Making it tough for yourself: In search of height

During a training session this weekend at Oxford (in preparation for next week’s inlands), we decided to use the flat water to work on our upwind height.  Whilst sailing in chop forces you to keep your bow down to some extent, flat waters are a great opportunity to test your boat’s boundaries, to see how high you can push it and to then put these tests into practice.

In the 49er we quickly learnt that the crew tends to move the mainsheet more than is needed, and the helm tends to steer to the jib telltails. So, when the gust comes in, the mainsheet is eased and the boat stays on the same heading. What we tried to do was to go half and half, by ditching 6 inches of mainsheet and pushing the stick a little bit to head her up.  This is a great way to sail, but it takes practice to get right (and also a really good rig set up..).

At Oxford sailing club, we decided to see how far we could push it. It was pretty gusty, and breezy enough to twin wire, so we started out aiming to ditch just 6 inches of sheet, and then moved onto just 4 inches, and then 2, constantly trying to find our limits.  It’s easy to say this before you hit the water, but in reality you always end up going back to your old methods without realising. Sometimes, making things extra difficult is a good way to learn more about your boat, so we decided to make this more difficult for ourselves by firstly marking the mainsheet (with tape) to the limit that Justin could ease the sheet, and then by giving him the very end of a shortened mainsheet (with a knot in) that would fully prevent him easing more than the allocated 6 inches. Sailing upwind in breezy conditions, Justin was holding the very end of the mainsheet tail, and was completely unable to let the sheet out more than a little bit, so was forced to keep us upright using steerage alone.

The effects were pretty interesting. Sure, everything was a bit more unstable when we hit variations in the wind, but once it stabilised we found we were sailing a good few degree higher through the gusts and using the tiller a lot more to alter our power.  We had to be quicker to bend our knees when the breeze dropped (due to our high angle, the boat was far more “on edge” so the slightest header would drop all power) but overall the exercise showed us how high we can push the boat before losing power and sailability.

Winter is definitely a time for testing new techniques, so why not get out there and try something a bit different?  Rake the rig right back, try a different gybing technique, get the crew to helm for a bit (a great way to learn more about each other’s roles), train with the rudder halfway up (teaches you to roll the boat more through tacks..), and just generally mix it up.

RS800 Nationals 2009 Day 1

Tenby, South West Wales was the venue for the 2009 RS800 Nationals. With 4 days set aside for the competition, we hit the water on Saturday expecting a fairly long event and therefore aimed for consistency over the first day. An offshore, 18 knot breeze gave us a high paced blast out to the start line before we settled into our pre-start routine.

With clouds skidding across the sky, we sailed the beat twice to log some high and low numbers, before relaxing below the committee boat to watch the other sailors, trying to pick the guys who were looking fast and the guys who weren’t. Having decided on the boats we wanted to avoid on the line, we waited for the 5 minute gun before checking transits. With 3 minutes to go, we went for a final short beat to check numbers again, before dropping back to our midline starting position to line up. This is the same routine we always use, and we find that keeping it metronomic allows us to clear our heads pre-start and forget about any outside pressure.

We lined up for the first race mid-line, looking for a safe and consistent start. On 9 seconds, we sheeted in, hit the wire and got the bow down to roll the boat below and to punch ahead of the midline sag. With choppy waves rolling in, we shifted our weight back before working to take some height to allow us to attack the boat sitting to windward. 30 seconds later, we’ve squeezed up under their bow and have begun to lee bow them. Great, things are looking good. We sail the rest of the beat working the middle of the track, but lose out to the boats who started further right as they hook into more of a right shift. Rounding 6th, we pop the kite and roll the boat in 5th thanks to a quicker hoist. Twin wiring, we start working low in front of the boats trailing us, reach the gybe point and step across the boat to power on down to the leeward gate on port. Under pressure, we drop a little late around the left hand gate and have a bit of a poor rounding, forcing us to away from the right hand side back into the middle.

