What advice would you give someone trying to make the transition from B fleet to A fleet regarding tactics.?
Some I aready know are:
1. Stay inside the laylines. (err towards the middle)
2. tack on headders, (lifts downwind)
3. ______________________________ .
and of course the rule, Be first at the marks and you dont have to worry about tactics.

Make less mistakes than every one else.

This is a strong mantra to use to start with. Get your boat speed up with the front runners first. One duff tack will loose you 50-100m on the course. Next time out count the number of duff tacks you make, add in the number of duff gybes and multipy by 50m. How far infront of you is the leader ? I'd wager it is less than duff tacks + duff Gybes (and Spi drops/hoists if applicable) X 50m.

Also, get to the championship venue early so you can get some "local" knowledge.

Best advice I got (for more technical boats)

Get a little booklet and write down a one page (short and pointy) report one each race day. About what your tune and trim settings were. What worked and what didn't work. What felt good and what felt bad.

You can really get your boat dialed in that way. And when ever conditions repeat themselfs you can look up what worked and what didn't on the other (similar) day.

I especially found this approach helpful on my more technical Formula 16 boat I guess things are exactly the same on boats like F18's, A-cats and I-20's



Other advice that worked for me :

Always look for and sail to clean air. Don't be afraid to tack away or tack late if the layline is crowded. Having clean air and a clear route to the A-mark is more important. Especially in light winds where dirty air can really kill boat speed.

In shifty and variable winds look where (most of) the leaders go and go to the same side of the course while keeping clean air.

Some advice I got once and am still trying to work on - understand the rules so that you can always be looking for developing situations throughout the race and avoid them. Also understand that forcing situations as the right of way boat isn't always the fastest way around the course in fleet racing.

Good thread topic. This should be interesting.

Very good point that I had forgotten about. I do this as a matter of course when I'm setting up a new boat and until I know what settings I need I take my "little black book" with me everywhere. I had forgotten about this as every time I get back from sailing I download the GPS plots for the day and make my notes on my PC. It's part of my "putting my sailing kit away" routine and I had forgotten I even do it.

Another one is talk to your crew (or your self if sailing single handed) as with a crew around they know what you are planning (and can change your mind if it is dumb) and I find that if I talk a plan out to my self, I usually spot any holes in it before I am in them - You can get some funny looks if people are close to you mind

Now THAT is sage advise - I've ended up in several situations where I was left with no option but to foul someone because I didn't identify the situation soon enough to avoid. Fortunately none of them were too severe!

The old addage goes, "The desire to win often results in sailing poorly. The desire to sail well often results in winning". Focus on sailing your boat as well as you can and your finishes will take care of themselves. Treat your competators as reference points against which you measure your own progress. Enjoy the journey.

Sail clean. This is similar to knowing the rules, but... if you don't know them well enough... don't push your luck. Stay out of trouble and keep moving.

Understand the difference between Strategy and Tactics.

Strategy is a game plan for the race. Always develop a game plan before the start - and get your crew's input on it. Or at least tell them what it is . You decide where you want to start on the line and which side of the course you want to be on that first weather leg. Your initial strategy should answer the question, "If there were no other boats, what would be the fastest way to get around the course?"

Tactics are situational. They are what you do in the presence of other boats. You can get a head start from books, but there's nothing like experience as a teacher. Knowing when and where to tack or jibe, knowing exactly the capabilities of the boat and your ability to control it - this really only comes with experience.

I think Matt M. said it best, though. Sail Clean. Clean air, clean water, no mix-em-ups with other boats. Boats that sail close together, go slow together.

1. Get Frank Bethwaite's "High Performance Sailing" and really read the sections on the timing of tacking on the headers, and when to change twist settings for the transition from light air to the breeze state.
2. Get somebody willing to two boat train with you, it's the best way to improve raw boat speed
3. As a general rule, if there's on offset to the windward mark, sail the long tack first.
4. Remember it's supposed to be fun!

GET A GOOD START!

Your start can make or break your race.
1. Get to the start area in plenty of time (aim for around 20mins before start time)
2. Assuming you have time, sail a portion of the first leg, look for consistency or a pattern in what the wind is doing.
3. Check the line for bias
4. Assess all the information gathered at 1,2 and 3 and develop a start strategy (where on the line, when and which tack, also which side of the beat to go).
5. Have a plan B

PS Have a reliable, clearly read starting watch!

Hello All,

I like the tip from Ric and Mary's book,

'Break the race up into a bunch of smaller, obtainable, pieces.'

For example, I break my race up into these parts,

#1 Prestart - start

#2 Start to 1st tack

#3 1st tack to 1st crossing ( if any)

#4 1st mark rounding.

