Although it has been many years, there still is a strong current that flows within me about sailboat racing. So, if you’ll excuse my long absence, in this series of articles, I will attempt to convey some thoughts about sailing – hopefully help readers improve through diligent efforts. The focus in this series is on Sunfish sailing although often the information is general.

So, what’s in store for this series of tips? The outline for the series is not profound but covers fundamental elements of sailing – perhaps with some fresh insights with practical implications:

• Understanding the Sunfish’s characteristics among other small boats. What insights about Sunfish sailing can be gleaned from sailing other boats?
• Sunfish tuning considerations. Actively tuning your boat.
• Sailing upwind. ‘Breathing’ with Mother Nature.
• Sailing downwind. What to look for and when to make your ‘move.’
• Race strategy versus tactical considerations.

But the first of this series addresses an often overlooked element of sailing: choosing your sailing style and what part of a race you want to excel in.

Let’s face it: everyone wants to get a great start, at the favored end of the line, headed in the right direction and going fast. Everyone would like to brilliantly deal with Mother Nature’s whims on the first beat, be in the top group at the first mark and stretch a lead thereafter. Such is every racer’s dream. Let’s scale it back to what is practical. Every sailboat racer has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. Where to you excel relative to the competition that you care about? Upwind speed? Upwind tactics versus other boats? Upwind tactics versus the wind? Downwind? Light air? Heavy air? Some of these preferences are based on how disciplined we are as sailors. Other qualities are dependent on body weight and athleticism.

Let’s start at the beginning: the start! If your sailing style relies heavily upon getting that ‘perfect’ start, then you’ve got to do your starting line homework…all of your homework. We’ll get into details in the next article but if you’re a starting expert or want to become one, here are the rules that you must abide:

Rule #1: NEVER ASSUME THE LINE IS SQUARE TO THE WIND! Know which end is favored and by how much.

Strategically, know which side of the course is favored. Sailing on Great South Bay (GSB):

Rule #2: In a SW breeze, the favored side of the course reached by an offshore tack if there are bulkheads on shore. Stay away from waves reflected by bulkheads.

Rule #3: In a breeze from the northerly direction, the favored side of the course generally is where the strongest winds are.

Rule #4: If you have chance, tack towards a lee shore that protects the race course from waves but does not proportionally decrease the wind strength.

A ‘perfect’ start is not one end of the line or the other unless the fleet is small in relation to the size of the line. If the line is crowded for the fleet size, the ‘perfect’ start is towards the favored end of the line, in clear air but in a position relative to the fleet that allows you the freedom to sail towards the favored side of the course and tack if necessary. (In the next article, I'll breakdown the mechanics of determining which end of the line is favored and determining when to make your first tack after the start.)

If your sailing style requires you to do well on the beats, the following applies:

Rule #5: You must get at least an above average to excellent start.

Rule #6: Know whether the wind is oscillating regularly, irregularly, clocking persistently in one direction or another. If the wind is oscillating regularly, you must know what the frequency is. Ignoring progressive and geographic shifts, if the wind is oscillating regularly or irregularly, you must know the amount of the shift – how many degrees different from the average wind direction the shifts are.

Rule #7: The more steady the wind direction, the more important pure boat speed is on beats. If required, you MUST hike hard…harder than your competitors. Generally, sail your Sunfish flat. We’ll get into more mechanics of upwind sailing in a future article. If the winds are very light, you MUST be very motionless in the boat. If the wind is from the SW, there are no windshifts to be concerned about if the winds are greater than ~10mph.

Know whether there are any “geographic wind shifts”. (I am not aware of any of these sailing on GSB).

Stay away from confrontations with much faster, individual sailors on the reaches. Your objective downwind is to maintain your position within the fleet as best as possible. In battles with individual competitors you may win the individual battle but at the cost of loosing the ‘war’ – your overall position in the race for the remainder of the fleet.

Are you heavier in weight than most of your competitors? If so and if you’re sailing in heavy winds, you MUST perform well on the first beat.

Bottom line for sailors who want to dominate in beats: logically, you MUST have an established lead by the first mark. If not, the downwind experts will be all over you on the reaches.

If you are a downwind expert, keep this guidance in mind:

Your objective upwind is to stay as close to the upwind experts as possible on the first leg of the course. Understand that if you are in physical pain while hiking and trying to stay in touch with the upwind experts, don’t worry: your efforts will be rewarded downwind.

Rule #8: Keep in clear air going downwind. You’re the downwind speed demon! Your objective is to pass lots of boats or open up large leads. Getting tangled with a single boat while you’re trying to maximize your position on the whole fleet is counterproductive. If you’re going to pass someone to windward, do so starting far enough behind them so as to avoid a skirmish.

Rule #9: “What goes up must come down.” This rule is applicable to gravity as it is to closed course sailboat racing. Avoid sailing far off of the rhumbline – especially in a monohull (unless the wind is very unsettled and is filling in either high (the usual circumstance) or low with respect to the rhumbline.

Rule #10: Plan well in advance at the turning marks. Don’t engage in last second buoy room issues. Establish your position 5-10 boatlengths from the mark by verbally stating your rights sufficiently loud so multiple sailors in the vicinity can hear your broadcasted opinions.

Rule #11: Use your telltales and those on your competitors to determine where you want to be (to blanket a competitor or avoid being blanketed). (More on this in another article.

Do you weigh less than most of your competitors? Are you more slender in physique? If so, you MUST perform well on the leeward legs.

Rule #12: Work your buns off going downwind if you’re a downwind expert. You MUST excel on these legs. This is your time to shine! (More in a future article).

There is far more to convey in many of the points above than stated here. Future articles will dive into some of these topics in greater depth.

In conclusion, know yourself as a competitive sailor dependent on your sailboat racing strengths in these various aspects of a race. Following these “rules”, you put yourself in better position to score well in the race and the series

-----------------------------------------------------

Wet Pants Sailing Association promotes the sport of sailing, sailboat racing and sailing knowledge in an affordable and relaxed atmosphere. Memberships are open to all who would like to enjoy sailing to its fullest.
Check out our website: www.wetpantssailing.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wetpantssailing
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/wetpantsSA