After clearing our lane, we go for a tack back, but pick the wrong patch of water and nail it into a wave. The wave knocks the tiller out of Justin’s hand, spinning us around and capsizing us through the tack. Damn. Anyway, we get the boat up and set off to catch some places up. With another good run we pull up to 16th by the finish.

Waiting in the line up for the second race, we noted the gusts rolling down over the course, and the large patches of light wind between them. This was going to be a race to keep your head out of the boat. Again, we decided that the quality of the fleet would make starting at the boat end a bit risky, so we lined up just under the main pack hoping to use or boat speed to get a good lane. This time we push the line a bit harder, and have to sheet in at around 4 seconds, but still manage to hold our lane and, after 30 seconds, start to impact on the boat below us. Similar to the first race, the waves are big aspects in upwind boats speed, and a number of times we pull ahead from reacting quickly to the steepest waves. With a clear lane, we tack onto port and start to attack the right hand side of the fleet. Crossing a few boats, we tack back on the right hand side of the course in a small header. A few boats have done well from starting from the boat end and heading out right. We end up rounding 8th, again roll the 7th boat as we hoist, and finish the run in 7th. With a nice final beat, we pull up a couple of places but lose out down the run to Spod and Filmour as they gybe early, hook into better pressure before beating us to the line.

So, after day 1 we finish in 8th position. Aside from the capsize we would have had a relatively good day, but we still have the feeling that we should have done a lot better..

49er Fail

A quick depth check? Looking to see if the foils are aligned or free of weed? Maybe it’s a case of “my head is hot..”. Either way, I’m not sure this is the fastest technique I’ve ever seen…

Giving the foils a quick weed check

Downwind laylines – Winning and losing places at the gybe point

The downwind slide in the 49er and other high performance machines (in over 15 knots) is a section of the race course that is far more complex then people first think.  Everything you do, from the bear away at the top mark, hoist, pre-gybe setup, gybe point and final run into the mark are all inherently linked together, much like a an elastic band stretched between the marks.  For you to maintain your position at the bottom mark, or to have the opportunity to sneak a few extra places, you’ll need to get the whole process right, starting at the top mark.  Like the elastic band stretched between the marks, if you pull one part of the band, everything else changes position.  If you delay your gybe point, even by several seconds, your entire downwind leg can be ruined.

Want to drop in the right position? Get planning early..

I’ll just explain.  When it’s breezy, the downwind leg lasts only a few minutes.  With such high boat speed, you want to get to the favoured side of the course as efficiently as possible.  There’s absolutely no time to put in an extra couple of gybes if you gybe too early, and it’s death if you get below the layline and are forced to drop the kite early.  However, it’s easy for me to stress the importance of the gybe point, but in a race if you get your processes wrong further up the course, you won’t have the choice where you gybe as it’s up to the other boats around you, and they don’t play nice.

If you round the top mark and hoist slightly high, a boat can sneak onto your hip and, if they are worth their salt, will be able to live there to the gybe point, force you over it, gybe late and roll you.  There’s no worse feeling in the world (except for that brief moment when you realise the recipient of that dirty text message you just sent was, in fact, your mother..) than hitting the gybe point at 20 knots and not being able to gybe.  You know that, at this very point, your race is ruined.  If only you planned your run a little better.

Ok, how about if you gybe set to get away from the pack?  Sure, it makes sense to go looking for fresh breeze and a clear gybe point, but you need to think ahead.  If you gybe early, you know there’s going to be a boat gybing with you at some point, so rather than just concentrating on the gybe and hoist, the helm has to be looking around.

What I’m trying to say is that, if you are going to get into a good position at the leeward mark, you need to think about it before you even think about hoisting.  Look at it this way, if you get it wrong at the top mark and a boat looks like pinning you out to a corner, you only have a few hundred metres to get some space to gybe.  You never want to sail downwind defending your position and taking risks, you should be looking to extend, so getting clear water around you is key.