This way, you have identifiable and obtainable goals....and rewards.

If I win the start, I give myself a 'pat on the back',.....if I win the 1st crossing,...or 1st mark rounding,....on and on.

Also,, it gives a racer a measure to improve on certian aspects....for example, you may set a pre regatta goal,' by the end of the series, I will win every start.'......and you focus on that ( amoung other things)

Pretty soon, you are piecing the whole race together as a collection of identifiable 'parts',.....alas, all the parts make the whole!

Yes, as Scooby says, talking out loud helps,..we solo sailors have alot of open ended conversations on the water,..so do not be alarmed,....it is what we do to get our 'heads together'.......most of the time, once I am dailed in, I start singing out loud,...it seems to help me and I do not really know why..


regards,
Bruce
St. Croix
I-17 normal

Hey Bruce, I'm looking for some new song material - what do you sing? Chris has dis-allowed me to sing "Brass Monkey" anymore, the theme song to the Beverly Hillbilies just isn't cutting it anymore, and you can only go OOOO EEE OOO to that Vonage TV commercial theme song so much.

From a crewing standpoint -- tell your crew in advance what you are planning to do. We don't like surprises.

And it makes us nervous when our skipper starts singing.

Jake, you could whoop out some of that MC Hammer you've been holdin back on us...you know all the lyrics don't you (don't lie!)
Trey
N20 314
Layline Rigging
www.velocitysailing.co

Jake and Trey, why are you guys hijacking a very good and interesting and informative thread? I have been amazed about all the great information people have been providing. Maybe you could sing on another thread?

Not to try to hijack this thread, but someone mentioned getting to the start area early and checking the line out. What I've found is that the line is never set until just before the first fleet goes into their start sequence. I don't feel I should be messing around, checking how square the line is in another fleet's sequence and I'm a little rushed to do so within a 5 minute when it comes to my fleet's turn; especially in light winds (get over to the line from where you were parked to keep out of the prior fleet's way, check the line, sail back over to where you want to position yourself for the start sequence). Anyone else experience this problem?

David
H20 781

YES!!

OK, Ok, Ok

...I started this singing stuff, ..so I guess I will end it here..

..Songs? I stick to the upbeat, happy simple stuff...

Now, if your skipper starts singing very dark, damning songs about a ex -wife/girlfriend whatever, while bearing down on a 10 boat pile up at a mark,....yep, I would worry a little too and accidentally blow the jib sheet or something.... ok, I am finished on the song thing.

Another point, I find I sail the worse amoung other boats. One way or another , I watch them,...slowing me down.

When I am away from the other boats, I focus on wind, waves and overall course performance. It could just be me (..and my singing )


regards,

Bruce
St. Croix
I 17 normal

But by being there early, you will probably know the OOD is going to change the line before he does ! And you :

A, will be expecting it,
B, Know roughly where (s)he (should) put the line, and
C, know when the wind will shift back again (or not).

Also, some more comments on roles and singing :

All my crews get worried when I stop talking - This means it's so windy I am having to concentrate on actually sailing the boat instead of doing it on "Auto pilot" and getting my head out of the boat.

Another good tip if you are sailing 2 up is split responsibilities up in a logical way. For example on my Hurricane 5.9 upwind :

Helm (me) would be responsible for boat speed as the primary controls are Mainsheet, rudder and Downhaul (until Maxxed), so I keep my eyes on waves, and boat trim and crew plays the downhaul (when not maxxed), calls gusts and holes in the wind and decides tactics and the route (and makes provides general feedback to me on general conditions and shift patterns and progress). I would also call for movement fore/aft to balance the boat

Downwind the roles are somewhat reversed :

Without the kite, the crew is down to leaward and cannot see much(if there is some wind anyway), so I look for shifts and gusts, crew can call some changes in wind by the changes in sheet loads.

With the Kite, Crew is (Hopefully out on the wire) but still should be very busy trimming the kite (but some of this can be done by feel) and so will play a larger role in wave and wind watching. Helm will (probably) be responsible to judging gybe angles and if you are crossing (or not) other boats as there is more visability under the boom - however when very windy, the crew will be right back and should be able to see behind the mainsail.

This is what has worked for me in the past, you really need to split roles that work for you (and your crew). Within the Hurricane 5.9 fleet at one point, a Brother and sister pair even switched roles (crew and helm) depending on the wind strenth: he was a good helm in a blow, whe was better in the light stuff - I personnaly did not have a problem with them doing this, but some people did. Many years ago when sailing my Dart 18, the standard practice at the front of the fleet was for the crew to helm from the wire on tight reaches so the helm could play the mainsail with both hands. (Dart 18 is single wire)