Blog

By Airwaves Writer Zach Brown

There are many different opportunities to compete in the sport of sailing.  One design dinghy sailing, keel boat buoy racing, and off-shore racing are just a few of the avenues to follow as a sailor.  Traversing these channels of sailing is a surprisingly difficult task to accomplish.  One of the toughest nuts to crack is making the switch from a flourishing dinghy sailor to a thriving professional keel boater. 

 

For young successful dinghy sailors interested in pursuing sailing as a career there are two paths that are equally daunting: Olympic sailing and professional sailing.  Breaking into the professional “big boat” scene is a serious challenge for dinghy sailors because the skill sets of dinghy racing vary from those of a keel boat. 

Two-time Olympian Stu McNay sheds some light on the tricky transition from a dinghy sailor to a professional sailor in a Q&A format.

 

What are the new skills you are learning on keel boats that are different or more important than dinghy sailing skills?

On bigger teams verbal communication is the most important thing. On dinghies, a lot of the communication is non-verbal. You can see or feel your teammate moving in a certain way, so you are on the same page without talking. A lot of keel boat teams have not sailed with each other for as long as you and your college teammate or you and your Olympic class teammate. This makes it necessary to spell out every move before it happens. Also, there are more moving parts that are potentially dangerous, so everyone needs to know what is going to happen. It is not just about performance, but safety too.

 

What are the positions you perform on keel boats?  How is it different from the role you play as a skipper on board a dinghy?

I mainly do tactics, but I also trim main, jib, or spinnaker. If I were given the opportunity, it would be great to helm, but right now I am building my experience in other rolls.

Tactical skills are very transferable between classes and size of boat. The main difference is in timing. You have to adjust the tempo of your calls to fit the maneuverability of the boat. Some boats have different modes, which allow for additional tactical options, but you can learn that pretty quickly.

Main trimming is fairly similar to a tunable dinghy. The trimming styles can vary depending on the roach of the main, the size or type of the keel, and the performance of the boat. Also, tuning can be specific to the boat being sailed, but you can learn it fairly quickly too.

 

How did you get into professional sailing and keel boat sailing?  What are the avenues?

I am still working to get more involved. I think it is important to tell older, more established people that this is what you are trying to do and also, be prepared to say ‘yes’ when last minute opportunities come. I am very grateful to my peers and more established sailors in the professional community, who have passed work to me.

I think Sonar team racing and match racing events are great ways to get your feet wet on keel boats without owning one. Definitely, a big hurdle is being able to find tiller time, so these events will allow you to helm for a couple days at a modest cost. I will be doing more of these events in the future.

 

What are some of the challenges of being a professional sailor?

Right now, I am facing the challenge of building up my workload to where it needs to be. Opportunities can take a while to develop and sometimes ones that seem like they will work out fall through. I am making sure to stay flexible and opportunistic.

 

What are the most important dinghy skills to work on and develop for professional keel boat sailing?

If you are in a single-handed class, get as good as you can be. If you have a teammate, work on your communication while racing. Also, always make friends in the fleet and have a good network of people who you enjoy being around and who like being around you. I think this will help give you opportunities when you are ready to take them.

Also, it’s good to sail on big boats whenever you have the opportunity. Things operate a little differently on these boats. Every time I went big boat sailing, it also helped my dinghy racing.

 

What is your favorite keel boat ride so far?

My favorite ride has been on the Melges 32. It is a big enough boat that teamwork is essential, but it is still one-design racing and has all the challenges of fleet racing evenly matched boats.

 

Sail1Design is pleased to announce our newest sponsor and team member, Farr Yacht Design/Farr Yacht Sales. We are also very excited to introduce the newest member of the Farr sailing team, the B/One. I had the pleasure yesterday of watching one sail in the first Annapolis Frostbite Series race, and the boat looks fast, powerful, simple to sail, and holds great potential for a one-design class. For more information on this new boat, please contact Ian Gordon at Farr Yacht Sales.  Stay tuned to Sail1Design as we plan to test sail the boats and have a full sailing report soon!