Now, when do you start thinking about this?  From my experience, helm’s have an easy job.  They lie back and hold on to a stick.  But hey, it’s not ANY stick, it’s carbon fibre so it doesn’t weigh too much for them…  Anyway, when you tack onto the layline before the top mark, helm’s have a good few seconds to see where the boats are stacking up on them.  Helms need to answer a few questions before we round the mark (and in my experience, if things are going crazy, it’s best to not discuss it with the crew, any hesitation can cost you.  Two minds are better than one, unless a quick decision is needed):

1: Where’s the wind?  Do I want to go left or right? (basically, do I straight set or gybe)

2: Am I going to have a guy on my hip when we hoist?

3: Am I going to be in a position to roll someone or jump onto their hip?

When you’ve answered these questions, you have a firm basis for the set up.  If you’re straight setting, the helm should be looking backwards for a few seconds to keep in line with the attacking boats behind. If they go low, stay down with them, if they go high, then push the stick.  All you need to do is stay in a position to gybe away when you want to. If you are gybe setting, check to see if other boats are gybing behind you or if the layline is stacked up with sails, ready to cut your wind and ruin your well practiced gybe set.

The moral of the story?  It’s important to realise how important the start of the run is for the end result.  If you plan ahead and give yourself room to pick your key points of maneuver then you’ll get to the bottom mark with room to sail and attack the other guys who have been pressurised into making mistakes.  And always remember, don’t be too aggressive mid run.  If a guy looks like he’ll gybe on you then try to wave him through.  Try to be a nice guy as it will come back to you in another race.  But at the bottom mark, don’t take any hassle, stand your ground, and don’t worry if you ruin someone’s race by making them mess up.  It’s there fault for not planning ahead.

Kit for sale

We’ve recently looked through or kit store and have found many bits of kit and sailing clothing that we’d like to sell.  Over the next few days I’ll put up some pictures of what we have, but for now I’ll quickly list it all:

- Firstly, we have an almost new, pristine 49er kite in light blue.  This kite was used for Kiel Week, and that’s it.  Very good condition.  We’re selling it for £780, which is a bargain considering the price of Ovington kites is now up to £1075, and is set to rise again, so it may be a good idea to buy a nearly new kite for a much lower price.

- 2 very good condition (nearly new) Gul Breathable Drysuits.  Size medium and large adult

- Bouyancy aids, ranging from brand new to well used, all sizes.

-Trapeze harnesses, sized from kids up to large adults

-Thermals, medium adults

- Kids shorty wetsuit, light use

- Adults wetsuits

And a tonne of other stuff.  Due to our campaigns we have been given a load of kit from various sponsors that all get lightly used before the next load arrives, so if you have any requirements then please let me know.  I’m sure we have it!

Christmas training

It’s always been just one of those things.  We’ve always wanted to train more but have always been restricted by pesky things that hold us back, namely University, Girlfriends, the need to not freeze to death, etc.  At the end of every month we have a meeting (well, a few beers in the pub, but I do bring a notepad so it looks official) to decide what we have done well and whatwe could have done better.  Every single month we look back and say “hell, I wish we could have sailed more”.  Weekend sailing just doesn’t cut it, but we rarely have the chance to sail more.  However, during the Christmas holidays we have always put the effort in to make a run for the door to get a few hours in each day on the water.  We bravely side step the mince pies, leap over the pile of presents, duck under the flying, erm, ham…. (I’m not sure where I’m going with this…) and drive over to Lymington for a sail.  The last two years it was in the 49er, this year we were in the 800.

Happily, our main sponsor, motivator, back-up driver, coach and biggest fan (out of the two fans we have, the other being my girlfriend.. who isn’t big..) managed to take time out of his job  (running the world) and jumped into a RIB to take some photos.  That’s right, our Dad was out braving the cold in the SMALLEST boat you’ve seen in 25 knots of breeze and waves to shoot some photos and provide some general coaching tips.

