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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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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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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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.

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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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