Racing advice

Staying with this upwind/downwind part of racing, I believe the transition from upwind to downwind (and vice versa) is very important and does take some practice. (especially on a unirig) Rounding " A " mark, you are usually picking up speed as you go through the reach part of the turn. At the same time, you have to come in off the trapeze and get the spinnaker up (plus make all the other transition adjustments). I usually will do bare away sets because of this and because I do not want to lose boat speed gybe setting. I gybe after the bare away set if that is where I want to go. (and if traffic will allow it!)

" C " mark can be worse depending on traffic. Sometimes when coming in at 15 plus miles per hour it is best/safer to just drop the spinnaker early, but since we are racing, many will keep it up and over shoot or scare the bejesus out of another boat caught in a traffic jam at the mark.

Maybe someone could prioritize the following.

1. Get a good start

2. Favored side of the course ( wind/current)

3. Boat speed ( which includes a ton of stuff: spreader rake/diamond tension, body placement, sheet tension, mast rake, mast rotation, downhaul, traveler positioning, etc.)

4. Transitioning from upwind to downwind and vice versa.

5. Executing good tacks and gybes.

6. Game plan when trying to overtake the leader or the guy just in front of you.

7. Knowing the rules (especially when boats meet)

Tom Turlington
F17 #124

I am by no means a master at winning, but my priorities would fall (generally) like this:

1) Get a good start on the favored side of the line
2) Good tacks and jybes
3) Good mark roundings (spin sets and douses, especially)
4) Favored side of course
5) Good boat speed (sail trim, settings, etc.)

If you're on at the start, you may not have to worry about overtaking people! If you're on the favored side with good boat speed, it is likely that those there with you will be going as fast as you and not really a candidate for overtaking.

In my case, transitions (tacks, gybes, and mark roundings) are where I see our troubles. Boat speed can rarely cure an overshoot while dousing the spin or a blown tack.

As to a priority, this post is respective to a I-17 normal in a open class situation.

1. Clean air start

2. Clean air up-the-course

I had many instances, where I started with-the-crowd, and the Uni did not have clean air. She could not beat a H16 as for speed or point!

I learned that CLEAN AIR for the I 17 is #1.
I have even given the 'first line' 5-6 boatlenghts at the start, just to get them out of the way, then I just get my boat dialed in, the I-17 beats then at the 1st crossing, they pull their hair, I just keep singing.

Also, I find that upwind, to stay away from the other boats, for the reason of clean air, is a powerful key to success. Even to the point of choosing this aspect over favored tack.

It is definately the 'anti-crowd' aspect. It works.

regards,

Bruce
St. Croix

Thanks Bruce--I've struggled uni-rigged, so I'll give the antisocial approach a try.

Break it down into catagories:

Boat speed: Am I consistantly keeping up with other boats in like conditions? Is the problem point or speed? How do
I correct for either problem?

Boat handling: Am I getting around marks as quick as anybody? Tacking and gybing with others without losing distance? Am I hitting the line at speed, on time, and with space to accelerate?

"Strategery": Do I know what the wind is doing? Is it occilating, is there a persistant shift, or unpredictable ? Do I know what side of the course to go to and am I planning my start accordingly?

Tactics: Do I know the rules? What will I do if I don't get
clean air after my start? Always have a plan B ready to go
at all roundings and starts. Am I aware of what is happening
as the race unfolds?

Equipment: Are my sails OK? Is my boat set up like the A fleeters?

Eric and other Uni's

What I do now, again, this is for a Uni in a open class, is automatically start at the opposite end on the line where the rest of the class is ( most of the time, I will be at the pin end, port start)

and, it is very nice, for you have unobstucted view of the pin, the line and the RC boat ( flags and such)

....bang,...you are off!

...at worst( 50% 0f the time), I have to duck 1 lead boat ( in my case, an I-20),for we will be equal at crossing, but I am on port....and off I go, full throttle, no problem

...the other 50% of the time, the Uni is 1st at crossing, ditto to above...

Maximize what the Uni does best, outpointing every jib cat by 10 - 15 degrees.......

.....oh yes,...when you are smokin' everyone, you will get a tremendous urge to sing....I believe you will have a silly grin on also...

regards,

Bruce
St. Croix

Bruice, I do this, but will calculate things a little more.

Am I the fastest boat (or nearly)? Yes, I can start where I like as I should be able to just sail away from people
Am I the highest pointing boat ? Yes, Start at the Stb end (if favoured) and fight like hell for the best place - I will be able to climb away from any faster boats and so wont get any dirty air
Am I mid fleet or lower in speed - go for clean air and forget the line bias - if you are not able to sail away from people into clean air, get it to start with - in this case it is worth starting on port and ducking a fair few sterns to get clean air and then tack back if the left is the right side to go....

Clean air is king, but use your boats performace as a driver to decide how you start.

Another thing. Do as many starts as you can and push it when it is "only club racing" - I was over early last sunday PM as I was trying a new method of "stopping quickly" and got it wrong and shot over the line with 30 seconds to go (opps) - Crash gybe and started on port and I still only ducked 3 transoms.

Scooby and Unis and all,

Ok,..so here is part 2 of the above starting scenario,..

We usually run 4-5 races a regatta day..

By race 3, a few other cats start doing the pin end start with me,..figuring that it is better down there ,.so they want to be there to...geez!

Then Scooby, I fight for the exact 'pin', so I can,
1. maintain clean air
2. Outpoint
3. Let the other cats ( now lower) tangle ( we are on port) with the oncoming starboard starters,....effectively 'blocking' for you,....it gets a little entertaining when they all converge ...oh well,....then continue as above,.....

..Scooby, I hope you are getting another Uni.

regards,

Bruce
St. Croix

Yup, but must sell the 17 first. New boat is very very at the moment. But it will be fast !