Starting Success Part 2

DISCLAIMER
I wrote my very first Center-of-Effort post entitled Starting Success, back in November 2009. If you’re reading this post but haven’t read the first I suggest you do. 

Starts can look like a confused mess until the final minute
but it's really all for a purpose - get a good start!

Elements of a good start – my order of importance:

1. A clear lane with bow out – the Rhodes is a tubby boat which is also underpowered so if you are in “the zone of death” you will get rolled;
2. Full speed when hitting the line – this will help you pull away from the fleet;
3. Ability to tack out – on our race course there is always a wind shift which you will need to tack on;
4. At or close to the favored end – most people think this should be higher on the list but I would rather go for any of the other 3 than fight a crowd at the favored end. Only a couple of boats will win this battle, most will not, and the consequences include getting stuck under other boats, sliding to leeward in a successive header, and going slow.

 

This diagram shows the "Umbrella of Terror" as team racers call it.
I call it the "Zone of Death". The yellow shaded area illustrates respective wind shadows of the 3 blue boats.  All I can say to this is "GET OUTA THERE!!!

What rules do and don’t apply during the starting sequence?
Prior to the start of the race proper course doesn’t exist. Therefore boats can weave their way down the line as long as they are observing the rules detailed in PART 2, SECTION A – WHEN BOATS MEET and SECTION B – GENERAL LIMITATIONS. Below are a few of the rules and clarifications as they apply to the starting sequence:

1. Rule 11: On the same course, overlapped: You are the windward boat (B) sailing down the line. A leeward boat (A) wants to luff-up, you must keep clear by putting your helm up if reasonably possible. Obviously if there are boats to windward you will have to wait for them to react. If you are the only windward boat then you must react quickly to stay clear of A.
2. Rule 12: On the same tack, not overlapped: The leeward boat (A) not overlapped with windward boat (B) has no rights UNTIL A establishes the overlap. Until that time B doesn’t have to anticipate A’s course. 
3. Rule 15: Acquiring right of way: Boat A just established an overlap to leeward of boat B therefore she must initially give B room to keep clear. She cannot sail so close to B so that if B turned up, her transom would hit A. In this instance A didn’t give B enough room to keep clear.
4. Rule 16: Changing course: Boat A wants to luff up to spill time. She must give boat B room to keep clear. But because A is the ROW boat B must also luff up to keep clear.
5. Rule 17: On the same tack; proper course—Remember there’s no proper course prior to the starting signal so Rule 17 doesn’t apply. That means boat A which has established an overlap from astern can luff  boat B, provided she gives B room to keep clear. Only once the starting signal sounds does A have to sail her proper (close-hauled) course.

Signal Flags and what to do if you are called over:

1. X FLAG: Indicates an individual recall. Our starting lines are crowded and sometimes it’s difficult for a boat that is over early to get back to restart. I’ve noticed the tendency is to keep sailing, and while you are within your rights (although it seems silly since you’ll just have to go back), you’d be better off luffing head to wind and waiting until there is room to turn downwind.
   Point-of fact: Once you turn back towards the line you have no rights and must keep clear of other boats.
2. I FLAG: If any part of a boat is On Course Side (OCS) during the last minute of the starting sequence she must sail “round the ends” to start. It’s important to note that if you are a windward boat you can still be pushed over the starting line by a leeward boat.  If this happens you must sail to windward of the starting line and round the RC  (RC to starboard) or the pin end (pin to port) of the line before starting.

 As always – try new stuff, have fun, don’t hit anything, don’t break anything. Be safe. And one more - Follow the rules!

I welcome you comments and suggestions for topics!
Look for new postings to “Center-of-Effort” every couple of weeks. Topics include aspects of racing tactics and strategy, boathandling, and interviews with some of our best Boston area racers. As always I enjoy hearing your comments and topic ideas.

