR BOAT FOR SPEED

Brett Bowden
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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

Brett Bowden
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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

Brett Bowden
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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

Brett Bowden
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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

Brett Bowden
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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.

Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges

Brett Bowden
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Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges
IFKS Skutsjesilen image from Thomasvaer – Tom Coehoorn.

Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges called ‘Skûtsjes and what can be learned from it.

The article below has been written by a great friend of Sailing To Win and passionate sailor Gijs (Gus) Vlas of Holland.

The purpose of the article is to showcase a really interesting class of sailboats but to also highlight the similarities in crewing, trimming and racing all yachts and what we can learn from each other.

History and background:

These classic boats are called “Skûtsje” and stem from the early 1900s when they were built from steel.

They range from 16 to 20 meters, weigh 16-20 tons, carry 145-170m2 of sail and are crewed in races by 12-15 people. There are no winches for sheeting and trim. Everything has to be done by manual power. The only winch is at the mast for hoisting the sails.

In the early ages, these bargers were the only transport available to farmers for bulk cargo, mainly turf, grain etc. sailing over the small canals and lakes.

The side-mounted daggerboards also allowed them to sail in very shallow waters. Often, only the skipper and his wife lived on the boat in the rear cabin, occasionally a deckhand would live in the front.

A hard and simple life for earning a living. The centre of the boat with the deck hatches is the cargo area.

The racing began in the old days by local café owners

They would organize a race around their local café. The skippers sailed for starters and prize money since they would lose out on regular income participating. This tradition still exists.

Skippers receive a small fee at the start of each race during the traditional championship. At the last race, the prizes are gold/silver coins, otherwise, the skippers might bail out early.

Today 80-90 Skûtsjes are racing every season divided into two leagues – the traditional SKS and the open-class IFKS.

All boats are cultural heritage and kept in great sailing and racing condition, governed by strict class rules that guard the traditional outfit and materials.

Since they all have different hull dimensions there is a type of IMS/VPP system determining how much m2 of sail each Skûtsje can have to ensure fair and equal competition.

Image – Thomasvaer – Tom Coehoorn.

Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges – The racing nowadays:

As mentioned, there are two leagues in the Northern county of Holland, called Friesland. The traditional league is the SKS (Central Comite Skutsjesailing), the other being the IFKS (Open Frisian Championships Skûtsjes).

In the SKS 14 Skûtsjes are competing every year and they are always the same. To be allowed to race one of these 14 the skipper has to stem from an old traditional skipper’s family in bloodline. The majority of these 14 Skûtsjes represent a town, village or local region in Friesland.

The IFKS, as it name clarifies, is an open league where any owner of a Skûtsje can enter races and the yearly championship.

These boats race in four leagues, being the A, B, C and the A-small. The A-league is the top league, and every year for each league the last three are demoted to the lower-league and the top 3 boats are promoted.

Also when a skipper stops, an extra boat can be promoted. Any new skipper has to start in the C-league. The A-small league is for the smaller Skûtsjes and is constant, but defined by maximum hull dimensions.

Each league in the IFKS has max. 17 contenders, making up for a total of 60-68 boats actively racing.

All racing takes place on lakes, mainly Up-Down with 1,5 – 2 nm between marks. Each day is raced at a different venue, meaning the whole fleet moves like an armada after each race to the next lake.

Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges – Trimming & Sailing – Crew roles and tasks:

Racing these boats is all about Speed, Balance and Height.

Given the flat hull shape, the effect of puffs and lulls is substantial on the bow and immediately leads to leeward, windward pressure on the helm. The boat must be balanced on the helm as much as possible.

This implies that jib-trim supports steering the boat and overall trim to maintain balance is continuously required. All manual, hard work!

Mainsheet is crewed by 3-4 people, hauling sheets in triple disc blocks on several parts. On each beat, one trimmer is in the lead.

Foredeck is crewed by 3-5 people; one trimmer is in the lead and others support in hauling and holding. One outlook on the bow overseeing the foredeck.

Mid-ship trimmers are 3-4 people. One dedicated to the winch, trimming gaff and jib halyard. 1-2 people trimming the mainsail outhaul, driven by three-disc blocks and adjusting daggerboard position fore and aft.

Skipper/Helmsman – in control of speed and height maintenance, signalling on rudder pressure what he needs for balance.

