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Reaching and Running
These legs are often the fastest legs because of the increased speed of the boat. This means that there aren’t as many lead changes as in the beat legs. Your goal on these legs should be to set up for the leeward mark rounding, without getting passed. The boats behind will catch up, but you’ll be pretty hard to pass on the downwind legs if you are doing things right. Even if you do get passed by 1 or 2 boats, don’t let it bother you too much-there is always time to catch up at the mark rounding or on the next windward leg.

BasicsBelow are a few basic techniques for keeping the boat moving. Keep in mind, also, that clear air is important. If someone is driving over you on top of your wind, try your best to get away without making too much of a course change (large course changes are mostly bad since you sail a lot of extra distance).

Technique: Sheeting Off the BoomIf the class rules allow, you should sheet the mainsail directly off the boom, ignoring the last block in the cockpit. This gives you a great feel for the sail, and it also allows much faster reaction time when you need to sheet in or out.

Your attention on the downwind leg should be split 70% speed watching and 30% watching what’s happening around you. The 70% speed watching is imperative. You can gain or lose a lot on the downwind leg due to correct or incorrect sail trim. It can be the difference between grabbing the puff and passing 3 or 4 boats, and getting “rolled” by 3 or 4 others who did it right. Sheeting off the boom allows you to react more quickly, and it also allows you to feel the power in the sail, while you’re watching your surroundings the other 30% of the time.

Technique: Heeling the Boat to WindwardIf you ever see pictures of Lasers racing downwind, you will notice that most, if not all, are heeled to windward. There are two reasons for this. First, heeling the boat gets the sails higher into the air, where the wind speed is often greater. Second, it reduces the surface area where the boat touches the water, reducing drag.

Most importantly, the boat is heeled to reduce the pressure on the tiller. When going almost straight downwind, with most of the sail area on one side of the boat, it will want to head up. This tendency forces you to use the rudder more than you should to keep the boat going straight. To counteract this, simply heel the boat to windward until you no longer feel any tiller pressure. You should be able to steer with your fingertips loosely gripping the extension.

Technique: Steering the Boat with HeelGiven what you have learned above about drag on the rudder and steering the boat without it, this should now be easy. Because the boat is going so much faster, heeling the boat is very effective for steering. Also because of your greater speed, the drag on the rudder is increased, so you should be steering as much as possible without it.

Just remember, when you want to bear off, heel to windward. To head up, heel to leeward. You should always make your movements small since course changes cost extra distance. Unless it is necessary to make the correction quickly, keep the amount of heel to only 5 -10 degrees.

JibingJibing is one of the two major transitions mentioned in the PRIORITIES chapter. It is a very important maneuver because there is a huge potential for things to go wrong. When going downwind, the boat is much less stable. When the force of the wind changes drastically during a jibe, the boat can carve up into the wind, running you way off course, into another boat, or at the very worst, capsizing. The key to keeping control of the jibe is to keep the boat steady.

First, don’t make a large movement with the tiller to turn the boat. Keep a straight course as you bring the boom across the center line. Also, keep your weight in the center of the boat, and keep it mobile in case you need to throw it to either side to prevent a capsize.

Finally, and most importantly, if the winds are moderate or heavy, make sure the boat is up to speed. Think about that-make the boat go as fast as possible before jibing. The reason for this is: If the wind is from straight behind at 15mph and the boat is going 5mph, you feel 10mph of wind. That’s a lot of force! If, however, you are going 13mph, you only feel 2mph of wind. This reduces the force on the sails considerably, keeping the jibe under control. Wait until you are up to speed, then, when a lull in the wind comes, throw the boom across the boat.

Watching the WindKeeping an eye out behind you on the reach or run is always a good idea, especially when you’re looking for wind. The main idea is to pick a side of the course and stick with it, but within that side, you can move a little to use the wind.

When a puff is approaching from behind, you want to head up slightly, so it gets to you sooner. Then, when you’re in it, bear off and ride it until it runs out. The idea here is to get to the puff quickly, and then stay in it as long as possible. You can increase your speed if you head up while in the puff, but this is not a good idea most of the time. If you’re going quickly across it, you will come out the other side sooner than you want-so stay in it.

NOTE GLANDFIELDS COMMENTS ON OLYMPIC CLASSES HIGHLIGHTED BELOW

Top sailing tips from Olympic silver medalist, Joe Glandfield
Dinghy sailing is a great water sport to get into if you want to get fit and healthy whilst having fun at the same time. When choosing a boat and crew for dinghy boat racing, it’s important not to cut corners so here’s the realbuzz guide – from Olympic silver-medalist Joe Glandfield – as to how to get the best out of your sailing buys.

Sailing is a hugely versatile sport and there are lots of different types of boats and racing to enjoy.