We sailed for 2 hours in 18 to 25 knots (Easterly, ish).  Considering this was our 4th sail in the boat (Jus has had a number of Uni commitments to attend… *cough* skiing *cough*), and first in more than 14 knots, I think we did pretty well.  We were throwing in gybes, downwind 360’s, gybe drops and s-curves without any issue and didn’t capsize or get anywhere near messing it up, even when the big breeze was rolling in.  I’m fairly confident we can handle the boat in all conditions so it’s just down to working on upwind boat speed before we’re ready for racing.

Here are a few pictures of the training:

New beginnings

After 3 years in the 49er, Justin and I have realised that the amount of time we can dedicate to the 49er is not enough to make headway into the Gold fleet.  We’ve put the effort in, but with uni and work commitments it’s become obvious that 2 days a week sailing (generally only one day when the weather doesn’t behave) has limited the potential of our campaign. 

We were happy to keep going, until the price of the new rig was released.  Now, we all know how damn expensive the 49er is, but for the new mast, Main and now compulsory Jib (it’s slightly bigger) Ovington quoted us nearly £4,000 (which is a lot more than was originally suggested when we voted for the change).  When you consider that we would need training and racing equipment, it looked like we would have to spend 8k over 2009 just on rigging not including the other kit, travel, accomodation, entry, etc.  For two guys, one being a uni student and the other trying to build a business, we had no way of easily affording the costs for 2009, so have decided to put the campiagn on hold for a few years.

In the meantime, we have traded our 49ers for a brand spanking new RS800.  We wanted a boat similar to the 49er, without the huge expenses associated with it (the i14 is out, straight away).  The 800 seemed the perfect choice, and after unpacking her for the first time on Sunday we were sure about the decision.  You see, the new 800 is an absolute peach of a boat.  Every single aspect of the boat is superb, from build quality (which is unbelievable), to the top notch sail, full Harken kit and the fully carbon mast from Selden which is a sight for sore eyes (compared to the alloy bottom section of the 49er).

We’re both looking forward to campaigning the 800, and expect to be competitive fairly quickly (after any early teething problems).

Regarding the 49er campaign, we have both agreed to try to take up the campaign further down the line when we can afford it in terms of both time and money, but for the next few years (at least) we will be hitting the 800 pretty hard to see where we can get.

Images of our new 800

GBR 940 for sale

Our competition 49er, GBR 940, is now for sale.  We’ve used her for only a few big events, and trained in GBR 653 for all of last year and some of this year.  she has been VERY lightly sailed from new.  Here is some more information:

Just over two years old but has been lightly used before we bought it (Dave Hall from Ovington owned it before from new and used it only a few times). It has only really been event sailed as we used our training but for non-tuning based practice for most of last year.  It’s hardly been used this year, only doing one week long regatta (Kiel Week) and the nationals (3 days).  Apart from that it has been trained in most weekends this year, but we’d be the first to admit we haven’t sailed it enough! Therefore, it’s still in excellent condition, and in much better condition than what we bought it in.  Compared to the other boats in this price range, (all squad boats and heavily used and abused), 940 is a peach of a boat and is very, very pacey when you lock in the right settings.
 
The asking price is £8200. For this price you get a boat absolutely race rigged and tuned with all the kit.  As we’re moving boats, we’ll throw in all our spare kit that we wouldn’t normally sell with the boat (compass bracket, spare tillers and loads more), and we have about two of everything! The sails that come with are two good sets of main, jib and spinnaker, the best set are very race worthy.  Also, our foils are brand new this year, used for one event and in great condition, and are of the new style.

There’s one mast and a spare new top section, and two booms. Carbon tiller extensions, under and over covers, launching trolley, boat breaker and mast bag included as well. Basically the whole shooting match, all ready to race and tuned.