Tactician – next to the skipper, calling tactics and monitoring safety and boat speed relative to the fleet.

SKS skûtsjesilen SKS Skutsjesilen 2019 op Image from Thomasvaer – Tom Coehoorn.

Specifics when racing these larger and slower maneuverable boats:

The Start –

Considering these boats require 2 minutes from accelerating to full speed and height, one has to be at speed at the gun as well as possible. Considering that you are in the starting area with 17 boats each with 150-170m2 there are substantial wind shadows that you should not get stuck in while setting up.

Starting strategy requires that you maintain/build speed as much as possible and aim for clean wind out of the line. 10-12 boats will hinder each other with dirty air and above all, you are slow and not very maneuverable!

A turn has a 50-60 meter radius and will take 40 seconds at least. My personal favourite, is a starboard tack, turning into a hole. Alternatively winning the pin, at 45-50 sec with space to bear away for max speed and hitting the line on time & distance with a jump-start.

The Upwind –

Out of the start you want to be in clear wind gaining max speed and height. If the start gets ruined, turn away as soon as possible to port-tack for a long free run in clear wind, even 30 seconds before the start correct asap.

Sail for clean air, max 2-3 tacks (each cost 50-80 meters) and at the latest 2/3’s of the leg determine whether you can approach the mark on port-tack, or starboard is required given the fleet. There is no way one can squeeze in on port-tack!

The Downwind –

Get clear after the upwind mark, and stay on reach a bit. You do not want 5-6 boats with each 150m2 covering you from behind. Sail VMG and look behind you for wind lanes and do catch them.

Many boats are sloppy downwind in relax mode. Downwind is just as important as upwind with pressure and shifts! Similar to the upwind mark, you have to determine your best inside rounding at 2/3 of the leg and yes, braking is a good option to get position.

Image – Thomasvaer – Tom Coehoorn.

Is there a difference, between sailing, racing and trimming the Skûtsje bargers:

Not really! Sail theory and dynamics are always the same. Shape trim on the draft and twist and interaction between the jib and main work are similar.

The only difference lies within some of the trim adjustments, like the roping of the main luff around the mast – influencing depth and shape by strapping 8-10 lines.

There is no downhaul, but the gaff halyard will allow trim of leech and twist in combination with the tension on the main sheet. The mainsheet upwind is critical to keep the luff of the jib straight and prevent sagging.

The starboard and port hardwood daggerboards are also manually handled and can stick from 0 up to 2,5 meters and can be trimmed fore and aft over 1 meter for balance.

An average Skûtsje is 20 meters long by 3,5 meters wide weighing 16-18 tons with 18 meters of wooden mast and a draft of 40 centimeters in depth.

Despite making upwind speeds of 6-7 knots at 45 degrees TWA, the mass and momentum make maneuvering way slower. So that must be taken into account in strategy and tactics on every approach and turn.

When tacking you must make sure to build speed by footing first so that airflow (vortex) and the hydrodynamics on the daggerboard get maximum build by speed.

If you don’t and point immediately you will be sailing sideways (like on any bigger yacht by the way).

Since all sheeting is manual, your crew has to be extremely fit and you have to be cautious in wearing them down. At downwind marks the mainsail trimmers have to haul 60 meters of sheet in an immediate 100-degree turn to upwind. Imagine yourself in 4-6 Bft winds.

So, no matter what boat you sail, the fundamentals are always the same as long as you are not foiling. The differences are the sophistication of materials and agility of what boat you are sailing.

Sailing slower boats will improve your strategic and tactical skills since you have to be way ahead in the game.

Determining the start, mark approaches, favourite sides of the course, duelling Y/N (maintain speed is king).

A tack with these boats takes 1 minute and costs you 50-70 meters going slow relative to others.

So, think twice and think ahead! Downwind with competitors from behind with each 150+ m2 you have to stay clear as best as possible.

Same with starts and upwind, since a “Venetian Blind” (wind shadow) of six to eight boats may suddenly close in front of you, leaving you no wind at all and stuck behind it.

Image – https://thomasvaer.nl/ 

Racing Traditional Dutch Cargo Barges – All-in-All summarizing:

As a long-time dinghy and yacht racer, I have learned incredibly much about racing these slower big bargers.

  • Your skills in way-up front reading the gaps and loopholes become much stronger.
  • Your skills in teamwork for crewing and balancing the boat as 1 orchestra playing in absolute tune will strengthen.
  • Speed is a tactician’s best friend.