Handicap racing is when different types of boats race against each other in a timed race. Each class has a ‘py number’ according to their speed and this is used to calculate who has actually won, as it may well not be the first boat across the line. The good thing about this type of racing is that it allows you to race everyone from your club even when they sail a very different type of boat. The bad thing is that the racing can be spread out and you don’t know where you finished until the scores have been calculated later. You also often find there are certain classes that are better in particular conditions meaning you almost know who you are going to beat and lose to before you go to the water.

Fleet racing is when you only race against boats in the same type of boat as you. This is the best type of racing for improving your sailing skills, and in many respects is the most fun as it is usually very close and you know where you finish as soon as you cross the finish line. The problem in a small sailing club is finding enough boats of same class to make it interesting.

On top of racing from your local sailing club, in most classes there is the option of traveling to national events and racing against other sailors in the same type of boat. This can be costly with entry fees and travel costs, but it can give you access to bigger fleet sizes and a higher standard of competition. It will also help with your progress as you can get tips from different people and see how the best in the country are doing it.

Choosing the class of sailing boat
There are a huge number of different classes to choose from all offering different things to the sailor. Before you commit to buying a certain boat it is worth getting as many details as possible. All classes have different size/weight requirements, fleet sizes and standards of racing. Some classes will be more challenging to sail and will require a lot of time working on the boat handling. Others on the other hand, may be quite easy to sail in most conditions so will have a high emphasis on the tactics in order to be successful. A good start is to have a look at what classes are popular at your local sailing club. By sailing one of these classes you can often get good advice and there is usually lots of second hand kit available.

If you are a youth sailor it is worth looking at the SAS recognized classes as they offer good, organised racing and will have regular training weekends aimed at different standards.

The Olympic classes offer something different and are not recommended for beginners. It is possible to race in these classes without doing an ‘Olympic campaign’ (which requires a huge level of commitment) but the standard is very high, and more serious then other national classes. Most Olympic sailors are full-time, but there are also a number of part-time sailors that have got to the front of national classes that want the challenge of Olympic standard racing.Things to consider when choosing a class of sailing boat:

◦The ideal weight and size for the class.
◦Do you want to sail on your own with other people?
◦The size of the national fleet.
◦The standard of racing.
◦How difficult the boat is to handle?
◦If the class has international events?
◦If it is one design or a development class?
◦The social program
◦Is the class growing or shrinking nationally?
Creating a sailing team
If you are sailing anything other then a single-handed boat you are in a team sport and you will need to find someone to sail with. There are so many different types of sailing and levels at which you can compete, that the job of finding someone suitable needs to be given a lot of thought.

It is important to have your own goals and ambitions clearly mapped out before approaching someone to sail with, this will help any potential teammate immediately decide if they are interested in what you are proposing. Before you even step foot in a boat it is worth asking each other some fundamental questions….

◦Are you the right size together for the boat you want to sail?
◦How much sailing do you want to do?
◦If you work, how much holiday are you willing to put towards sailing?
◦Where are you going to sail?
◦Are you going to sail through the winter?
◦How much money are you willing to invest into your sailing?
◦How highly do you prioritize sailing amongst other hobbies and interests?
◦Do your sailing skills compliment each other’s?
◦Do you respect what the other person has to offer?
◦Could you get on with one another socially?
It is unlikely that you are going to be in agreement over all these issues and some are more important then others, but compromises would need to be found in order to avoid problems later on.

As with all relationships your attitude and what you are willing to put into your team will make a big difference to the success. Here are some golden rules teams I am involved with stick to:

◦Respect each other’s opinion.
◦Trust that the other is doing their up most to achieve the team’s common goal.
◦Accept differences in approach and make room for individual flair.
◦Once you commit to a decision back each other and pursue it whole-heartedly.
◦Appreciate that there will be disagreements.
◦Play to each other’s strengths on and off the water, even if it means going out of your way to help with something they struggle to do.
◦Never let on to any of your competitors weaknesses or problems within the team.
Remember, no matter what the level, sailing with others should be fun, and embracing the fact you are in a team sport is how you are most likely to achieve this

Smaller, cheaper and more easily accessible than big boat sailing, dinghy sailing can be accessed by just about anyone regardless of location, age or mobility. Dinghy sailing can be fun and laid-back if all you want to do is float around an inland lake and just take in the view, or it can be fast and exhilarating as you hang out on the trapeze of a lightweight racing boat.

Even if you have never thought about dinghy sailing before and have no idea about rigging a boat or identifying the boom from the bumkin, it does not matter. There are plenty of places to start your sailing career. Dinghy sailing is a wonderful way for both children and adults to learn a lot about teamwork as part of a crew, or to make split-second decisions based on their own intuition and to see if it is the right choice! Many people get hours of fun out of tweaking and perfecting their boat and rig, whereas others are completely content with a 1 design plastic dinghy where the competition is all on the water.