Lastly, we’d happily include in the price a “starter kit” of tuning advice and rig settings, and a day of us coaching you to get you up to speed as soon as possible (on the south coast Southampton area)

49er Nationals 2008

We’re just getting ready for the 49er Nationals in Weymouth this weekend.  I personally think it’s a shame that it’s only a 3 day event, which is nothing compared to most other classes getting week long events for their National Championships.  Anyway, 3 days means that you really have to get the good results in early to do well, so it’s going to come down to who has the best start on Saturday.

We’ve worked hard on fitness over the last few months since Kiel.  We’ve both been riding 3 or 4 times a week for about an hour and a half each time.  We’ve been hitting the gym very hard, trying to get the extra weight needed (and have seen an increase of 3kg to bring us up to 150kg since Kiel) and have worked on flexibility and overall conditioning to reduce injury risks etc.  Although we were fast in the breeze in Kiel, with some good boat handling in the big stuff, the extra weight should help us out for the next windy event.  Lets hope it’s the Nationals.

I’ll keep you posted on how things go.

Training and photo shoot

After trying to organise it for a long time, I finally managed to get Felix Hemsley over to Lymington for a bit of a photo shoot.  We wanted to get some new shots for the sponsors, as well as some film for training purposes. There’s nothing like filming yourself to work out what you need to imporve on, so armed with a few thousand pounds worth of camera equipment (his, not ours..) and a promise that “dude, no worries, you won’t break a thing and it’ll be dry”, we rocked up to Lymington to be greeted with torrential rain and 20 knots of breeze.  After sitting in the cab for ten minutes, the low passed over and the we stepped out into wall to wall sunshine. 

After rigging up (it’s very difficult to rig up plus ensure that the photographer is getting your best side….) we wandered over to the gruff RNLI men to find out what conditions we could expect.  “You’re going out?” he said with a grin….

“erm, yep.  looks ok to me.  what’s it blowing?”

“Hmm, 25knots, gusting 30.  If you’re going out, how about we keep the boat on the water for you shall we?  You know, just in case….”

Right.  Ok, we didn’t have much choice so we pulled the sails up (whilst trying to look all casual and unfussed as the boat did it’s best to jump off the trolley and fly away…) and launched.

After sailing out through Lymington river, both in the toe loops on a broad reach, we hit the Solent, or rather, then Solent hit us…  in the face.  With 25 knots of very angry wind and waves that just didn’t appreciate the finer arts of trying to keep a boat flat.  To avoid having to go downwind too much, be blasted off towards Cowes in the death zone (an angle to the wind where everything just seems to go wrong, in a very sharp, painful and altogether upside down way) to practice our bearaways.  However, we very quickly realised that with the strong wind against tide current, bad things were about to happen.  Besides, I was getting the “lets call it a day” cut throat gesture from Felix on the RIB, as he fought to keep his camera equipment dry and in one piece.  We decided to stay out a little longer, but it was getting to the stage where, even though both sails were completely let go, we were still nearly getting blown flat..

So after much conversation ( Me: “WE SHOULD GO IN…”    ….Jus:  “WHAT?”   Me: ” I SAID WE SHOULD GO IN!”  Jus: “I CAN’T HEAR A THING! WE SHOULD GO IN!” Me: “WHAT????!” ) we called it a day and pulled a bearaway (yes, it’s 25 knots and there are steep choppy waves around us.  Why tack when you can bear away and learn something?  Why drop the spinnaker when you can gybe drop?) and blasted back home.

The photos are now up on flickr so go and have a look.  Felix could only shoot whilst we were still in the river or in flat water, so they don’t really do the conditions justice.  We’re all very happy with the photos though, and Felix turned out to be a pretty hard nut to risk all of his equipment in those conditions.  Thanks goes out to Felix (check out his site:  www.felixhemsley.com) and our elegant RIB driver Maria Claridge.