Checking out the pressure chart shows a shallow low to the north of scotland which is enough to give us a couple isobars across the uk and a reasonable breeze for tonight from the north west ish ness. After last weeks plan turned out to be a little wide of the mark, I'm hoping this week will be better.
The north westerly / westerly at Beer usually gives us some good racing with plenty of shifts to contend with. The current should be going west to east outside the head encouraging you to overstand on port. My plan would normally be to start in the middle of the line and go middle left up the beat. Although, there is usually at least one beat where Alan goes right and comes out smelling of roses!
I will try to work out roughly how long the shifts last and then predict which way the wind will shift first off the line. Then start at the favoured end to make maximum use of the shift. The most important thing is to sail the lifts and not 'hit the fleet' because boats are being lifted inside you. 9 times out of 10 the breeze will come back!
I usually set the boat up so that I'm hiking at 70-80% in the lulls and simply work my ass off in the gusts. In 10kts this would mean a small amount of cunningham, a snug amount of kicker and a tiny bit of outhaul. If a gust looks strong then I'll probaby grab the kicker before it hits and pull a bit more on. Its the easiest control to play. For more sustained gusts I go for the downhaul instead then a tiny bit more kicker. I will always try to sail in areas of increased pressure so sailing the boat flat whilst looking around is the most important asset to speed up the course. Down the reaches I try to take a lower line when the gusts come through with half an eye on the boats behind me. Its always a danger that boats behind going higher get to the new breeze first and 'roll' down over the top of you. So, sailing the rhumb line is usually difficult. I will try to stand up and look for breeze behind me on the run then make a concerted effort to get there. If boats are catching in more breeze then I will try to protect the inside line at the bottom mark.
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To protect the inside line to the mark on a reach do you favour positioning yourself with the chaser behind but on the leeward quarter or windward quarter? Leeward qtr better controls windward attack and gives chaser dirty wind but a bit more vulnerable to leeward attack. Windward qtr controls leeward attack better but offwind doesn't really give chaser bad air and more vulnerable to windward attack requiring big luff - the later possibly leaving you vulnerable to others who have gone low?
ReplyDeleteI believe there was an important change to the rules this year, especially when keeping just to windward of the chaser, in that bearing down on the chaser was illegal but now is not? Enables leading boat to sail best course to mark and defend leeward attack though as windward boat must still keep clear once overlapped.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in what constitutes a small amount of cunningham in 10 knots - I think I would have a lot on in that much wind
ReplyDeleteThoughts vary, but I'm guessing the grommit would be 3 inches from the gooseneck. Take he creases out then a little bit more.
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