By Airwaves Writer Clinton Hayes
For almost 2 decades team racing enthusiasts made the annual pilgrimage to Florida over New Years for Vanguard 15 Midwinters. That event and its host, usually Jensen Beach, were special in so many ways, but for better or for worse, it is no more. The current climate of team racing seems to demand provided boat events, (see recent our article on Provided Boats) so in steps Eckerd College. Eckerd now has the 2nd event on the growing dinghy team racing circuit, the other being the Free State Team Race in Annapolis, MD.
If you were lucky enough to attend a V15 midwinters you undoubtedly had a great time. Tight competitive racing during the day gives way to often rowdy, nighttime fun. Whatever your expectations are for this event, Eckerd has you covered. As a Nationally ranked college team, their boats and venue are top notch. Sailing takes place just off Eckerd’s campus beach were you’ll sit between races. Being in a protected bay, the water is generally flat with a little chop if the wind picks up. Manatee sightings are common near the mangroves that surround parts of the bay and line the narrow waterway you sail out of between the boathouse and the racing area. Racing will be in Eckerd’s fleet of FJs as well as Zim 15s, the boat currently sailed at the US Team Racing Championships. Expect coaches Kevin and Zack to have everything in order for a nice efficient event. As long as the wind cooperates, which it usually does during the winter in Florida, there will be plenty of racing.
For Competitors missing the Four Fish Inn in Jensen Beach(does that bring back some memories!) the regatta hotel for this event, Postcard Inn, seems like a worthy substitute. Its location right on the Gulf of Mexico on St.Pete Beach will provide no shortage of fun. They are hosting a full New Year’s Eve party with a live band and bon fire on the beach. How else would you want to ring in the New Year with all your best sailing friends? The next night they are hosting a dinner for all regatta competitors. I’m told if enough people register and stay at the hotel they are going to do a pig roast on the beach!
There are a number of teams already registered. A couple of college teams looking to get a jump-start on the team racing season and some veterans coming back for more. This 1st annual event is not to be missed. Make your plans now to drive or fly into the Tampa area. If you need help finding a team or are looking for someone to fill out a team post on the Facebook event page, 2015 Midwinter Team Race
https://www.facebook.com/events/1557696367794320/?ref=br_tf . I guarantee you’ll make many new friends and great memories, just as it’s always been.
Blog
Rounding the Windward and Offset Mark with a Symmetrical Spinnaker
By Andrew Kerr
This article takes a look at the important elements of rounding the windward mark and offset mark with some key elements in mind for teams using a symmetrical spinnakers, with a few exceptions the vast majority of the elements that we explore apply to Asymmetric boats well. In this article we will look at the boat handling skills a team needs to practice & develop, in a future article we will look at tactics we can use at these marks. Even if your team does not anticipate sailing with an offset mark a great deal, the vast majority of the information below will help your team be smoother at the windward mark rounding.
Approaching the windward mark
- Hike hard coming in to the mark so the boat is flat and fast!
- When the bow person sets the pole, hike especially hard and if possible pull the pole topping lift up from the hiking position
- If it is a long sail to the offset mark then delay setting the pole until you have rounded the windward mark to minimize disruption – particularly in heavy or very light conditions – the caveat to this is if you can set the spinnaker between the marks.
- Ease the vang a couple of inches (be sure to re-cleat it!) to the preset downwind mark to help preset the mainsail leech tension for downwind sailing and also to help the boat bear away by opening the mainsail leech.
- The headsail trimmer really wants to focus on perfect trim of the sail and not be distracted – particularly important if sailing in dirty air from another boat or getting lifted into the mark requiring the Jib to be eased for max speed.
- Top skippers keep the boat going fast at all times – keep the boat rolling and be sure not to pinch too much , have the crew keep calling out waves and puffs all the way into the mark so you can be anticipating the elements. This is a chance to extend on boats behind you and catch boats ahead, boat length by boat length.
- Don’t pinch – if on a tight lay line to the mark – take the mark out of the picture and go fast, the lift off the foils will very often give the team the added pointing it needs. It’s all too common for a team to pinch too much initially and not make the mark anyway.
