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Submitted by Blake Marriner from the Sunday, June 19th
races (2) at Milford Yacht Club. Winds 190 degrees with 15 degree
oscillations, speeds 8 dropping to 4 mph. Current: ebbing, sweeping
from right to left while going up-wind. Five boats racing.
Setup - 1500 according to Bob G and the Loos gauge,
with the lowers loose.
Setup for light air. Jib was buttoned on with the long snaps for more
luff curve (power). Mast was all the way back at the partners, backstay
had just enough tension to keep the rig from moving around.
Prior to the first race, we watched the wind veer about 20-25 degrees.
This made stbd tack a little difficult, basically sailing straight into
the left over chop from the easterly breeze of the morning. Port was easier
to sail. We then decided that we would sail a little lower, with more
power on stbd tack and look to pinch a bit on port tack when possible,
with a touch more backstay.
Our game plan for the day was to protect the right side upwind, while
watching for pressure. Off the start of race 1, we were to leeward , but
had nice speed, as boats tacked away onto port, we went when we could.
We tried to herd everyone out to the stbd layline, but BK came back into
the middle of the course. As we watched him go, we made the decision to
stick with JC and G3 on the right side. The breeze was getting a little
lighter, we were not afraid to put the bow down and get speed to gain
height (more lift off the keel) We tried to keep the boom on centerline,
never above. We would adjust trav. to mainsheet to accomplish that. Jib
was set with top telltale flowing, about 2" outboard of our max trim
setting on the spreader tip. Halyard/Jib cloth controls were set so we
had a little scallop between button snaps.
When we tacked back to stbd for the windward mark, BK had found more pressure
and a lefty that let him easily cross everyone. He rounded with a 5 boat
lead, a nice chute hoist and he was off to the races. We had a snafu set
(dumb bow guy forgot to check the spin halyard before the race and missed
the fact it was pretzel'ed between the spreader and the shrouds). The
breeze was very light down the port run, thankfully we did have a lot
of ebbing tide to help us down the track. It took us a while, but eventually
we started a good dialog between the chute trimmer and helmsman about
pressure in the chute. We wanted to sail that fine edge of pressure and
speed vs making VMC towards the mark. We watched JC sail high and thought
that they were not going ahead enough to make up for the added
distance to windward. Nothing special in our setup downwind, we got our
weight as far forward as possible, had the rig pulled as far forward as
possible (frac on and jib halyard fine tune pulled hard). We felt BK and
G3 did a better job of being able to heel to windward to rotate the chute
around more, we made a mental note after the race to do a better job of
that in the future.
Rounding the bottom mark, BK covered to the finish, protecting his right
side. G3 and JC headed right early, looked like that got them out of the
ebbing current for a longer time behind Charles Island. At the finish,
BK held his lead, and G3 just missed nicking us for second. JC was fourth,
and BB finished 5th.
The seas were much smoother for race 2, we felt we could setup the boat
more or less the same for both tacks. Again we didn't want anyone to get
to far right of us, but we did keep in mind what happened in race 1. Off
the start line we again were to leeward of the fleet, with good speed.
As the boats peeled of to port, we tacked last and felt we had worked
out a small lead. Setup was a little tighter on the sail trim controls,
a touch more backstay to reduce headstay sag a little. Again we were not
afraid to go fast forward to gain height, especially when we felt slow.
It was starting to look like a repeat of race one, when BK was forced
to bail from the right side. We decided to split the difference and burn
a little of our lead and went up the middle. Watching the compass, we
could see we were sailing into a starboard header, with a little more
pressure. On our windward hip, G3 and JC were still in the original wind
direction, sailing approx 10-15 degrees higher, but in less pressure.
It made things a little tense as we debated which breeze would win out.
In the end it was the
stronger backing breeze and we rounded the mark first, with BK 4 boat
lengths behind, followed by G3, JC and BB. We finally worked out the kinks
on our spin set and handling, and worked hard on the communication between
trimmer and helm. We also worked a harder to heel the boat to windward,
especially when we were burning off speed and heading down. That helped
us squeak out another boat length or two on BK and G3 as we paraded down
on stbd. Not sure if the weak breeze and slow progress lulled everyone
to sleep, but when we got a visual on the finish line, it looked like
we had sailed about 200 yards past the layline and quickly jibed onto
port. From there on, it was a parade to the finish, with poles forward
providing some nice speed and easy sailing. I don't think positions changed
from the windward mark.
Not sure if it's reality or not, but we feel we are a little faster thru
our tacks then everyone else. I think we are turning our rudder a little
faster then others (that might be the exuberance of youth at the helm),
trimming the main and jib harder as we approach head to wind. Next we
are rolling the boat on top of us once the bow is head to wind, backing
the jib to help us turn and easing the main out. As we come out of the
tack, sails are eased and powered up and the helmsman is focused on getting
back up to speed. Nothing new or revolutionary, just focusing on the basics.
<<<>>>
The Memorial Day Regatta was sailed under sunny skies
in Milford on May 28th and 29th.
The first race started in about 6-8 knots of spotty southerly breeze.
Course was S-B-P-S. Current was nearly max flood and starting to slow.
1179 and 1200 started at the boat while 1076 took the left side heading
out for current. Despite holes in the breeze to the right, 1179 then 1200
rounded close together about 10 lengths ahead of 1076. The first two boats
played the south side of the course with 1200 gaining the lead over 1179.
1076 headed towards shore to avoid the current, looking slow at first,
but eventually riding the breeze and fairer current for the lead. At the
leeward mark, crowded with Stars, 1076 overshot, letting 1200 inside with
starboard rights. 1179 rounded the leeward mark in third and headed towards
the island to bang the right corner. 1200 loosely covered 1076, heading
to the south side of the course. 1179 showed phenomenal boat speed and
crossed 12 seconds ahead of 1200. Good start to the season with close
one-design racing!
The second race started with a course was S-A-W-S. Wind was up to 10+
and had clocked to the east. All three boats started at the pin with 1076
heading furthest left - they like that current! 1179 played the middle
and, with their superior boat speed, rounded the weather mark first. 1076's
current strategy paid off over 1200 as they rounded second. The breeze
went further east, resulting in a reach-fest. The race was over after
the first mark. Finish was 1179, 1076 then 1200.
The third race was set up on Sunday in a Northerly with a course of S-W-A-F.
The pin was favored and 1200 started with speed off the line as 109 and
1179 tangled closer to the pin. 1200 couldn't hold with 109's speed and
point and was forced to tack. 109 covered, initially falling into 1200,
then shifted gears and went into passing gear. 1200 was again forced to
tack and 109 went right with 1179 into better pressure on the right. Both
boats rounded very close and headed downwind on the east side of the course.
1200 rounded last and headed west, finding better wind as the other two
tangled. Tangled they did - 1179 withdrew from the race. 1200 caught half
the distance downwind by finding better pressure and avoiding the tangle.
In a loose tacking duel, 109 protected the left, eventually allowing 1200
to break away to the right. 1200 found better pressure and a lift coming
into the harbor and looked to be in the lead. The lift didn't hold and
109 crossed 15 seconds ahead for another close finish.
Turnout wasn't what it could have been, but racing was very close. The
weather couldn't have been better.
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