 

B/One flying into Annapolis Harbor, 4-Sept-2012

Designer’s Comments – February 2012 Overview

The B/One is an exciting, new 7m (23ft) trailer-able, one-design sport boat currently under

construction by Bavaria Yachtbau in Giebelstadt, Germany. Bavaria asked Farr Yacht Design

for an economical one-design that would impress advanced sailors with excellent performance,

yet be easy to handle and operate for the weekend sailor and his/her family. Farr Yacht Design,

the designers of the B/One, have met these requirements with a technologically advanced hull

shape developed from the Volvo Open 70 and Farr 400, an easy to use sailplan, and interior

features you would expect to find on a boat 3 feet longer. The B/One has the power to weight

ratio to perform well both upwind and downwind. The 34m2 (377ft2) of upwind sail area is set

on an aluminum mast. The 48m2 (517ft2) asymmetrical spinnaker flies on a 1.3m (4.3ft)

retractable bow sprit providing plenty of downwind horsepower. The keel and rudder are

retractable making docking or anchoring in shallow water possible. The retractable keel also

makes slip launching a breeze and allows for very low trailering heights, so that the boat can be

towed by a relatively small vehicle. The B/One promises to be an absolute delight to sail and

operate with unique features from bow to stern.

 

Hull and Deck

The hull shape clearly shows the influence, and is a direct descendant, of the Farr 400 and Volvo

Open 70 in its full bow shape, broad and powerful stern sections and chined aft topsides. These

features combine to provide exceptional speed, optimal balance and solid, dependable handling

in all conditions. The maximum beam limit for trailering (2.5m) is seamlessly integrated into the

hull and deck detailing to conceal fittings, provide a smooth, rounded deck edge and maximize

crew weight stability.

Inspired by the sleek look of larger, modern high-performance one designs such as the Farr 400,

the deck is flush with only a slightly raised cabin top to create the necessary headroom down

below and contain the required sailing functions on deck. The cockpit is wide and open

providing plenty of room for crew maneuvers during racing or seating for friends and family on a

weekend harbor cruise. Sail handling is performed without winches or excessive hardware, but

still providing all the necessary sail controls demanded by advanced one-design sailors,

including adjustable jib tracks and a powerful boomvang. The large, round foredeck hatch

provides ample light and ventilation to the interior, and serves as the opening for launching and

retrieving the spinnaker via string takedown system. The waterproof companionway cover

hinges completely forward providing a large opening to the interior. The cover can also be

partially opened to cover the horizontal surface of the companionway while still providing

ventilation to the interior via the open vertical surface.

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Rig and Sailplan

The single spreader, tapered aluminum rig has swept spreaders and does not require a backstay.

Calibrated shroud turnbuckles allow for easy and quick tuning changes. The mast is deck stepped

for quick and easy rigging. Mast bend is controlled with a powerful 16:1 boomvang. The jib is

set on a furler for ease of handling. The square-headed mainsail features a generous roach profile

for maximum sailplan efficiency. The bowsprit retracts into an external recess in the foredeck,

thereby eliminating the possibility of water ingress into the boat, so common on other boats of

this size.

Interior

For cruising oriented customers the interior features accommodation for 4. There is a generous

V-berth forward and 2 pipe berths with seated headroom on either side of the keel trunk. Space

forward of the mast allows for a chemical toilet, while volume below the companionway

accommodates a removable cooler. To keep racing weight low, all of the aforementioned

interior items, including the joinery for the V berth, are easily removable. The acrylic

companionway and keel opening cover both provide ample light to the interior.

Appendage

The keel/bulb arrangement on the B/One is a T-keel style configuration, as featured on most of

today’s high tech racing yachts. The keel’s down draft is 1.65m (5.41ft) and may be raised for

docking, anchoring, or trailering to an up draft of only 0.4m (1.31ft). In its raised position the

keel passes through a separate opening in the deck, forward of the main companionway, making

it possible to completely lock the companionway cover closed thereby securing the boat with the

keel raised. The retractable rudder is supported inside a transom mounted cassette and may be

raised for docking or anchoring in shallow waters.

Construction

The hull shell is hand laminated using E-glass chopped strand mat and multi-axial fabrics over

Coremat with additional uni-directional reinforcements used in high stress areas. The deck shell

is hand laminated using E-glass chopped strand mat and multi-axial fabrics over a PVC foam

core with additional uni-directional and multi-axial reinforcements used in high stress areas. The

hull shell support is provided by a simple one-piece structural liner composed of transverse

floors and a centerline longitudinal. The keel trunk is integrated into the structural liner allowing

for easy movement through the interior.

One-design concept

The B/One is designed and built to maintain a strict one-design standard with a single sail

supplier and minimal modifications permitted. All B/One boats will be built by Bavaria

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Yachtbau, using the highest quality control standards. Farr Yacht Design has drafted the Class

Rules to ensure all boats are built and maintained to these strict standards and a level playing

field on the race course.