But most of all – racing for a championship series of 8-10 days with an audience of many hundreds of enthusiasts every day on the shore and alongside the course that is demarcated just for you cheering, is absolutely breathtaking and emotional.

Races are broadcast live on TV and Radio, online with tracking and evening show reviews.

The closest to this is the America’s Cup, or maybe a harbour entry at The Ocean Race. It is honourable to be a part of a crew on each one of these Skûtsjes, year in and year out.

Media – two links to Drone videos that give a good impression of the fleet racing.

Credits – Skydrone Sloten – Jelte van der Meer. https://www.facebook.com/skydronesloten 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmdal8LGiaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB40xsDF8Pg&t=33s

Additional overview video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBSisDmGt9A

 

HOW TO GET FASTER IN LIGHT AIR

Brett Bowden
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0

How to get faster in light air. This is a question that has been asked around sailing clubs since the beginning of time. I have listed below a couple of ways to help.

  1. Use Other Boats To Help You Get Faster

One great method is to use a tuning partner to optimize a one-design sailboat’s performance in light air. It’s important though to choose a Compatible Partner who is of a similar skill level. Choosing a compatible tuning partner ensures that both of you can benefit equally from the sessions.

Take turns sailing close to each other at different points of sail (upwind, downwind, reaching). Observe and compare each boat’s speed, pointing ability, and overall handling characteristics. Take turns at being the weather or leeward boat.

Initially, set your boats up the same, then sail upwind together to ascertain relative speed. One boat then makes an adjustment and then you sail upwind again together for the same distance. Keep detailed notes of your changes and how they affect your boat’s performance.

Use your tuning partner as a benchmark to refine your sailing techniques and boat-handling skills.

Compare speeds and note which configurations perform best. Discuss findings to refine and improve understanding of subtle adjustments that affect speed and pointing ability.

Consider using a GPS device or smartphone app to record speed and course data during tuning sessions. This data can provide valuable insights into your boat’s performance concerning your tuning partner.

By working closely with a tuning partner, you can leverage each other’s strengths and experiences to optimize your one-design sailboat’s light-air performance.

  1. Solo Light Air Improvement.

It is very difficult to improve your boatspeed very much by working alone and solo training to improve light-air sailing performance requires a focused approach.

Of course, there are some things you can do by yourself in areas such as boat preparation, sail shape and boat handling.

Practice manoeuvres such as tacks, gybes, and mark roundings in light air conditions. Focus on maintaining boat speed throughout the manoeuvre and minimizing loss of momentum.

Experiment with different crew weight placements to minimize drag and maximize boat balance. Practice moving smoothly to adjust weight distribution without disrupting the boat trim

Develop your ability to read wind shifts and identify pressure variations on the water. Practice sailing upwind and downwind angles to maximize efficiency in varying wind conditions.

Even though they may be illegal in your class, there are many awesome GPS-based instruments available. For training purposes, these can help you see the differences in speed that shifting weight or changes in sail shapes and rig tensions can achieve.

Consistent solo training with a structured approach will gradually enhance your skills and confidence in light air conditions. This leads to improved performance and competitiveness in races.

  1. Using A Coach For Light Air Gains

A coach will start with a thorough assessment of your current sailing skills in light air conditions. They will observe your boat handling, sail trim, and tactical decisions in real-time.

Your coach will use video analysis and feedback to show you how to fine-tune sail trim and technique. Reviewing footage allows you to pinpoint areas of improvement in sail trim, boat handling, and tactical decision-making.

The coach will have spent thousands of hours watching sailors training and competing and they see things that most sailors would miss.

By leveraging the expertise of a sailing coach, you can accelerate your learning curve and develop the skills necessary to maximize speed and performance in light air conditions.

  1. Conclusion

Attend clinics or seek feedback from experienced sailors and coaches. Use their insights to refine your techniques and strategies for improving light-air sailing performance.

There is a wealth of information on the Internet and in Books, Blogs, Newsletters and YouTube videos. Become a sponge of information, sailing is one of those sports in which you never stop learning and never know it all.

Running a Big Boat Program

Brett Bowden
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0
Running a Big Boat Program

Insight into Running a Big Boat Program. 

