Curtis, I suggest you find some books or videos on racing, sail trim, etc. Rounding the windward mark is a dynamic problem with many ever changing variables. Wind speed, waves, other boats approaching and transitioning. You approach hard on the wind, and exit on a broad reach if there is a wing mark. If the leeward mark is dead down wind, you need to sail wing and wing or to your boats optimum angle for best VMG. In high winds when you are powered up, you simply need to steer smoothly. In light winds you may be approaching near hull speed and exiting a 2 knots, so it's more important to limit crew movement and adjust sails in a much slower progression.
Comining into the mark, you are trimmed for upwind sailing so backstay, outhaul, cunningham are tight. After rounding you are sailing downwind, so these adjustments need to be eased somewhat for the new leg with less apparent wind. Some skippers adjust their cunningham, outhaul, backstay in the last three boatlengths before the mark. That way they can focus more on making a smooth tactical turn. We have a barberhauler setup for reaches and the pole ready if it's more dead downwind. Like someone else mentioned already, crewing on other peoples' boats is a great way to learn getting around the race course and make competitive sailing friends. My current favorite books are dated, but you can find on Amazon: Yacht Crewing, Macolm McKeag, 1984 (Great resource for racing as crew on any keelboat) A Manual of Sail Trim, Stuart H. Walker, 1984 (This is the bible of sailtrim) Getting Started In Sailboat Racing, Adam Cort and Richard Stearns, 2005 (very throrough reference for racing) Easier to read and digest: Mainsail Trimming, Felix Marks, 2007 (simpler, what to look for approach with many photos) Jib Trimming, Felix Marks, 2007 (a companion to the Mainsail Trim book, you'll want both) Racing is a good way to improve your sailing techniques. Chuck Resolute 1990 C&C 34R Atlantic City, NJ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josh Muckley" <muckl...@gmail.com> To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 4:59:39 AM Subject: Re: Stus-List Speed Vr. Acceleration set up Curtis, These are some basic racing questions. You will probably learn more, faster, if you crew on someone else's boat. Alternatively some of the listers might have some suggestions for a "learn to race" book. Most learn to sail "sailing for dummies" type books have a section for racing too. My point about it being a delicate balance is that often times in an effort to get to the mark, it is very easy for the helmsman to turn up and point a little too close to the wind. Falling off 5° and accelerating 1-2kts is usually better. Fall off 10° or 20° and you're adding too much distance to the mark. Of course this is all in referance to the upwind leg of a race. If you can point straight at the mark and keep the sails trimmed for a broad reach then obviously do so (Except for the effects of set and drift). Too much rudder when approaching and rounding the mark will slow you down so stay a little wide (1-2 boat lengths depending) on approach. Make a nice smooth arc such that as you straighten out you are passing the mark. Being on the correct side of the course is very helpful. Picture a port rounding(left turn). If while on approach you have an opportunity to move more to the right of the mark then you will be making the turn around the mark at a less acute angle. If on the other hand you find yourself moving more to the left of the mark then you will be making the rounding with a more acute angle. The sharper curve slows the boat more and being left can cause interferences with on coming boats. "Accelerating" away from the mark can be achieved by being a little bit off the wind, accelerating, and then coming up to the wind. Bear in mind that all of this discussion is predicated on the crew trimming the sails correctly and in close coordination with the helmsman. Tacking will slow you down. Avoid unnecessarily tacking. Make clean and coordinated tacks. Don't "throw" the wheel over. Again make smooth curves. Overshoot the tack just a little, accelerate, and come up to the new point of sail. Try to get clean upwind air. You may have to tack to get clean air. Making for a lay line far from the rounding is probably not going work well, there are too many variables to the mark. Until you get more expierience, stick with the pack. Your start will set the tone for the entire race. Determine which end of the line is favored. Try to cross the start on starboard so you have rights. Tacking across the line can work but the tack slows you down. Try to be windward of everyone else. Or you could just start the engine Josh On Jan 19, 2014 1:43 AM, "Curtis" < cpt.b...@gmail.com > wrote: Yes Your right Jim That HC of 171 will go right the window. " The helmsman should be absolutely carefull not to pinch or come up into the wind. It is a very delicate balance between sailing too close to the wind and too far from the mark." So would it be better for me just starting out racing to stay as close to abeam as possible even if I have to tack more often instead of trying to sail to close? Do my long leg first, Stay in the middle, Tack early? On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 12:37 AM, Jim Watts < paradigmat...@gmail.com > wrote: <blockquote> The quick way is to start your engine and kick it up to 3000 RPM, but you may take a hit in PHRF for that. Jim Watts Paradigm Shift C&C 35 Mk III Victoria, BC On 18 January 2014 21:28, Josh Muckley < muckl...@gmail.com > wrote: <blockquote> There is no way to trim for "take off". There is properly trimmed and improperly trimmed. Period. There are things you can do to move closer and closer to properly trimmed, but simply trim according to the wind. More important, enter the rounding wide and exit close to the mark. So the question you are actually asking is, "How do I trim sails properly." To which the answer is quite involved. At any point while sailing, the general guide for trimming sails is "when in doubt let it out". The other guide is to trim so as to imagine cutting the wind evenly across both sides of the sail. I use the windex and trim till the luff edge is parallel to the windex. This gives a ruff trim until you have time to get back and tweek them properly. Once you get around the mark and the sails are coursely adjusted you and the crew can work on fine tuning. Use the tell-tails and boat speed to tweak in the sails. The helmsman should be absolutely carefull not to pinch or come up into the wind. It is a very delicate balance between sailing too close to the wind and too far from the mark. Aside from proper sail trim there are many other factors and tactics for navigating the boat during a race. Enough to file many volumes. Josh On Jan 18, 2014 11:25 PM, "Curtis" < cpt.b...@gmail.com > wrote: <blockquote> O.K what is the sail set for Acceleration Versus Speed? After I round the windward mark no spinnaker and I want to accelerate back to hull speed? How do I set the sails to get the max takeoff speed? Thanks. C&C30 MK1 Curtis. -- At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much. - Robin Lee Graham _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com </blockquote> _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com </blockquote> -- At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much. - Robin Lee Graham _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com </blockquote> _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
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