Between the windward mark and the offset mark – sail fast!!
As a coach I observe and video tape a lot of races and one of the common threads is the gains and losses for teams when sailing between the marks – particularly in the extremes of conditions – very light or heavy air.
Key elements for sailing fast between the marks:
- Trimming the sails well – keep the headsail tell tales flowing – this does mean easing it and when it is time to set on smaller boats the trimmer can grab the clew of the sail and pull it inboard to facilitate the spinnaker going up smoothly and not getting trapped between the leech of the Genoa and the boom and helps the foot of the sail pre feed easier.
- On boats with skirt lines attached to the foot of the genoa (like a J24) the bow person skirts the foot of the sail inboard of the lifelines to help with the pre feed of the spinnaker foot.
- Particularly when it is breezy – sail the boat flat and not allowing excessive heel.
- When it is light – minimizing movement and being smooth will maintain momentum and speed.
- Determine how much pre feed on the spinnaker foot you want – if it is light then gently feed the foot out so that it doesn’t disrupt the headsail, if it is breezy then you may want to delay until the boat is around the offset mark and flat and pointed downwind so that the foot of the sail does not get out of control. In medium conditions you likely will be able to pre feed most of the way but be careful of the sail touching the offset mark or a leeward boat.
- Take an opportunity in light/ moderate conditions to ease the Cunningham (if on at all) all the way off and the outhaul to the eased setting for downwind sailing.
- The bow person can point to the offset mark to help the skipper gauge where it is as well as the middle looking to leeward helping keep track of it.
Setting the spinnaker between the marks
With the wind veering to the right and your team getting lifted on starboard tack going into the mark there may be an opportunity to set between the marks, here is a check list for this:
- Make sure you get a good visual on where the offset mark is – it is easy to lose sight of it when pre feeding the spinnaker, the bow person ( as mentioned earlier) or trimmer or tactician can help point out where it is and if possible the skipper needs to get themselves in a good place for them to see it. One helpful trick is if you are approaching the windward mark on port tack is to have the skipper take a quick glance at the angle and distance of the offset mark in relationship to the windward mark so that if they have to tack at the windward mark they have a good idea where the heading of the bow has to go immediately once the tack is completed.
- If there is a boat to leeward of you and slightly ahead of you (preventing you from bearing away)- head high and then bear away and go behind them – this will give you the ability to set and get inside and be able to jibe at the offset – you don’t want to be pinned outside them. In this situation the likelihood is that the team will need to jibe to port quickly with a right shift to get in phase with the wind – current and wind shadows and other strategic needs notwithstanding.
- Be sure that the leeward twing is all the way off and the windward twing all the way on.
- Caution – if the twing line is too long it can scoop the offset mark – has them long enough but not too long!
- Pull the guy back so that the pole is at least 9 inches to almost a foot off the forestay – the guy will stretch this much at least on a reach when the spinnaker fills.
- Luff the spinnaker if necessary to get the spinnaker halyard all the way to the top and then sheet in.
- If breezy – delay pulling the Jib down to keep the weight on the high side until the boat has flattened out. In this instance if you have the spinnaker and Genoa up at the same time be sure to keep the Jib sheet well eased to allow the spinnaker to fly – if it is slightly over trimmed the sails forms a vacuum of stall and collapses the spinnaker.
- When bearing off at the offset mark ease the spinnaker sheet first and that will make squaring the pole much faster and easier, sounds simple but a lot of teams have difficulty squaring the boat back smoothly – particularly on bigger boats or when it is windier.
Rounding the offset Mark
Look to round the mark tactically if at all possible – aim half to three quarters of a length to windward of the mark and then smoothly turn down while giving the main a good and fluid ease, the goal is to minimize the loss of the turn, very often teams button hook turn around the mark and end up losing a lot of speed and also end up way wide with other teams getting inside them.
- Backstay off as soon as you can and when possible organize the Main traveler so it is centered, assuming the mainsheet is long enough.