Brett: For something a little different from the normal sailboat racing tips I am speaking with Rod Hagebols, an extremely well-qualified professional sailor and accomplished sailing coach.

A few Classes that Rod has sailed:

 Int Cadet, Fireball, Flying Dutchman, Int 14, Etchells, Star, J24, 12m, Soling, 1D35, Quarter Ton, Farr 40, Sydney 38, TP52, Maxi.

Rod’s Notable Sailing Achievements:

  • Victorian & Australian Champion Fireball,
  • Australian and Pre-Olympic Champion Flying Dutchman,
  • South Pacific Champion Int 14,
  • Coach James Spithill Youth Match Racing Worlds & National
  • Coach – John Dane III and Austin Sperry – USA Star class representative Beijing Olympics 2006 – 2008
  • Overall, Winner – 2010 Rolex Middle Sea Race – Lucky TP52
  • Overall, Winner Line honours/ IRC – 2013 Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam – Lucky TP52
  • Overall, Winner Line honours/ ORC – 2017 Palermo to Montecarlo – Lucky RP63

Rod’s going to enlighten us about what goes into campaigning a large boat on the international circuit.

FREE BOOK – TIPS and STRATEGIES

Brett: When we first met, you were heavily involved in dinghy sailing with a view to representing Australia in the Olympics. What was the impetus to get you into keelboat and offshore sailing?

I was lucky enough to do some sailing with David Gotze out of Brighton and did my first offshore race with David on the Sword of Orion or Brighton Star back then, which was a Reichel Pugh 43’ and we did the Melbourne – Hobart.

In my first offshore race, we broke the rudder just on the other side of Bass Straight, near King Island and unfortunately, we had to make up the emergency steering, which I can tell you wasn’t that flash but luckily the wind was blowing us straight back to the heads.

We spent 24 hours, me and another young guy, hanging onto the spinnaker pole out the back of the boat with the floorboards strapped to it.

So that was my first foray into offshore sailing. But it didn’t put me off. I guess from that point on, I learned about preparation and making sure your emergency procedures and everything are in place because I saw firsthand sort of what could happen if things go bad.

That started me off on the offshore program and big boats.

Obviously, I don’t think there was any real paid professional sailing going on back then. And actually, the size of Maxis back then, the big boats back in the 80s and ’90s, I think the big boats you’d call a 60-footer.

Well, it’s amazing how the boats have just got bigger and bigger and now we’re into the 100 footers.

Not too many professional sailing gigs back then. You just sort of did it for the love and still do. I didn’t really see it as a career path.

It was more just learning about sailing, and there were a lot of good guys and a lot of offshore sailing back then.

But I got into it I actually did that, as well as the One Design stuff and found it a very good marriage.

SAILING TO WIN

So that’s where it all started.

  • And so I moved over to the USA back in 2000, and I lived over there for 15 years. And during that period, I did half a dozen Transpacs and Pacific Cups. Pacific Cup is San Francisco to Hawaii, and Transpac is from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

They were a lot of fun. I think I did three or four of those on a One Design 35, and we were four and five up. A great boat, a good downwind boat, designed by Nelson-Marek.

It was 10 days at sea going hard downwind, and so I learned a lot about downwind driving, and it was a lot of fun.

And during that period, I did some sailing on a Transpac 52. They were looking for a navigator, and I put my hand up to navigate for them.

The owner also had an Etchells, so I did the Etchells program and the TP52.

And that’s how my role as a program manager and tactician came about. My first tryout was our first Etchells regatta down in Miami.

We ended up third out of, I think it was like 90 boats.

I didn’t really know where it was headed at the time. Never would I have imagined that I’d be looking after a Maxi program.

Brett: So, you were the sailing master on the boat I believe.

Rod: Yes, a few of us are involved at different levels. There was a sailor who looked after the boat in terms of maintenance, and he delivered the boat to the venue.

That could be by ship or on its own bottom by water. His job was also to make sure all the equipment got to the venue and all the equipment was ready to go when the teams arrived.

Now in terms of the teams, at that level it becomes a lot of work in managing, let’s say, payroll. How all that works and the agreements you work out with the crew because everybody wants a different thing.

The simplest way for us was to work out a tiered system in terms of payroll because obviously, some people are more experienced than others.

In the old days, people used to work for food and board.

Well, that’s changed a lot since and there’s a lot of people with their hand out these days.

