WCOA_Sailing Off Wind

SAILING OFF THE WIND - IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE…

OK, so you’ve reached the windward mark in the lead! But don’t get too smug. How do you keep in front of the opposition. Or if the position is reversed, how do you catch them up? To misquote George Orwell “Two sails good, three sails better”. The boat cannot reach her potential unless you fly the spinnaker. Always fly it if you can.

Bearing away onto a reach

As you approach the mark try to assess whether the reach is broad enough to carry the spinnaker. This will vary with wind strength. The lighter the breeze, the closer you will be able to hold the kite.

	Prepare to hoist before reaching the mark.
	Helm and crew use body weight to heel to windward as you bear away, so as to assist the turn. The crew should not come inboard until round the mark.
	Ease the kicker, ease the outhaul and raise the board about half.
	Hoist the kite. N.B. If the reach appears too close to hoist, consider going high until you can broaden the angle enough to hoist on the second part of the reach.

Medium airs Marginal planing

Reaching in force 2 to 3, up to marginal planing conditions. The aim is to get the boat planning. The maxim is “keep the boat going downhill” (bow pointing down the waves).

	Helm and crew both sit fairly well forward and well balanced across the boat, so that the transom does not drag, but you are using full waterline length, with the boat pointing down the face of each wave as it passes..
	Wind awareness is vital, and keep the boat dead upright.
	As a gust strikes, sheet in smoothly and lean back to promote planing.
	If you are on the front face of a wave when you feel a gust, lean forwards initially, sheet in to promote surfing then lean back, sheet in (both together) and go with it.
	Bear away in the gusts, to stay in the gust as long as possible. Luff up in the lulls.
	Be constantly aware of the slightest change in wind strength and direction and react to it with your body and sail trim.
	Crew adjust the spinnaker sheet and guy constantly to keep it pulling and the luff just on the curl.
	As the crew is concentrating on the spinnaker, it is often better for the helm to adjust the jib as necessary to keep it pulling with maximum power.
	Remember that the rules allow you to pump the sails once for each wave.

Planing Conditions

This is what you paid your money for! The ultimate thrill in dinghy sailing is a three sail planing reach in a force 4 breeze.

As soon as the kite is up pump main and spinnaker hard together, to promote planing.

	Work the boat. Both helm and crew should be fully hiked and moving their bodies back, forward, in and out with every change in wind strength and direction.
	Crew weight well aft and boat absolutely upright. The stronger the wind, the further aft the crew weight should be to raise the bow and minimise wetted area.
	Trim the spinnaker wide and flat, with the luff just on the curl.
	Anticipate the gusts. As one strikes, bear away slightly easing the sheet a little.
	As the boat gathers speed sheet in and ride the gust as long as possible.
	As a lull arrives, head back up towards the next gust.
	If in danger of being overpowered, bear away and ease the main to keep the boat flat but keep the spinnaker powered up.

On the run

	As you approach the mark decide which gybe you need to be on for the run. In general this is the one with the wind furthest forward. If the majority of the beat has been, say, on starboard tack, then port gybe will be best on the run.
	Work out in advance whether you will be doing a bear-away set or a gybe-set.
	Avoid heading dead down wind. You will usually get better speed made good on a very broad reach than a dead run. Keep checking your masthead wind indicator.
	If the course is close to a dead run, and the jib is clearly doing nothing, consider furling it. You then get better vision and the spinnaker is in clear air.
	Watch for headers and lifts in the wind. Contrary to the beat, keep going in a header (wind moves forward) but consider gybing if there is a significant lift (wind moves aft).
	Sail controls. In light to medium airs ease the kicker a bit, but not so much that the head of the sail goes forward of the mast. Keep the outhaul on to spread the main as wide as possible. In heavy air kicker on hard and main sheeted in a bit.
	Crew sit level with each other across the boat. It is best if possible for the helm to sit to leeward and the crew to windward on the rail, playing the spinnaker. In light airs both as far forward as possible, moving progressively aft as the wind strengthens.
	Keep the boat dead upright.
	Downwind the helm is “look-out” and tactician, as the crew concentrates 100% on the spinnaker.
	If the boat starts a roll, head up slightly, sheet in the main, pull on more kicker and (if necessary), give a sharp “jiggle” on the tiller to break the rhythm of the roll.
	If it is “survival” conditions, forget the spinnaker and set the genoa goose-winged with the pole, and trimmed wide and flat.

Well, that’s a start. The rest you have to work out for yourselves. For it all to sink in, you need to spend a lot of time on the water, not only racing but practicing.

Gavin Barr

10^th September 2008.