Racing

[Larry P.]

I'm in the middle of restoring an SS Sloop. This is a 16' racer that was/is popular locally. It is one of the oldest if not the oldest active one design classes in the country. There is a slim chance that I might have her ready for this seasons racing.

Now I have been sailing all my life but I have never been in a race or a memeber of a yacht club.

Does anyone know of an easy introductory book on sailboat racing (something along the lines of an Idoits guide?)

The other owners in this class are just about the nicest gruop you want to meet but I don't want to embarass myself to bad.

[Leon m]

No one particular book comes to mind(there's
alot of them ),but I have a suggestion that
may take you alot farther faster.Go to a couple
of your local yacht clubs and tell them you
would like to sign up as crew for any one in
need of crew for racing.Contrary to popular
belief you don't need to have experience in
racing to crew , most guys are looking for
someone to pull lines and crank winches.As
long as you know how to sail alot of guys
will teach you the rest...Works for me and my
freinds.

Good Luck !

[Leon m]

Originally posted by Larry P.:
The other owners in this class are just about the nicest gruop you want to meet but I don't want to embarass myself to bad.Oh yeah !...You may wan't to ask these folks
if they need crew ;)

[Ian McColgin]

There are a lot of newer books and there are some rule changes to be alert to but Bavier's "Sailing to Win" is hard to beat as a unified overview.

One simple fact to keep in mind: Boat speed trumps tactical tomfoolery most of the time. Observe the fleet leaders. You can really blow a nice lead with a bad spinnaker set or some other down wind catastrophy, but in general races are won or lost to weather. Make a habit of starting in easy view of one of the fleet's A Team and just look at everything they seem to do as they walk out steadily ahead of you - crew placement, sail trim, rudder activity.

Some disagree and in a small boat there are days when you can't do this, but I like to sit to leeward on a beat. That way I can watch the jib and sail it. If you have or can add tell-tales you'll spiff up as you use them.

Some sails will tell you when they are trimmed to flat. Jibs with a convex foot will make a horizontal crease tack to clew when over trimmed. But whatever, the jib is often the limiting factor. Once you find how the jib should look for any wind strength, sail to that and have your crew keep the main accordingly.

I used to race on a boat where the skippah had the attention span of a gnat. One flukey race I was stunned when he sailed perfectly with three wind shifts, and said so. He did a "Huh? Huh?!?" and I realized that he'd been so hung over that he was almost unconscious at the tiller. So it kept his ADD conscious mind out of the way.

Normally, however, it's more helpful to be sober and rested.

At the start.

Enjoy. Racing is the very best way to learn to really sail.

[Wild Wassa]

Can you point a boat Mate?, do you understand the rules and the laylines?, when you race you sail with a purpose, so you tune the act pretty quickly. When you race against the same Skippers it's easy(ier) to tune your boat, and if you have been a member of a yacht club, why am I writting this.

Don't give an inch at the start, and if you overstand the mark often, you're taking too much insurance. Also, pitch the rake like the most winning Skipper, until you get the feel.

I sail a nearly 16 f'ter, get a good pair of deck boots and gloves. I can't recommend an easy introductory book on sailboat racing, ... I recommend time on the water.

Warren.

ps, An instructor once said to me, "if you think you are moving well on the boat", ... "move ten times faster."

[ 06-06-2003, 04:53 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]