If we go to a venue where there’s a big regatta on, the logistics are not just payroll, but room and board and feeding the people. There is also the time when people need to arrive.

If you’ve got 22 people standing onshore twiddling their thumbs while the work is being carried out on the boat, it gets expensive.

You’ve got to make sure that as the team members arrive, the boat’s prepared in a way that either, you can have a full team there, the boat’s got to be ready to go sailing.

If it’s not, then it’s the partial team there who helps with the preparation over sails and so on and so forth.

So it’s sort of like a three-phase arrival pattern when we go to a venue, and that includes when the chefs arrive and when you’re cooking for 25 to 30 people. It’s usually at a regatta site.

FREE BOOK – TIPS and STRATEGIES

You won’t get a restaurant for that many people at a set time,

By far the cheapest and most time-efficient manner is to have chefs or a chef and a couple of sous-chefs who prepare lunches each day and have dinner ready, and lunches and breakfasts, if that’s necessary, depending on the venue.

But the most important part for us is the dinner at night when we come home, to make sure it’s ready and we can all have meals.

Usually, we’ll have one central house where the meals will happen and then usually there’s either a bus that goes around picking up crew, or sometimes there’s a couple of trips bringing crew in.

Quite often, if the house isn’t quite big enough, we will do two sittings with the meals, and you rotate that each day. There’s a lot of moving parts.

Brett: So gone are the days when everyone used to sleep on the boat or wherever they could end up. They’re long gone, I guess.

Rod: Sleeping on the deck is long gone. We certainly don’t rough it. We stay in some pretty nice housing, and we get well looked after. So that part of it has changed.

Brett: You mentioned that the boat can be configured differently rating-wise depending on conditions expected at a regatta venue.

Rod: Let’s say we’re going to go pick an event, basically, we look at what the goal is for the event, and we take a good look at what the venue is like, what the weather is like.

Then we start working with our navigators to work on a weather modelling and see what sort of winds and conditions we’re going to have.

So that then helps dictate what sort of sails we may work on for the event.

So we don’t throw endless dollars at a sail program. What we do is, rather than replacing a whole wardrobe, we’ll take a really good look at the sails that will be up most of the time and make sure those sails are in very good, if not new, shape.

SAILING TO WIN

And we try and look at that in terms of IRC rating.

And, you know, one of the biggest things I learned early on with the rating stuff is there’s no point, especially with IRC, there’s no point in carrying big sails if they’re not going to be up in the air. Just because you’ve got the big sail onboard means you’re getting penalized every second of that race that that sail is on board.

So if you’re going to take a big spinnaker, for example, you’ve got to make sure that it’s going to be up. Let’s say you’re doing the Sydney – Hobart and you’ve got a massive spinnaker. Well, you want to make sure the weather means you’re going to have a lot of downwind.

If you’re going to have three hours of downwind and you’re paying, 2 hours and 2 days and 20 hours of penalty, is that worth it? That’s the juggle you’ve got to do.

Brett: So, Rod, with your rating you have different certificates for different situations?

 Rod: Yes.

Brett: How long out before the start of the race do you have to nominate which rating you’re using?

Rod: Usually in the notice of race, it stipulates when the last certificate can go in for the race. And that’s usually about a week to two weeks before the event starts.

Brett: So, you’re still taking a bit of a risk, aren’t you, with your plan?

Rod: A little bit of a risk. As an example, you know a Sydney – Hobart’s changeable, but a week out you sort of get a rough idea. So, you’re better off to have a close guess rather than no guess. And then if you’re not sure, you can always hedge either way a little bit.

But when you get races like Transpac, that’s not IRC. You go to Asia where you end up with weather patterns that are very trade wind-orientated.

FREE BOOK – TIPS and STRATEGIES

Brett: Okay. So planning is pretty important at the start of the regatta?

Rod: Well, yeah. When you consider, what the sail budget could be. Yeah. I have to look up what the spinnaker the value of a spinnaker is, but it’s not cheap.

Brett: How many events would you do a year?

Rod: I think the average over the period has been about three big events a year.

Brett: Okay, logistics are getting the boat there, whether it goes by ship or on its own bottom?

Rod: Yeah, that’s right.  And so there’s a lot of planning that goes on with that.

Three 40-foot containers follow the boat around as well as a 40-foot chase boat.

