Assuming crew weight about the same, one crew elects to go high, trap out, build apparent and then take it down....while the other crew elects to take weight leeward, therby not having to trap, but can sail deeper? Is this true, false or a little of both? (just to avoid the question, yes, the chute is up, and sails are about the same)

Well, from my own experience, it seems that "heating it up" a bit to gain speed does outperform the "low and slow" mentality. The key is to know "when to say when". I've taken many a flyer to get speed, only losing ground to the "low and slow" folk. Typically, this happens when it's pretty light (5-8 mph). As Rush ( AKA "Mr. Unis Rule")said - don't go if there ain't nothing to go to.

Your best bet is to go a bit higher, but I would say don't go more than 10-15 degrees higher (ballpark).

And in light air around bouys, you probably needn't be trapped out at all. Getting the hull up is all you need, unless you have my bad habit of overstanding the lay lines to C mark!

But the BEST way to learn is to drag that bad boy down to next year's Tybee 500, and scrap it out with the best of the best!

Can relate some experiences sailing the I-20 with the spin . In a number of legs in long distance racing it has been faster to sail a lower course with better VMG -velocity made good . Dependant on wind speed the crew can at times sit in and sail lower , this generally in med. wind speeds 8 to 15 max ,-a GPS will provide readings which you can verify over time with several readings over a 5 minute time frame and averaging them out . The best way however is boat to boat comparison .
Often in distance racing the easiest option is to zero in on the lead boat and duplicate their course heading .
Some of the better teams will also reverse this when ahead and try small variations of course as well as boat tuning in comparison with boats behind .-
If a boat behind is gaining on your same course this should also be what your responce is ,-trying a slightly better angle and sail adjustment settings along with more steady helming once set . Can,t tell you how many times over the years we have sailed and caught up to Brian and Jamie {team Alexanders } and had them make adsjustment with course variation and pull back ahead.
Keeping apparent wind flowing on the leeward side back is key for all sailing but particularly for the spin sail on faster cat designs .-number one is to heat it up until that flow is found then try slightly lower course angles until the ideal is found in comparison to other similar cat designs on the race course ,--It helps many catsailors to attach a set of telltails about 12 inches in from the spin leading edge about half way up ,--that is just above the seam on the I 20 spin .
When they flow your set ,--many prefer just to sail by the luff curl keeping it curing in on the edge of collapsing inward . priority is to keep the leeward spin telltail flowing .
From there it is a matter of course angle desired and how low you can sail while keeping apparent wind , this varies with spin sheeting angle and skippers ability to feel stall and flow with consistancy ,-while not oversteering which slows the boat with each rudder movement .
If you watch good teams in distance racing they are very smooth and hold a steady consistant course ,-conversely teams that finish latter will sail more eratic and abrupt course changes .
The fastest angle sailing downwind when compass course is below ideal angle requiring gibes to C mark or distance race beach finish varies with each wind speed and sea condition .

In higher windspeeds the downwind angle your able to sail and keep attached flow is much lower ,so coresponding gibe angles are much lower ,-How many have overstood a C mark in higher winds ? Apparent wind with increased speed is the reason .
Often in distance racing in higher winds and larger seas a low course is the ONLY option with the shute up .
Being on the wire off the stern with safety line holding you in place helps keep the boat "sunny side up" but there are times in larger seas it is better to throttle back to keep those bows from stuffing into waves and {arrive alive} at the next checkpoint ,-ready to sail another day !

-There is no substitute for racing time and practise ,
so get out and race when you can ,-take some lumps ,-ask questions ,-and like most all sports you will improve and eventually find yourself that lead boat .

Hope that helps
Carl

Carl...

Thank you for your insight....up here in Seattle, the I-20 fleet is just starting, so not much boat for boat..which I know makes a huge diff....

At about what wind rating do you have your crew come to the weather side of the boat vs. sitting by the lee board?

In a perfect world, the comments above are all valid. However the world isn't perfect and there are other boats to deal with.

