Due to the light weight of a J24, even with a phrf of 147 vs 177, the J24 normally wins. Anyone got suggestions as to how to beat the j24 in an olympic triangle course in light to medium air?
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Cover and smother
Beating a J24 is a tall order for any boat with any skipper. Can you cover and smother him? Get on his windward side and ride him hard?
Beating a J24 is a tall order for any boat with any skipper. Can you cover and smother him? Get on his windward side and ride him hard?
Lighten Up!!!
Just a couple of suggestions. Have you taken everything off your boat that isn't necesary in a light air race? You give the J24 30 seconds per mile on handicap. You have no room for error. The J24 is light weight, does not have many creature comforts. With good sails and well sailed will be tough to beat in light air. Lighten up your boat as much as possible. Get the anchor off the bow, get as much weight off the boat as you can (unnecessary stuff). Everything else place as low and as centered in the boat as possible. Are your sails in good condition? Does your crew make mistakes? how are your starts, can you win the start? You can't give up anything in the way of advantages you may have. The H34 has a water line advantage. On a triangle course you should be faster than the J on a reach, if your not, why not. Isn't handicapp sail boat racing just a blast? If all is right with the world, you should beat the J 24, some of the time, and he will beat you some of the time. Conditions should dictate more than anything. If the J24 crew sails better than your crew you won't beat him. Is your crew up to the level of the J crew? Wish you the best in overcoming this stigma. I just hate it when the same guy berats me all the time. But the competitive juices kick in and we just keep working until we are equal in crew work, tactics and boat handling. When you overcome the victories are the sweetest. Great Fun.
Just a couple of suggestions. Have you taken everything off your boat that isn't necesary in a light air race? You give the J24 30 seconds per mile on handicap. You have no room for error. The J24 is light weight, does not have many creature comforts. With good sails and well sailed will be tough to beat in light air. Lighten up your boat as much as possible. Get the anchor off the bow, get as much weight off the boat as you can (unnecessary stuff). Everything else place as low and as centered in the boat as possible. Are your sails in good condition? Does your crew make mistakes? how are your starts, can you win the start? You can't give up anything in the way of advantages you may have. The H34 has a water line advantage. On a triangle course you should be faster than the J on a reach, if your not, why not. Isn't handicapp sail boat racing just a blast? If all is right with the world, you should beat the J 24, some of the time, and he will beat you some of the time. Conditions should dictate more than anything. If the J24 crew sails better than your crew you won't beat him. Is your crew up to the level of the J crew? Wish you the best in overcoming this stigma. I just hate it when the same guy berats me all the time. But the competitive juices kick in and we just keep working until we are equal in crew work, tactics and boat handling. When you overcome the victories are the sweetest. Great Fun.
Weight
I am sure on the J 24 all he has below is what he has to have more like nothing and I am sure on the H 34 you have below everything you need for any kind of problem. The extra weight alone will kill your boat speed. Now throw in good vs bad sail's and a clean bottom and so on. Cliff
I am sure on the J 24 all he has below is what he has to have more like nothing and I am sure on the H 34 you have below everything you need for any kind of problem. The extra weight alone will kill your boat speed. Now throw in good vs bad sail's and a clean bottom and so on. Cliff
facts as I see them
In lite air,if your great,and he screws up,maybe ,but lite wind if lite gusty is going to make bigger boat slow,in higher winds you should take him if as said your boat work is as good as his and take note of; J24's are dry sailed mosty(from the trailer)and your H34 is wet sailed,so your bottom and keel and rudder(prop?) may not be as smooth as his bottom etc.(no prop)& or your sails not as good even if your boat work is,that can hold you way back. Don't take this wrong,but your using a bus to out run a car,thats hard,if you even come close on time get you and your crew some beers.
In lite air,if your great,and he screws up,maybe ,but lite wind if lite gusty is going to make bigger boat slow,in higher winds you should take him if as said your boat work is as good as his and take note of; J24's are dry sailed mosty(from the trailer)and your H34 is wet sailed,so your bottom and keel and rudder(prop?) may not be as smooth as his bottom etc.(no prop)& or your sails not as good even if your boat work is,that can hold you way back. Don't take this wrong,but your using a bus to out run a car,thats hard,if you even come close on time get you and your crew some beers.
don't pinch
The j is going to out-point you to weather. Nothing you can do to stop that. Your only advantage is waterline, which means you've got to hit your polars perfectly. It's all about boat speed. If you try to cover him, he'll ultimately win out because you're giving away your waterline advantage by trying to point high enough to beat with the j. Forget that strategy. A better strategy is to watch for the shifts, and go with whatever changes a beat into a close reach. That's where you'll get him. What this means is that you want to split tacks whenever the opportunty arises. Forget Andy's "cover and smother" strategy. You can't make that work with a boat that has such a performance advantage. Rather, force the j to cover you, and if he lets you get away, that's when you catch the shift that allows you to correct out over him.
The j is going to out-point you to weather. Nothing you can do to stop that. Your only advantage is waterline, which means you've got to hit your polars perfectly. It's all about boat speed. If you try to cover him, he'll ultimately win out because you're giving away your waterline advantage by trying to point high enough to beat with the j. Forget that strategy. A better strategy is to watch for the shifts, and go with whatever changes a beat into a close reach. That's where you'll get him. What this means is that you want to split tacks whenever the opportunty arises. Forget Andy's "cover and smother" strategy. You can't make that work with a boat that has such a performance advantage. Rather, force the j to cover you, and if he lets you get away, that's when you catch the shift that allows you to correct out over him.
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