Racing In A Large Fleet

Brett Bowden
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Racing In A Large Fleet

Following are excerpts from an interview I did with Glenn Bourke regarding Racing In A Large Fleet.

Glenn is an Olympian, an Americas Cup crew, an Ocean racer and a multiple world champion in several classes.

He is known for his attention to detail and meticulous approach to preparation and then execution out on the racetrack.

Brett: Approaching a weather mark, or a leeward mark for that matter, how far out do you plan the next leg. Is there something you’re thinking about while you’re on the run for instance? 

GLENN: My first thing is to get yourself clear. If you’re coming down the run, get yourself clear, get yourself on the favoured side.

Look for where the pressure is coming from. Try to be on that side of it compared to the other guys in the fleet. Understand what you’re trying to do.

As you’re halfway down, it’ll depend on whether it’s a very homogenous breeze day, where it’s just oscillating nicely or whether it’s shifting back and forward, and there’s puff or whatever.

If it’s a day where there’s lots of change,

lots of shifts happening, lots of gusts happening, you probably don’t want to make your decision until you’re right down near the bottom somewhere.

So that you know, particularly if there’s a gate at the bottom, am I going to go left or am I going to go right?

Which way is the pressure and which way is headed on the run, so which side is the lifted side on the next beat? And where should I go?

If it’s a homogenous day, you know where the oscillations are. You know where you are in the fleet.

If you’re behind,

you’re looking for an opportunity so you might go to a different mark to the guys in front of you just to get clear air and get back in the race.

You might follow them because it’s so biased to one side that you just have to do that anyway.

You might have decided halfway down the run that the favoured side is the right or the left.

My predominant reaction is to go that way even if I’ve got to follow guys, get myself clear, tack off, get clear air, come back again, stay to the right. And those things evolve as you’re going down the run.

Because Mother Nature will throw so many different scenarios at you, you need to be thinking about it all the time. You can’t go and lock in and say, “I’m definitely going to the right-hand side,” if the factors that are affecting you are changing, over time.

So staying alert, staying adaptable, having a general plan, and then refining it as you get towards the bottom mark would be my advice.

SAILING TO WIN

BRETT:  If you get caught approaching the weather mark on Port tack, and there’s a wall of starboard tackers, what is the best way to get out of that situation?

GLENN: I think you have to think about it earlier than that and one of the things which a lot of people do, which is hugely problematic, is that they run down the line.

They caught on port, and they run down the line. They’re basically running downwind down the line to get there. And then when you turn behind somebody, you need a huge hole to be able to get into it or get through it to get back onto starboard.

It’s like a massive turn. So the better thing is to get deeper and be able to put your bow up so you can tack into a much smaller hole and survive to the top mark.

That’s the thing that essentially pulls rigs out of boats is when they’re running down the line, they put their bow in there, they hook it on the back stay and pull the other guy’s rig out or something like that.

So get a bit deeper, get ready to do a much shallower tack rather than the great big huge turn in a boat like an Etchells which absolutely parks when you’re turning through 120 degrees or 140 degrees or something.

BRETT: There are times to take risks and times to be conservative, it depends on what’s at stake, doesn’t it?

GLENN: It does. The guys who, you know the guys in the fleet who are the risk takers they usually don’t win the regatta.

They’re usually starting at the pin, banging out to the left, and getting trapped out by, in your case, a hundred boats that cross their bow and tack on top of them on the way back to the top mark.

They’ll win two races in the series and they’ll come eighth in the regatta. They got heaps of pace, and they’re far too dramatic for sailboat racing and winning regattas. And that’s just the function of their nature. Most of them can’t change themselves.

To be at the top end of the fleet consistently, you have to be able to be conservative generally but adapt whenever opportunities or issues arise for you.

FREE BOOK – TIPS and STRATEGIES

BRETT: That leads me to another question I had here. When is it prudent to stay with the fleet?

GLENN: Always, when you’re constructing a regatta win, it’s safer to stay with the fleet.

I would prefer to have a third with no risk than a first with a medium amount of risk.

If I’m constructing a regatta, I’m trying to get on the podium every day? Can I get a decent result every day?

I know that the more I hang it out there and do dramatic things, the greater the risk. So if the fleet splits in two, and half go left and half go right, you got to take a punt on which side you think is correct.