In general, in class racing you want to be just lower and just faster than your competitors. If you are ahead, make them follow you. In handicap, fast hulls go high and slower hulls go low. AND by high and low, I am talking +/-10 deg. Also unless you know what you are doing, it is not a great idea to really separate from the fleet (i.e. sail off into never never land)

Specifically, you want to go where the wind is favorable and you have clear air. For example if the wind is great going high but you hit a hole 100 meters from the mark and drift helplessly while 3 boats pass you. Don't do that again.

What I am trying to say is never forget you are racing other boats. The object is to pass them or stay in front of them. There is an optimum line for your boat downwind and you will find it. Most of the time, the good skippers will be very close to the same angle. However, there are times when wind, waves, land, other boats or ability to dominate at the next mark requires that you go high or low.

When you have just worked your way through a very tough leg and look for the lead boat and find them rounding on your stern, it's a good feeling.

Very good ideas posted here. One thing to remember that I don't see mentioned (and which applies to all sailing craft) is the old adage "tactics are slow". If you think about it, trying to keep your boat between the mark and your competitor will keep you ahead of him/her, but usually allows the rest of the fleet to work their way around the both of you... So there's a balance between spending the minimum time around the course, and engaging in tactical duels with other sailors to gain/protect your lead.

Yes, you always want to be sailing just lower and just faster than your competition downwind. Of course, since you sail faster than the wind in these conditions (in lighter air), you'll have to look AHEAD to figure out where your boat will be in the next minute, and where the wind will be. Some drive toward puffs, only to have them disappear by the time they get there. in certain conditions, it becomes more of connect the dots than zigzag gybes. In this case, you and your competitor may not be sailing in the same wind, even if you are within 3 boatlengths of each other...

Also keep in mind that the dude (or dudes) behind you have a controlling position downwind. The sailor closest to you can drive down on you and cover, while boats further toward A mark can disrupt the wind enough to affect your course midway down to C (depending on fleet size).

If someone is moving to cover, you can go high and drive them off before you gybe, fake a gybe, or other shenanigans to shake them. Again, all of this increases your total time on the course, allowing other fleet members to catch up/pass, or Portsmouth boats to gain the time advantage...

So, obviously, going dead downwind "wing and wing" is not good for boatspeed on an I-20, and going double trapped zigzag down to C is probably not the best either. So the "middle area" of which we all speak is really the art of boat racing.

So heat it up and build foil speed (and lift) to allow you to drive a bit lower (with the increased apparant windspeed over the sails), connect the dots in light air, keep an eye on the fleet, and spend the least amount of time on the course...

I've learned these lessons the hard way. The I-20 fleet here is strong, and those boys (and girls) don't let you get away with ANYTHING! Blow a tack, and you're stuck with 5th place. Take a puff too high, and you're back 3 more places. Get into a tactical duel, and you're going to be one of the last two finishers...

You have learned your leasons well young Jedi.

I'm still going to make you my b!tch at the championships though! It's payback time!

Sorry I should have stated it clearly, your tactics must be against the whole fleet. Generally this can be broken down into 3 boats or groups of boats. One ahead, one behind and one on the other tack that you are not sure of and have to watch. You have to weigh what you are doing against everyone.

Boat speed and boat handling are a part of the race. You can't win unless you can sail with the leaders. But, unless you are historically the fastest boat out there, sailing a boatspeed only race is an invitation for disaster. You are too predictable.

For example, make a speed boat tack early. You tack to blanket them, they will tack for clear air and speed. Now they have 2 extra tacks to make it to the windward mark. If you are evenly matched, both boats will make it to the mark at about the same time. But, you have arranged it so you are on starboard and speed boat rounds behind. Even better, if you can arrange for about 3 boats to trail behind you. The odds are speed boat is going to foul someone or be in dirty air


There are a couple of people I can't sail against. When we cross, I tack. We fight it out until we are fighting for last and next to last place. There are a couple of other people, that it's like NASCAR drafting. We will fight through the fleet, to 1st and 2nd