- As soon as you possibly can make sure you have a crew member looking back for velocity and the angles of other boats – gets this dialogue going as fast as possible – this is critical.
Hoisting the spinnaker in light air at the offset mark
Be sure to keep the pole forward as the apparent wind is well forward – slightly over trim the spinnaker sheet and when the boat speed and apparent wind angles start to get closer together then slowly start to bring the pole aft. Pulling the pole aft prematurely in light air is a common mistake and will collapse the spinnaker every time, watch for this, particularly with a new trimmer or fill in crew member.
It’s all in the details
- Put a series of marks ( or with tape on the solid part if you have a solid vang) on the vang so you know how much to ease it to set the mainsail
- Leech tension with the top baton parallel, or more open if in planning mode to the boom once you are downwind
- Mark the topping lift so that the pole is set to the correct height
- Mark the spinnaker halyard so you know when it is fully hoisted
- Do a practice bear away set and mark the spinnaker sheet & cleat it when the pole is squared and the sail full. This pre set mark will allow you to focus on pulling back the guy on the set and free a hand up with the spinnaker filling nicely.
Conclusion
All the above is well worth practicing – there are good gains to be had here for your team and over the course of a series the points gained will add up.
In a future article we will examine some tactics your team can use at the windward and offset mark.
Good sailing!
Are Provided Boats Really The Answer?
By Airwaves writer John Storck
In the ongoing debate of how to improve the state of our beloved sport, there is one argument that keeps coming up- provided boats. The argument typically comes from someone who is heavily involved with the keelboat team racing circuit, which is sailed at high-end yacht clubs throughout the country and abroad in provided boats. The argument is that we need more provided boats since people obviously aren’t getting in line to buy boats these days.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the keelboat team racing scene, and it would not exist without provided boats. Match Racing is another aspect of our sport which needs provided boats to be successful. But I think we have to be careful in looking at the concept of provided-boats as a solution.
For starters, provided-boat regattas are exclusive by their very nature. There are a limited number of seats. If there is a 12 team cap on registration, and a 13th team wants to come, that’s a whole group of sailors that will be sitting on their couch instead. This doesn’t help the growth of our sport.
Secondly, the provided boat concept does not promote boat ownership. If there are more and more provided-boat events, there are just more sailors convinced they never have to own a boat. However, due to the limited seats, that same sailor is likely to only be sailing half the regattas that they would in a boat-ownership situation. Boat ownership is good for more than just the owner as well. With no registration limits, there are far more seats to fill with crew as well. And lastly, the provided-boats concept is really tough on the boat-building industry, which we all should want to be thriving if we love sailing.
Finally, there is the problem of who can actually afford these fleets of provided boats. In reality, there are only a few high-end yacht clubs around the country that can do so. And if you want to regularly compete in these events (and have your regatta fees at least partially covered), then you better become a member at one of those clubs. Once you do so, get in line, because there are a few long email lists that will show you how many of your fellow members want to go to the same events. At the same time, you are probably going to pass on becoming a member at your local club to save money, making it less likely for that small local club to be able to support this new world of provided-boat sailing.
I recently heard an idea out of a small club that might be a better solution. There is one active active one-design fleet in their area. The board at this club is trying to get the money together to buy one boat of that type. They would then allow for new members to pay a low annual fee to be able to use that boat. The catch being that a member could only be in that program for a season or two. Not every member is going to go out and buy a boat after that experience, but chances are good that a few might. And if that happens, then they have successfully grown their local fleet. This is just one example, and I am sure there are more ways to help our sport grow.
Again, I really want to stress that I love keelboat team racing, and there is no way that aspect of our sport thrives without provided boats. However, asking for more and more of it won’t help sailing grow due to it’s exclusive nature.
Team Race Midwinters 2015 Notice of Race!