If the fleet is predominately going right, and three guys go left, don’t worry about the left guys. Stay with the fleet because you know at worst you’re going to get into fourth place, and you can count that, and you are all happy and your main players are on your side of the course.

So again, it’s an accounting function where you just trying to work out risk versus reward all the time.

If you’re fast, there’s even more reason to stay with the fleet and I know that Tom Slingsby in his day, was a fast laser sailor and he would know when to just stick with them because he was going to make small gains if he stuck with them.

He might have had the opportunity of a huge gain when he went a different way, but why do that when you can stick with them and beat them anyway?

Essential Training and Practice

Brett Bowden
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0
Essential Training and Practice

In the excerpts of an interview I conducted below, I am speaking with Sam Haines who has recently joined the ranks of yachting professional sailors and we are going to discuss Essential Training and Practice.

Sam has a vast sailing background and is a qualified sailmaker, working in the industry for 19 years, having had his own loft in Melbourne Australia and until recently, worked with North Sails as their One Design specialist.

Sam started sailing at 7 in a Sparrow and is a member of the famous dinghy Club – Black Rock Yacht Club

Some of he classes Sam has sailed are Etchells, International 505’s, Sydney 38, Laser, OK Dinghy and J/24 and he now spends his time sailing and coaching at the highest level.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Brett: We talked about practice time. How important is practice time, and what percentage of that practice time do you train on your own rather than with another boat?

Sam Haines: So again, the fresh thing in my mind is how I lead up to the Worlds. We did, I would say 80% of our lead up to the Worlds by ourselves. Just working on technique.

We were confident that our boat speed was pretty good, and then we made sure that we would line up with one of the better teams just doing a short upwind. Maybe only 10 minutes at the end of the session and just check-in.

But the boat-on-boat stuff, we all do enough racing to cover the boat-on-boat stuff.

One thing I will say with the training though is that you want to do it in reasonably short sessions. If you go out for a day, you’re not going to achieve anything apart from boredom.

Brett: Sure that’s a good point. So what you’re saying is more sessions rather than…

Sam Haines: More sessions but short sessions.

When I say short, anything over about two and a half hours is a long session.

You need to go out there, one, when you go out, you need to go right out, “Our purpose today is…” Have a goal, and go and achieve that goal, and that goal might take you two and a half hours to achieve or it might take you a half hour to achieve.

Tick the box and move on. Don’t out there and go, “All right, well now we’re just going to go and do a couple of tacks.” It’s sort of you need to have a goal, achieve it, tick the box, come back in.

You might find that on those days you got the box ticked in an hour or so, you come back in and that’s the day you do your boat work..

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Brett: Do you try to mix it up with conditions as well? What I see, is a lot of people training in their favourite conditions, 15 knots and a beautiful day. Should you go out on a really light day for instance and should you also go on a day when it’s pretty crappy, like really hard?

Sam Haines: Yeah, that’s a good point but again, over at the Worlds we had times where we went out training before an event at 8:30 to 9:00 in the morning to get a light breeze.

We also went out later in the day to get some real heavy breeze. I think you have to have an open mind when it comes to that and it’s the same here in Melbourne.  There’s a lot of mornings that you can get out in four of five knots but in the afternoon, you’re going to be sailing in eighteen knots.

You’ve got to engineer that environment and not get stuck just going sailing in 15 knots. We all do that already.

Brett Bowden: I must say a lot of people do just that.

Sam Haines: When many teams get to a regatta, it goes light and no one has that setting on their boat and they fall off the edge.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Brett: We talked earlier about the communication. What sort of communication do you have? 

Sam Haines: Communication, like in anything in life is the key really.

It’s amazing how many boats I get on that there isn’t a communication loop through the boat.

The guy at the back sits there and holds on to the stick and you don’t hear a thing from him all day.

I’ve got small children and they know to acknowledge. If you say, “Can you go and put your shoes near the fire?” They say, “Yes, dad.” And it’s the same in a boat. When the bowman says, “Let’s duck this guy.” The guy at the back needs to go “copy” otherwise the guy at the front is going, “Shit, did he hear me?

Other communication through the boat has to do with settings as we were talking about before.

We would set up for the racing 10 minutes before the start we’d actually set up to what we see out the window and then I would say to the guys on the boat, “The next setting up from here is two turns on the caps, one turn on the lowers, and we’ll just sheet a little bit harder, a little bit wider on the jib car,” or whatever that setting is.

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