Current Affairs

DISCLAIMER:
Call me crazy (you won’t be the first). I have come to enjoy the challenges of current. If your sailing on Boston Harbor it’s impossible to avoid current so if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

We have an abundance of current in Boston Harbor. Our tides average 10 ft. and there are 2 rivers—the Charles and the Mystic River,—that manifest outgoing current much of the time. The Charles, especially when the locks are open, creates its own strong current. Just try to land a boat on the Courageous dock to see how swift the current is moving. The bottom line is that those who race in Boston Harbor must always take the current into account. But what might initially be a frustrating element of the racing environment can become an exciting and useful tool for getting around the course. That is if you know what to look for and boathandling techniques to make the most (or least) of current effects.

Types of current:
•    Fair: Water moving in opposition to the wind
•    Foul: Water moving in the same direction as the wind
•    Cross: Water moving at an angle to the wind
•    Steady: Water is moving at same speed across the course
•    Variable: Water is moving at different speeds across the course

Identifying current:

• Anchored objects: Watch for water flow around the objects (Mooring balls, aids to navigation, anchored objects)
• Anchored boats: If they are positioned at an angle different from the wind they are most likely being affected by current
• Water surface: If the water is choppier than the wind indicates current is FAIR;
• if water is smoother current is FOUL
• Turbulence: Swirls (eddies) and conflicting chop around obstacles and points of land
• While sailing: Boat will be pushed in one direction or another, boat may seem slugglish when sailing into current, with a variable current across the course boats will exhibit different speeds and angles of sailing(1)

Leeway: How a boat’s sailing angle is affected by current
Most of you have experienced the frustration of sailing to the windward layline, tacking to starboard, then struggling to round the mark as your boat slides to leeward in the current. The more you pinch, the slower you go, and the further the leeway. Pretty soon your boat stops dead or worse, and much to your chagrin you get stuck on the mark.

For our venue—short-course racing—it’s not really practical to calculate the set and drift of the current and its affect on your vessel but there are simple tests you can do to get an approximate calculation.

1. Estimate leeway: As you’re sailing on a close-hauled course observe your wake as it streams back from the weather quarter. The angle it forms is leeway, which is most pronounced when close-hauled.
2. Now that you’ve estimated your leeway sail to the layline of the weather mark (or if it’s not set use a mooring buoy or landmark in the general area). Give yourself approx. 5 boatlengths to reach the mark. Sail on a close-hauled course (don’t pinch!) towards the mark.  Where do you end up? Most likely if the current is running Foul you will not make the mark.

Boathandling tips to minimize the effects of current

1. Boat speed trumps pointing. If your boat isn’t up to speed and you try to point you’ll just go slower and slide further to leeward.
2. A flat boat is a happy boat. The Rhodes is best sailed with a slight heel or when powered up—sailed flat. The foils work more efficiently and the keel digs in. Excessive heel is not only slow it causes the boat to slide to leeward. So commit to the mantra “Ease-hike-trim”.
3. Center your weight over the keel. When the skipper is sitting too far back the stern sinks, there is more wetted surface—equaling a slower boat and increased leeway.

My final word on current: Accept the challenge and learn to love it cause it’s here to stay.
As always – try new stuff, have fun, don’t hit anything, don’t break anything. Be safe.

(1) Dellenbaugh, Dave, Speed and Smarts, September/October 2009, www.speedandsmarts.com

I welcome you comments and suggestions for topics!
Look for new postings to “Center-of-Effort” every couple of weeks. Topics include aspects of racing tactics and strategy, boathandling, and interviews with some of our best Boston area racers. As always I enjoy hearing your comments and topic ideas.

Valentines Day Regatta

DISCLAIMER:
I have attempted a number of times to read Stewart Walker’s book “The Sailor’s Wind” but I just can’t get beyond the “blocks of wind”.  I keep looking up in the sky for “blocks of wind” and all I see are clouds and sky. What am I missing – or better yet what was Stewart smoking when he wrote the book?