If you are bummed that the V-15 midwinters are dead, or if you never sailed the V-15 midwinters because you don’t have a boat, then come sail the first ever open Team Race hosted by Eckerd College. We are hosting in the hopes of filling in the gap the V-15 Midwinters will leave in its absence. Boats are provided, the dates have been setup not to conflict with Orange Bowl and entry is cheap. Flying to Tampa or Sarasota is a piece of cake and we have partnered with the Post Card Inn. They have a hotel right on the beach and are excited to have us join in on their New Year’s Eve festivities. We will have an included regatta dinner at the Post Card Inn and they are giving a special regatta rate so you can safely stay right where the off water fun is happening. Lastly, the event will include 6 Zim 15s. This will allow us to take more entries and allow competitors to sail the boat used at the Hinman TR.
Here is the link to the event: http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/9268#_home
and FB page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1557696367794320/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
One-Design Class Profile: Etchells
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin
If any one-design class has a cult following, it would be the Etchells. The boat was designed in the mid 1960s by Skip Etchells as a candidate to be the three-man Olympic keelboat. Despite dominance in the trials, the Etchells lost out to the Soling, but gained a dedicated group of sailors. Since then, over 1200 hulls have been launched and sailed by individuals such as Dennis Conner who used the boat in training for his America’s Cup campaigns, Gary Jobson, Russell Coutts and Jud Smith.
The Boat: Heavenly
Long and slender, the Etchells is one of the larger 3-4 man keelboats in recent history. A narrow waist at 6’11” and a 22’ waterline belies an overall length of 30’6”. The boat displaces 3,700lbs all up and draws 4’6”. Described as “the boat they sail in heaven,” the Etchells is very tunable and responds to the smallest adjustments.
Commonly dry sailed, the Etchells is easily trailered despite her length. Construction is fiberglass with an aluminum rig. The class association monitors the class carefully to ensure parity across the fleet from new hulls to old. This allows the boat to retain value better than most other classes.
Sail plan involves a main, jib and spinnaker (188 square feet, 103 square feet, 400 square feet respectively). A large main sail and relatively small jib create extremely tight tacking angles (around 70 degrees) for the boat. The short waterline length reduces wetted surface and allows for very quick light-wind sailing. In heavier air the Etchells goes upwind “like a freight train” (Tim Etchells, Sailing World May 2000).
Set Up and Sailing: Upwind Machine
Set up is as simple as snapping jib hanks on, feeding main sail bolt rope into the track and casting off the lines. Of course, dry sailed boats may require a couple more steps before setting sail. A very good tuning guide can be found via Doyle Sails here (http://www.doylesails.com/onedesign/etchells/tuning.html).
Stay tension and position is used to control the mast bend and rake. Once adjusted, headstay, lower and upper shrouds should be tied off or locked to ensure they do not loosen while sailing. Backstay is the only stay tension adjusted on the water, using it to control the shape of the main to depower as necessary.
Similarly to the Lightning, mast chocks are used to further adjust rig shape while on the water. Mast chocks control mast pre-bend. Chocking behind the mast creates more pre-bend and vice versa. It is important to be checking headstay sag and jib shape while adjusting the chocks, as these settings are affected by mast bend.
In the Etchells, the jib drives the boat and encourages it to point unlike almost any other boat its size. In light winds, headstay sag should be adjusted by slacking the backstay and jib Cunningham to promote deeper draft and fuller sail shape. Higher wind conditions require more headstay tension (less sag) and jib Cunningham to draw the draft forward and flatten the sail. Jib sheets are trimmed through adjustable leads on cars; leads should be adjusted so that the telltales break evenly. Moving the car forward or back changes the sheeting angle and therefore the leach profile.
Main trim is a dynamic activity going upwind in an Etchells. The sail can be adjusted by a combination of the sheet and traveler. Just like on most boats with a mainsheet on a traveler, the sheet controls leach tension while traveler controls sheeting angle, not dissimilar to jib car position. In light air the traveler should be well up above centerline to allow the boom to be trimmed to centerline (or slightly above) while maintaining an open leach and flow. Ideally the top batten is parallel with the boom or slightly open. In heavier air the traveler car gets closer and closer to centerline with sheet tension increasing to increase leach tension. The backstay is trimmed in concert with the sheet/traveler as wind increases to flatten the sail.
