Racing Season
- Thread starter Alan
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So how did your racing season go?? Mid pack Ensenada race. DNF'ed San Diego race. Two seconds, a first, a fifth and two DNF's on local buoy racing.
Did you learn more about your boat? Need to keep her on her feet better in the heavy winds typical in local buoy races. Too much leeway. Old crew not nimble enough for fast tacks & don't trim well.
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? Invested in a windseeker/drifter. Added purchase to outhaul for ease of adjustment. Entered more buoy races for crew experience.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? No. Can't justify the expense and doubt crew could handle it.
Do you have any advice for others? As Alan says, it's a great way to shake out the boat and learn what works and what doesn't. Don't worry about where you finish when starting out. Don't be intimidated by everyone's race gear.
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans
Did you learn more about your boat? Need to keep her on her feet better in the heavy winds typical in local buoy races. Too much leeway. Old crew not nimble enough for fast tacks & don't trim well.
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? Invested in a windseeker/drifter. Added purchase to outhaul for ease of adjustment. Entered more buoy races for crew experience.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? No. Can't justify the expense and doubt crew could handle it.
Do you have any advice for others? As Alan says, it's a great way to shake out the boat and learn what works and what doesn't. Don't worry about where you finish when starting out. Don't be intimidated by everyone's race gear.
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans
So how did your racing season go??
I'm happy with our performance this season. We have improved a lot from last year.
Did you learn more about your boat? Yes,I learned the rig tune needs are different between the the old jib and the new. Still working on getting her to point where she should with the new sail.
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? The more advanced the sail design, the less forgiving it is on trim and attention at the helm.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? We still need to let the kite breath. We have a tendency to overtrim it.
Do you have any advice for others? Jump in, the waters fine. Race above your abilities, there is more to be learned
at the back of the pack than the front.
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans!
Still learning to use the masthead kite and 3DL to their max, but here we come.:Liar:
John
I'm happy with our performance this season. We have improved a lot from last year.
Did you learn more about your boat? Yes,I learned the rig tune needs are different between the the old jib and the new. Still working on getting her to point where she should with the new sail.
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? The more advanced the sail design, the less forgiving it is on trim and attention at the helm.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? We still need to let the kite breath. We have a tendency to overtrim it.
Do you have any advice for others? Jump in, the waters fine. Race above your abilities, there is more to be learned
at the back of the pack than the front.
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans!
Still learning to use the masthead kite and 3DL to their max, but here we come.:Liar:
John
So how did your racing season go?? It's not over yet, but had a great time and was actually competitive
Did you learn more about your boat? Absolutely. Biggest thing I learned is adjusting the sheet angle for my genoa. Don't have a traveller, so I have to move the block manually foward and aft on the toe rail
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? In really light air, move crew to slightly heel the boat and use the boat hook to pole out the genoa for proper shape. You can make the boat move when the wind is so light that it doesn't ripple the water.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? no
Do you have any advice for others? Study, study, study. Learn sail controls and what they do, then experiment. Don't spend money on things like kevlar sails until you can excell with what you have. Learn to get the best out of your boat as-is. And have fun!
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans!:dance:
Did you learn more about your boat? Absolutely. Biggest thing I learned is adjusting the sheet angle for my genoa. Don't have a traveller, so I have to move the block manually foward and aft on the toe rail
What little nuances or tricks did you pick up this year? In really light air, move crew to slightly heel the boat and use the boat hook to pole out the genoa for proper shape. You can make the boat move when the wind is so light that it doesn't ripple the water.
Have you tried the 'spinnaker class' yet? no
Do you have any advice for others? Study, study, study. Learn sail controls and what they do, then experiment. Don't spend money on things like kevlar sails until you can excell with what you have. Learn to get the best out of your boat as-is. And have fun!
Go ahead, be brave and spill the beans!:dance:
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