Will Racing Make You A better Sailor?

[sinnettc]

Can't sail without a telltale! I've noticed most of the other folks' videos don't have telltales but I like them for getting started; they're not that useful when you're flying fast except to tell if you're getting headed or the wind died. I thought about putting a couple on the sail but it's heavy cloth and they'd be too hard to see most of the time. Plus I'd have to crane my neck way back to see them. The fisheye effect of the gopro doesn't really show how far raked back the mast is.

The foot steering was actually pretty easy to get used to. I've only felt out of control once when I got a puff as I was starting a turn to jibe; I ended up going the other way and tacking. I think foot steering is easier than the tiller on a blokart would be, if for no other reason than it sometimes takes 2 hands to pull in the sheet; I need to get a ratchet block. That said, if a blokart had come up on the local market I'd have bought it. Anything to get the wind in my face!

You can sail downwind but it takes a lot of wind to make it go, at least with my fat *ss in the seat. I found the best speed seems to be with the wind coming from over my shoulder, so more of a reach, but as you pick up speed you end up going so fast that the apparent wind moves way forward and you're sailing close hauled.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

I think the bigger question is how you assess your sailing ability. This is closely aligned with why you go sailing. I think we all strive to do it well.

As described in this thread, many measure their ability against another boat. It's all about making it go faster but remember, you're going what, 6 - 7 knots? That extra tenth simply isn't worth all the fussing for me.

On my boat there's a lot more to sailing than going faster (or less slow) than the other guy. Sure, getting the boat to move and move well in the direction I want matters but so is anticipating possible problems and resolving or avoiding them in advance so smoothly your guests don't even notice. It's their enjoyment and satisfaction that is my measure.

The ultimate success for me is when newbie guests enjoy themselves so much it changes their life. Within a short time they've enrolled in sailing classes, they pepper me with questions and sooner or later start shopping for a boat of their own.

It has happened to me twice. The first couple bought a Hunter 31 and learned to sail it very well in my opinion. They've owned it for nearly 20 years now and wouldn't dream of selling it. The second couple sailed a couple of times with their brother and did not enjoy it. They went on a Catalina weekend on my boat and following that jumped at every chance they got on others' boats. After a few years they sold everything to buy a cruising boat for their retirement. They cruised successfully before the wife took ill and passed but know this: she passed with a smile on her face and satisfaction in her heart. No racing can ever give me the sense of accomplishment she did.

Here's a picture of the cruising couple's boat off Long Beach, CA. We were out for an advertising photo shoot of Fleming's new (at the time) auxiliary rudder self steering system designed specifically for center cockpit boats. The name of the boat, The C's, is a juxtaposition of the designer/manufacturer (C&C) and the owners (Chuck and Cheryl).

 

[Don Guillette]

Here's one of the problems, a newbie (like me at the time) encounters when they go on a middle to back of the pack race boat for the first time. It also applies to boats that consistently place in the top 3. Probably 80% of the crew can't explain sail trim like RichH, Joe from San Diego, Stu J and others. Over the years I've been involved with sail trim I've met some excellent sailors but a lot of them can't communicate what they're doing in simple, plain english terms. With most of the middle to back of the pack racers, the explanations get worse. Their back there in the pack for a reason.

On boats I'm invited on, after I see where they're at, I start asking the traveler or jib trimmer, WHAT are you adjusting and then the all important question WHY are you doing it? Sometimes we never get by those two questions. In other words, they're just guessing. How are these two guys supposed to help a newbie!!

There's two ways to go about this -- remember the object is we are trying to become a BETTER (not RichH or Joe from San Diego) sailor. Find a sailor (one) who knows what he's talking about. It's not an easy search. Ask him WHAT the traveler or fairleads are adjusting and WHAT twist and angle of attack are all about. If he can answer those two questions for starters, go sailing with him and have him explain what he doing. Unfortunatley, I never found that guy!!

I had to figure it out by myself and I was amazed (not in the beginning) how simple sail trim is. The first thing you have to know before you go on the race boat is what is draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. Next you need to know what sail trim controls for the main and jib are used to adjust those 4 elements. At this point you're out of the fog and you know what the person you're watching is doing. From there you can move on to the finer points such as what adjustment is necessary for each point of sail and wind condition.

Just racing or crewing on a race boat won't make you a better sailor -- knowing WHAT and WHy you're doing something will make you a better sailor.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Just racing or crewing on a race boat won't make you a better sailor -- knowing WHAT and WHy you're doing something will make you a better sailor.

Absolutely! In most of the racing boats I've been on, the crew is working too hard to be able to stop and answer questions. You have to have a basic understanding of sailing before you do so. "Why does the skipper request tightening or easing the outhaul?" Not so easy to ask when 4,567 other things are also happening at the same time.