Class Association: It’s the Boat, It’s the Fleet
After 48 years of existence, the Etchells class still draws a crowd. The 2014 Etchells World Championships in Newport, RI saw nearly 100 boats from around the world gather for some extremely competitive racing. Sailors such as current World Match Racing Circuit all star and former Boston College standout Taylor Canfield (USA 979, 2014 World Champions, Hardesty/Canfield/Roble/Eagan) went toe to toe with club sailors and weekend warriors through nine races over five days of racing out of the prestigious New York Yacht Club in conjunction with Sail Newport.
The North American Etchells Class website is very well organized, easy to follow and provides a plethora of resources for the emerging Etchells sailor (www.etchellsna.org). Class rules, schedules for North American and International competition, tips and tricks, contact information for all the class officers and boat/crew classifieds are available on the site.
Why Sail?
A pedigree of racing excellence, ease of set up, low cost of ownership and the support of an international class association. Is that enough reason? Beyond the racecourse, the Etchells is a joy to sail for all ages and abilities. A large cockpit, smooth responsive handling and a wide wind range combine for a pure sailing experience.
Club Profile: San Diego Yacht Club
By Katelyn Montero
If there was ever any doubt about San Diego’s ability to produce world-class sailors, skeptics should look no further than the San Diego Yacht Club. Founded in 1886, SDYC sailors are able to continually refine their skills on the water with the year-round sailing conditions found in America’s Finest City.
SDYC came from very humble beginnings, with a small group of dedicated sailors operating out of an old ferryboat. As they gained members, the young club moved around many locations in San Diego until finally setting at its present location in Point Loma in 1924. Since then, the facilities have grown immensely to accommodate a growing number of members, a world-class junior program and a large number of annual regattas. This year, the San Diego Yacht Club will host almost 50 regattas, ranging from member-only races to National and International competitions. The club is conveniently situated in Point Loma, giving racers access to both the open-water ocean racing of the Pacific and the calmer waters found inside the shelter of San Diego Bay.
In 2014, SDYC is now known across the world as the home to some of the world’s most accomplished sailors. Four-time America’s Cup winner Dennis Conner and J.J. Isler, the first woman ever to be inducted into the Sailing Hall of Fame, are just two of the esteemed sailors who sail out of SDYC.
The club is also a founding member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. They are often named as a Platinum Club, a special title reserved for the top 5 private yacht clubs in the United States. In 2014, SDYC was ranked as the No. 2 yacht club in the United States. With their club motto “to encourage and foster interest in all aspects of yachting,” the San Diego Yacht Club has established a long history of involvement with racing and junior sailing.
The club is also ranked second in the best all-time final record for clubs who have won the America’s Cup, falling behind only the New York Yacht Club. SDYC is also the original home of the Lipton Cup, which will celebrate it’s centennial race this year from October 31to November 2, where the club will defend its current title as champions.
The Junior Sailing Program is one of the largest in the nation, and often produces competitive college sailors, world champions and Olympic hopefuls. During the summer of 2014, the junior program was home to 308 young sailors, many of whom continued on to participate in the year-round after school sailing program. Nearly exclusive to California sailing is the Sabot, a favorite for the SDYC junior program because beginners and adults can use the dinghy with its small, but accommodating size. Juniors at SDYC also sail 420s, CFJs and Lasers.
With many junior sailors training to compete at the high school level, it’s no surprise that SDYC also hosts practices for four of the local teams. The teams from Francis Parker, Bishop’s, Cathedral Catholic and Point Loma all sail out of SDYC. Many years, these teams go on to compete at a national level. The Point Loma High School Sailing Team recently won the Baker Trophy, making them ISA’s national team-racing champions.
The top-notch amenities and well-established reputation as a hub for world-class sailing is the reason why many members from the area have found their home at the San Diego Yacht Club. Over 2,000 members call SDYC home and enjoy the club’s expansive amenities. The facilities currently boast 578 boat slips, 161 dry storage slips for boats, tennis courts and a swimming pool. There are a total of 150 employees who work around the year to provide top amenities to members and guests.
http://www.sdyc.org/