Saturday, February 13th was another interesting day on Boston Harbor. Since we won the day (Or is it winn-ded the day?)  I thought it would be fun to write about our observations and how we sailed. The key to our success? It might have been the massive quantity of Sweethearts (I love the new “Tweet Me!” cotton candy flavor) we ate—it was a Valentines Day Regatta after all—or maybe our skill. I vote for the Sweethearts myself!

Conditions:
Wind – NW, 3-10 knots with gust to 13 knots. Breeze characteristics: The wind was very puffy and predominantly from the NW (course right) although there was a persistent shift of approx 45 degrees with the breeze backing west for (my estimate) 3-5 minutes, then veering back to it’s main NW heading. Current was outgoing at approximately 1 knot.  Water was flat.

Boat set-up – this is a good power setup for lighter breeze and current:
Jib: Halyard was eased slightly so scallops where visible through the lower mid-section. Jib leads were set up mid-track.
Main: Halyard was eased about 1 inch; outhaul was eased so the foot had a slight belly. It’s worth noting that we had some discussion about tightening the outhaul more because of the lack of any appreciable chop. We did this for one race but felt like the boat wasn’t getting up to speed – maybe due to adverse current upwind. We went back to an eased position and saw an immediate improvement in the boat’s ability to get up to speed. The vang was set tight enough to take the slack out and so the boom would stay parallel to the water when eased.
Backstay – loose enough to get about 2 feet of rotation.

Strategy:
•    Starts: Get a clear lane with the option to tack over. If we saw that one side was predominantly favored we would try for that side. But it was more important for us to be able to get bow out and tack out if necessary. 
•    Upwind leg: The strategy for the day was to play the favored side wind-wise, go for pressure, and play the shifts.  We did a good job in races 1-4 of playing the right-hand shift. While the left looked good just prior to the start the breeze consistently went back right. We were able to tack out, get to the right into great pressure, and extend on most of the fleet. I think it’s important to use patience sailing upwind in these puffy/shifty conditions. You have to be able to distinguish a velocity header (wind lessens and apparent wind moves forward making it feel like a header, the problem is if you tack on it you’ll be headed on the new tack) from an actual header. 
•    Windward mark rounding: The current was strong (setting boats to leeward approximately 1 boat-length for every five sailed, NOTE: This is my estimate based on experience) and the breeze was heading you as you approached the mark on starboard. Our philosophy is that it’s always preferable to get around the mark cleanly and win the downwind battle.
•    Downwind: Just prior to rounding the offset, ease the jib halyard an inch to give a bit more power to the sail. Don’t forget to tighten it back up before you round the leeward mark). Our strategy is to play the shifts and stay powered up. This means heating it up when the breeze lessens, not sailing-by-the-lee (if your jib is collapsing up top you are BTL), and when gybing don’t go from one wing-on-wing to another, instead heat it up a bit until you have good boat speed then go back to WOW. Crew position is key: Skipper should be as far forward as possible to keep the stern from sinking. Hike out to heel when WOW.
•    Last leg: Go for the favored side (which you should determine before you round the leeward mark) and favored gate (unless you are behind a bunch of boats who just rounded it). Yesterday the breeze was consistently course right with more velocity and consistency. Tactics come much more into play as we work around the course. For example: On the last leg do we need to cover boats behind or try to make a move on boats rounding ahead of us? There’s never a dull moment (nor should there be!) until you cross that finish line.


BTW- Kudos to the race committee for the new finish line setup. It condensed the fleet and made the last upwind much more fun!


As always – try new stuff, have fun, don’t hit anything, don’t break anything. Be safe.

I welcome you comments and suggestions for topics!
Look for new postings to “Center-of-Effort” every couple of weeks. Topics include aspects of racing tactics and strategy, boathandling, and interviews with some of our best Boston area racers. As always I enjoy hearing your comments and topic ideas.