A good start is to buy Don's chart and/or book and begin to understand what all the controls actually do. Then you can watch and begin to understand.

I've sailed my own boat and done horribly. I've sailed my own boat and done very well. I've sailed on others' boats and done horribly. I've sailed on others' boats, some times the same ones, some time different ones, and done very well.

You have to understand that NO ONE does perfectly all the time. We have skippers racing ONE DESIGN C34s here on SF Bay since 1987, and the ones who do well are the ones who are out there sailing A LOT. It is a combination of sail trim, timing, reading the wind and in our case the currents, that will make you a better sailor.

Racing does help because it teaches the discipline necessary to do it right.

 

[Don Guillette]

Newbies to high beginners: Stu's right and I'm sorry that I'm a capitalist but don't go through what I went through to learn how to sail a silly sailboat. If you've got about 4 to 6 months (it took that long because I was a working stiff) to research sail trim, then have at it. You'll know you have everything you need to know about draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack plus everything you need to know about EVERY sail trim control for the main and jib plus 7 pages on telltales when the material starts to repeat itself. There's even a section on "getting into racing". Also you'll need to develop a QUICK REFERENCE, which tells you which sail trim control to push or pull for the main and jib to adjust "the 4 elements of sail trim". Next you'll have to figure out which setting you'll need for each sail trim control for the main and jib for evey wind condition and point of sail!! Even after you finish the material RichH, Stu J and Joe from San Diego won't be calling you for sail trim advise but at least you'll know what they're talking about. Also, you'll know if your dock neighbor knows his onions about sail trim or is full of crap.

If you have that kind of time to burn please call me because I'm now working on a book for newbies who want to start competing in BBQ competition events (backyard division) and I could use some help!! In other words, check out my book and chart on this web site. It's sold with a money back guarantee -- if your not satisfied and don't move up 3 places (after putting the materal into effect) I'll refund your money and you can keep the product -- give it to a sailing friend but don't be surprised when he pulls ahead of you on the next race!!

 

[jimgreen8c]

I have sailed everywhere from Maine to Mexico to the South China Sea. I've always considered myself and excellent sailor and yachtsman and was the APBA southern California hydroplane racing champion in '93. When I bought my Calalina 30 TR I was sure I would eat these club racers for lunch. Crewing on a big sail boat didn't do me much good. What do you learn as rail meat? It has definately been a learning and humbling experience. Am I. A better sailor for it? Yes! But only as an aspect of specialized knowledge. Those guys handed me my hat due in part to the fact that they are willing to collide with others and hole boats in order to intimidate. Useful knowledge? I don't think so. Another thing is local knowledge. When you round the same marks 35 times a year for ten years you tend to have an advantage over the new guy on the course. What's more I think that as in hydroplane racing, part of your success is from foolhardy limits testing. And pushing equipment beyond it's safe parameters for conditions. Fun, but not good seamanship. On the other hand, I have learned the intricacies of mask rake and sail trim and the use of barber haulers and Vang tension. Did it make me a better cruiser? Marginally. But only in the racing experience. Did hydroplane racing make me a better powerboater? Only if you want to get insane speed out of a given horsepower and only turn left.

 

[red_dolphin]

There is no question that racing made me a better sailor.
On the one hand, my circumstances were unique.
On the other hand, 'not so much'.

When I was 16, my uncle Shanghai'd me to being heavy weather crew on the Thistle he raced out of Balboa/Newport/Lido, CA. I had no idea how lucky I was. I was just a kid.

After three years, I jumped ship and accepted an offer to co-skipper a Lido14 out of Santa Monica [Marina del Rey did not exist is those days]. Over the next four years, I campaigned that Lido to two fleet championships.

So what?

1) If you are lucky enough to have a relative [or close friend] who is a competitive sailor, do what you can to get on board that boat.

2) If you are an inexperienced boat owner, try to find a berth as 'rail-meat' on a competitive boat. You can learn a lot from that position.

3) Also as an inexperienced boat owner, look for semi-experienced young folks who are willing to crew for you. Usually, they will be rejects from 'faster' boats. But they will usually know something that you don't. Moreover sometimes, you will find an emerging talent that will stay with you as you close in on podium finishes.

4) Never forget your racing roots.
To that end ... from time to time look for the opportunity to provide a 'youngster' with a 'rail-meat' berth. Who knows how that may benefit all?

 

[shemandr]

Ditto

 

[sinnettc]

Don, check out this Blokart video from Red Lake, AZ . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XdMne4mpIN4 . . . But don't let the Admiral see it!