Lesson Recap – The Points of Sail, The Parts of Sail (Basic Level) Sept 4, 2000

Knowing the parts of the sail and points of sail are helpful in rigging and understanding about the more advanced information. The top part of the sail is known as the head of the sail. The bottom front corner is known as the tack of the sail (not to be confused with being on a tack or performing a tack)… and the bottom aft corner is known as the clew. Between the clew and the tack is the foot of the sail. Between the tack and head is the luff of the sail… and between the head and clew is the leach of the sail. The leach of the sail actually extends out beyond the imaginary line between the head and clew… its is possible because of several battens.

 

 

 

Lesson Recap – The Start (Intermediate Level) Sept 4, 2000

 

Perhapse the most important part about sailboat racing, save being able to sail, is the start. Because of the very short nature of the start, "winning the start" (being in the best position of the start) is the main key of winning a race. Even old sailors, as myself, have difficulty in this skill of racing. For me, I am used to longer courses where the upwind leg is the most important feature, but this is not true in college racing. One of the keys to winning a start is finding the favored end of the line based on the line itself and the wind on the course. Basically the idea is go up into the middle of the line, and "shoot the wind"… basically point the boat directly into the wind such that the main and jib flow straight back. If the bow is pointing to the left of the mark, the left side of the course (and typically the left side of the line) is the favored end to be. Conversly, if it points to the right of the mark, the right side of the course (and typically the right side of the line) is favored. While you are checking that, look 90 degrees to the wind in both directions and see where the boat and pin (starting mark) are. If one side of the course is not favored, then go to the side of the line that is forward of this 90 degree line. Other things to consider are puffs (dark spots on the water). Wind is better than no wind, as long as it doesn’t take you extremly out of the favored side.

 

Lesson Recap – Rules of the Road.. er Water (Basic Level) Sept 11, 2000

  1. A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to ANY person or vessel in danger (Rule 1) and may ask for redress from the race committee for such action (Rule 62.1).
  2. If two boats are approaching each other on opposite tacks, the boat on starboard tack has right of way over the boat on port tack. (Rule 10)
  3. If two boats approach each other on the same tack, the leeward boat has right of way over the windward boat. The boat clear ahead has right over the boat clear behind. (Rule 11 and 12)
  4. If you are tacking, you must stay out of the way of a boat sailing a straight course. If you are tacking from starboard to port tack, you maintain starboard rights only until the sails come to the midline. If you are tacking from port to starboard, you only gain starboard rights once you obtain a close-hauled course on starboard. (Rule 13 and 14)
  5. A boat sailing backwards must stay clear of all other boats not backing. (Rule 20).
  6. Sailing is not a contact sport. You must avoid all collisions. Even if you have the right of way, hitting another boat puts wrong on you. Some racing instructions amend the penalty of this to automatic DNF or complete disqualification. If you have no way of avoiding collision, do as much as possible to lessen the damage. (Rule 14).
  7. The right of way boat must give enough time and space for the give-way boat to stay clear. This doesn’t mean that a leward boat can not luff up a windward boat, only that such an action can not be performed such that the windward boat can not immediately respond to avoid contact. It is good practice to verbalize your intentions, but is not required by the rules. It is still the give-way boats responiblity to insure they keep enough room to react without collision. ( Rule 15 and 16)
  8. If you are the right of way boat, and you had to alter course to avoid a collision, the other boat must take the penalty. You must tell the boat that you will protest if she does not do her turns. Under US Rules, that is a 720, however the racing instructions / racing committee can state it is only 360 turn. If she fails to do turns, notify the racing committee on finish, and then file a formal protest. (Rule 44, 60, & 68).
  9. Penalty for causing sever damage to another boat (regardless) is the boat causing the damage must retire from the race (Rule 44.1).
  10. If you touch a mark, you must do a 360 turn. (Rule 31)
  11. When doing penalty turns, you must stay clear of all other boats. Turns must be taken on the course-side of a finish line before finishing to count towards penalties. (Rule 44.2)
  12. A magical two-boat length circle surrounds all obstructions and marks. You must give room to any boat between you and the mark room to pass it. This, however, does not apply at starting marks (both pin and boat) and their anchors… such would be "barging" and is expressively illegal. Any boat that is capsized, has a man over-board, or any boats assisting a boat that is capsized or otherwise in danger are obstructions, and should be given room. (Rule 11, 18, and 21)

    13. [BARGING EXPLIANED] It’s hard to really describe it, truly, but it is an easy thing really. Take a boat that is on starboard tack that is closehauled and just pointing the very beginning of the line next to the committee boat. Any boat that is to windward and reaching in is considered barging. This also applies on port tack at the pin.

  13. There is one newer change to the previous rule dealing with weather mark rounding. If a port tack boat attempts to tack in to starboard inside the 2-boat length circle close to a boat on starboard on the layline, she must not do so such that she causes a starboard boat to alter her course above close-hauled or below her original course. (Rule 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18.3)
  14. Read the racing instructions (if provided) and attend skipper’s meetings for amendments and changes to the official ISAF (International Sailing Feration) sailing rules.

Lesson Recap – Art of the Role Tack (Intermediate Level) Sept 11, 2000

Roll tacks are the key to mantaining boat speed. When you point the bow of the boat into the wind, you slow down considerably. The only way to counter-act this is by rolling the boat. What you are doing is very similar to what makes a propeller work. You are pushing the sails through the air and causing them to generate lift. My methood vaires slightly from the one presented in class, but only by the first step. My methood is you first steer down just about 5 or so degrees, and ease the mainsheet. As this occurs, I step off the windward rail and go to the leward side to cause the boat to tip to leward. I then push the helm across causing the noise of the boat to go into the wind. I trim in on the main. The exact timing is hard to set.. but the jib should just backwind, then both people hit the NEW leeward rail, as the main comes across, the mainsheet is eased slightly. The boat is now strating to go away from the wind on the new tack. Just at the end, both weight returns to the weather side, to flatten the boat out.. the main and jib are both trimmed in, then the weight is neturalized to give no lean to slight (leeward lean).

Pre-roll is not really required, but for me it is a hard habbit to beat... and for me makes the boat want to turn through the wind.

 

Lesson Recap - The Tale Tales (Beginner Level) Jan 30, 2001

The jib tailtales provide one of the most important senses of how the boat is performing. While it is not 100% neccisary to have telltales, they take away a lot of the guess work out of sail trim. They can help the skipper on a closehauled course, and the crew on any other point of sail. For the following pictures, the red telltale is the inside telltale, and the green telltale is the outside telltale. They are drawn from the skipper's typical point of view.

This is how you typically want to have the telltales. Sometimes in lighter air they will not fly straight back, but that is the over-all goal.

This shows the inside telltale "lifting"/ "stalling"/"fluttering" etc. For a skipper trying to sail a closehauled course, this means that you are "pinching" or pointing too close to the wind. This is typically not good. To correct this, gently pull the tiller towards your body (towards the inside), causing the boat to head down. If you are not on a closehauled course, the crew needs to trim in on the sail, until the inside telltale flies straight back. THE ONLY CASE that you want the inside telltale to lift extremly is when going closehauled in heavy winds, to help you dump some air off the sail. But don't worry about that until you know exactly when it is needed.

This shows the outside telltale "lifting"/ "stalling"/ etc. For a skipper trying to sail a closehauled course, this means that you are "footing off" too much, and need to come up. For the skipper to correct this, gently push the tiller away from your body (towards the outside). On any other point of sail, it means that the crews needs to ease (let out) the sail until the outside telltale flies straight back.