Racing in a Headwind

[Iriegal]

Hey All -
I have a 1985 Oday 272 (wing keel) here on Kentucky Lake, which provides over 250 square miles of sailing bliss. We have club races that have already begun and will last all the way into mid-November. This is my fifth year as a sailor, and the third with this particular boat. This year, I have finally come to grips with the fact that I suck when sailing in a headwind. Other members in my group remark on how well my boat points, and she does! However, in a headwind, she slows down remarkably. I try to employ Don Guillette's advice of "speed over pointing," but I still can't seem to win any races when I'm sailing in a headwind. Any tips? I apologize if this topic has been done to death, but I sure didn't find any when I searched the site. Thanks.

 

[jon hansen]

bypass the rumors, forget the tidbits, ignore the misinformation. buy this book. read this book. start sailing well.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/hig...d=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP2715&k_clickid=3x2715

 

[jon hansen]

.... and not just for racing.

 

[jon hansen]

.... and if you want to be a racer, quit apologizing for any thing

 

[justsomeguy]

How old/used are your sails?
A boat that "points well" kind of implies she's good in a close haul configuration, no? I'm sure others will chime in regarding your sails, sheeting methods, etc..

 

[Iriegal]

Lol. Thanks Jon. Although I must admit that when I first read your post, the first thing I thought was, "oh great. Just what I need. Another sailing book." ;-)

 

[dlochner]

The reasons are likely many. One of the joys of sailing is that it is a lifelong endeavor, always new things to learn. This is your 5th season and I suspect some of your competitors are beginning their 25th season. Let's break out a few factors that contribute to sailing success.

Sails: This is the biggest. Poor sails = poor performance. This is also the most expensive.

Boat Prep: What does the bottom of the boat look like? Smooth as a baby's bottom? Or more like an old logging road in the Kentucky hills? How much junk are you carrying around in the boat? All those tools, pots and pans and other important stuff weighs a lot. Heavy boats are slow boats. Is your rig tuned properly?

Experience: Even with 5 seasons, you are still short on this. What's the experience level of your crew? Do you get out and practice? A few bad tacks and you've lost the race.

And here's a big one that you don't have control over. Your PHRF rating. PHRF handicaps tend to favor the faster, better prepared boats with experienced crews. You are already behind before you even start. I've written some about this, you can read it here: Racing

Good luck and hang in there!

 

[jon hansen]

this is the bible. there is no other book even close, none. buy this book, throw out / give away all the other books in your collection. read it. start winning alot

 

[Iriegal]

How old/used are your sails?
A boat that "points well" kind of implies she's good in a close haul configuration, no? I'm sure others will chime in regarding your sails, sheeting methods, etc..

My sails are quite old, but my racing nemesis/good friend will never accept that as an excuse. I've beaten her before, but never in a headwind.

 

[Jackdaw]

Bad upwind performance is usually a combination of poor trim and poor driving.

95% of sailors who don't race don't go to weather well. Don't believe me? Enter a quality race and get your butt kicked on the first upwind leg.

The 100% best thing to to would be to get a good racer on board for a race or a practice sail.

 

[dlochner]

My sails are quite old, but my racing nemesis/good friend will never accept that as an excuse. I've beaten her before, but never in a headwind.

Off the wind old baggy sails work. On the wind going to weather they don't work so well. Races are mostly won on the weather leg.

 

[Iriegal]

All good points! Thanks! I had crew during this last race, but none of them know how to sail, so I spent a lot of time explaining things to them. Still, it was nice to have someone hold the tiller for me. My sails are old and my bottom is slimy, so that all played a part as well. I just can't get over how much slower we go in a headwind. I'm going to have to strategize better I think. Maybe I would be faster if I added a tack in there, instead of trying to sail so close to the wind to reach that first buoy. I think I'll try that next time.

 

[jon hansen]

for a racers attitude i can recommend John Paul Jones biogrophy

 

[Iriegal]

I'm going to have to revisit my course strategy on windward sailing, for sure. Especially since my boat needs so much leeway that I need lots of room around the buoys or else I get pushed into them! I've learned that the hard way more times than I would like to admit.

 

[dlochner]

Maybe I would be faster if I added a tack in there, instead of trying to sail so close to the wind to reach that first buoy. I think I'll try that next time.

Are other boats tacking? If so, you should too.

A common error is pointing too high. It seems like you should be making progress, but you're not. What you are looking for is VMG, velocity made good. Which is not the same as boat speed. Sometimes pointing a little lower makes you go faster and makes up for the extra distance sailed. With older sails your boat will tend to heel more which causes leeway, the boat starts to slip sideways, it gets worse as you point higher.

 

[Iriegal]

Are other boats tacking? If so, you should too.

A common error is pointing too high. It seems like you should be making progress, but you're not. What you are looking for is VMG, velocity made good. Which is not the same as boat speed. Sometimes pointing a little lower makes you go faster and makes up for the extra distance sailed. With older sails your boat will tend to heel more which causes leeway, the boat starts to slip sideways, it gets worse as you point higher.

The problem is that I have been trying to follow/copy my sailing mentor when he races, but he has his boat decked out for racing and he can sail practically straight into the wind and not lose any velocity. Obviously that's not working for me. I'm so glad I posted on here. These are all great tips.

 

[jon hansen]

you can lead a horse to water but .............


order the book, read the book, start practicing these correct skills

 

[Gunni]

95% of sailors who don't race don't go to weather well.

Jackdaw, I was so looking forward to your input on close-hauled sailing and then THIS!

 

[Stu Jackson]

The problem is that I have been trying to follow/copy my sailing mentor

Good point. You have to sail YOUR boat, not follow him.

Re-read Don's book. A few times. It should be required reading for everyone, racing or not.

Once I learned to find my boat's "groove".............

 

[Kings Gambit]

The boat sails faster when it's flat than when it's heeled excessively. You keep the boat flat with a combination of crew (or other) weight and sail trim. Baggy, stretched out, sails don't trim well; so, can result in too much heeling for best boat speed. It's a matter of degree. If you want to win races: 1) practice w/crew; 2) practice w/crew; 3) practice w/crew; 4) buy new sails and take care of them; 5) practice w/crew; 6) understand the wind dynamics of your course, and finally, 7) practice w/crew.