 

Specifications

LOA: 7.09 m/23.26 ft

DWL: 6.36 m/20.86 ft

Beam: 2.50 m/8.20 ft

Draft: 1.65 m/5.41 ft

Displacement: 1,030 kg/2270 lbs

Ballast: 340 kg/749 lbs

IM: 8.80 m/28.87 ft

J: 2.61 m/8.56 ft

P: 8.76 m/28.74 ft

E: 3.48 m/11.42 ft

ISP: 9.00 m/29.52 ft

TPS: 3.91 m12.83 ft

 Brought to you by Farr Yacht Sales

Martha Pitt

            Three years ago, Team Extreme won the 2009 US Sailing Team Racing Championship for the Hinman Trophy; a few weeks ago, they repeated that feat and became the 2012 Hinman Trophy winners for a second time!  The team lead the event through the entire weekend, losing just two races through two full round robins and a six team final gold round.  The event is sailed in Vanguard 15s year’s regatta was hosted by the Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, NY.

            This year’s Hinman team rosters were full of nationally renowned Olympic sailors, US Sailing Team members, All-American collegiate sailors and championship team racers, including numerous ICSA College Sailor of the Year nominees and winners. Bringing the both the impressive resume as well as a cohesive dynamic, NYYC Team Extreme is made up of a superb group of Yale Sailing Team Alumni – skippers Stu McNay (’05) of Providence, RI who has represented the US at the last two Olympic games in the 470 class; Zach Brown (’08) of San Diego, CA, the four-time All-American and 49er Olympic campaigner; Thomas Barrows (’10) of St. Thomas, USVI, also four-time All-American and 2010 College Sailor of the Year; and crews Emmet Smith (’09) of New Haven, CT; Mike Hession (’10) of Chicago, IL; and the three-time All-American crew Marla Menninger (’10) of New York, NY. 

Photo courtesy Peter Brauné

            Needless to say, the team had plenty of experience and expertise under their belts to take on talented fleet at the Hinman this year.  The origins of the team date back to 2005 when Stu and Zach were on the Yale team racing team together in school, and since then has gained momentum in team racing events through the summers with the additional members added to the team.  When asked what has worked with this particular group, Zach Brown emphasized the importance of the team dynamic:

“The chemistry works perfectly. We all have unique skills that compliment each other. Our style of team racing is speed focused where we try to do as little team racing as possible, although I thoroughly enjoy the boat-to-boat action. Learning and sailing together in college was pretty important to our success. We had the best coaching from Zack Leonard who is a team racing Jedi master. Stu and I have always team raced together so when Thomas came to college and we started working so well together, it was an obvious choice for the 3 of us to complete Team Extreme. A lot of our success is due to our friendship and how much we enjoy racing together. It makes it easy to communicate amongst the team and push through difficult races or situations when the friendship is strong. I am always so excited to race with the team because Stu and Mike and Thomas and Marla are just so good and so fast. Our crews Mike, Emmet, and Marla are the best crews out there. Our team’s speed and boathandling advantages come from their talent, strength, and consistency. Without our shared Yale experience, we never would have been this team.” 

            After their 2009 Hinman win, the team has returned to the regatta and finished 3^rd and 2^nd in 2010 and 2011, respectively, so this year they were on track to take back the title.  The mix of strong and light conditions challenged all of the sailors, and though the team tends to like more breeze, the diverse skills of NYYC Team Extreme allowed them to succeed in the range of conditions. And the team did not take the highly skilled fleet lightly.  Learning from previous mistakes, the team shifted their game plan to taking on each team one race at a time.  On the team mindset, Emmet Smith commented that in previous years, “we had let the uncertainty of the format affect our results, but we changed our mental game this year to focus on winning each race at a time so that we could control our own destiny. Stu really kept us all focused on staying mentally sharp and prepared for each race. With so many races, and each race counting, it was important to maintain the intensity and focus.”  The team lead the regatta with twenty points going into the Gold Round, and the 5-0 record in the finals sealed the win.

            In addition to working hard together as a group, the team attributes some of their success to the New York Yacht Club, who has supported the team and its endeavors.  NYYC has always been an active and proud supporter of team racing in both management and participation from its members, and NYYC Team Extreme has been thrilled to “have the support of the club and sail under NYYC at local, national, and world team racing events,” says Brown.

            Though all six sailors have busy lives outside NYYC Team Extreme, including multiple Olympic campaigns, coaching, and other full time jobs, they are looking forward to getting the team back together again.  They hope to do more team racing between now and then, but at the very least, comments McNay, “we plan to race in next year’s Hinman. At this point, it looks like it does not conflict with any Olympic class events, so we hope to be able to get back together as a team then.” So watch out for NYYC Team Extreme to come out strong for third title next year. Congratulations to the team on a commanding win in the 2012 US Team Racing Championship!

            For more information on the 2012 US Team Racing Championship, visit championships.ussailing.org/adult/USTRChampionship.htm.