Dinghy sailing is for anyone, wherever the wind hits the water.

As you sail along you may suddenly feel a dramatic drop in wind strength. You have sailed into a lull, and the apparent wind has gone forward and decreased because your boat speed is now a greater factor than the wind speed, until the boat slows down. Conversely, you might also see a puff—a big patch of ripples approaching you—the apparent wind moves aft and increases,
and you suddenly feel a strong increase in wind strength because the wind speed is a greater factor than boat speed.

If initially the wind speed was 10 knots and the boat speed was 4 knots. The extension of the true wind line indicates a puff with a 4- knot increase. The apparent wind moves aft as the puff hits; but by the time your boat picks up speed, the puff has usually passed. When a puff is very strong, it causes your boat to heel dramatically if you don’t make any adjustments.

To reduce heeling when hit by a powerful gust, point the boat higher toward the wind. As the gust hits, apparent wind goes aft, causing more heeling and less drive. This changes the angle of attack—the angle the apparent wind makes with the sails.Now your sails are improperly trimmed until you head up or ease sheets or the traveler. This change in apparent wind direction is important to remember even on light days. On days when you have a 3-knot breeze, the wind velocity in
a puff is apt to be more than double the regular breeze.When it is blowing 15 knots, gusts may get to only 20 to 22 knots—or about a third higher.

Thus, the change in apparent wind direction aft is often greater on light days than on heavy ones. But if the wind dies suddenly, apparent wind goes forward. In Figure 4-24, boat speed remains constant; when the wind velocity lowers to 6 knots, the apparent wind goes forward.

Happy Sailing! Steve Colgate

Click here for the vprimary school entry form
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Click here for the high shool entry form
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Click here for the NOR 2014_interschools_notice_(1)[1]

The SAS Interschools Regatta will be on the 15 and 16 March at VLC.

Entries are R120 per boat (if you are not a SAS member) and R100 if you are.

Racing starts at 11 on Saturday, 3 boats make up a team, and teams are either in the Primary or high school divisions.

Lets see lots of you motivate your friends at school to join in the fun sailing!

One thing you wont be short of is lots of water.

See you this weekend!

SOME FAQ’s for the beginner

When are races held?Clubs normally have a calender on their notice boards. Bigger events are normally advertised on this website,on our face book page and SailRasa

What boat can I sail?Virtually any dinghy may be raced. A handicapping system is usually applied to allow boats of different types to the dabchick to race against one another and still let the best sailed one win!

How good at sailing do I need to be?So long as you know what happens when you waggle the stick at the back, you’re good enough! Racing is by far the quickest way of improving sailing skills and every one of us started off knowing very little and we’ve all got more to learn!

How do I let people know I’m new to racing?One idea is to tie a coloured ribbon to your rigging.

What rules do I need to know?A boat on port tack (the wind coming from the left, the boom on the right) gives way to one on starboard tack (wind from right, boom on left). A boat on Starboard tack with right of way may shout ”Starboard” if you are on Port tack and they think you are about to get in their way.

A boat to windward (closest to where the wind is coming from) gives way to a boat to leeward (the boat further away from the wind).

At a mark, the boat on the inside, nearest the mark, will usually need to be given room to round the mark without hitting it or you!

These basic rules should prevent most collisions. There are many more and as you become more experienced it is worthwhile investing in the latest copy of the racing rules book.Rules can be downloaded from ISAF website http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/ISAFRRS20132016Final-[13376].pdf

If you’re displaying your ribbon then the more experienced sailors will be prepared for the fact that you are not familiar with the rules.

How do I enter a race?The officer of the day (OOD), who is in charge of that day’s racing, will put a signing on sheet on the desk in the Race Box. Fill in your name and the class and sail number of the boat you’ll be sailing.

What course do I sail?The OOD will set a course and display it on a board at the base of the Race box. The board will display the name of the mark to be rounded and the direction in which it is to be rounded. If marked with a P then pass the mark on the left side of the boat. If marked with S then pass the mark to the right of the boat. An approximate number of laps will also be displayed.

There is nomally large map at in the clubhouse showing the approximate position of the marks. If you are still unsure, ask someone to point out the bouys to you from the shore or even on the start line (We’ve all had this done for us at some point!). When on the water, follow someone who looks like he (or she) knows where (s)he’s going!

How do I start?The start line is a straight line extending from the centre flagpole of the race box through a transit pole on the foreshore. The limit bouy marks the outer end of the line.

The starting sequence goes as follows:

5 minutes to start – hoot of horn and 1st (warning) flag up. or

4 minutes to start – hoot of horn and 2nd (preparatory) flag up. This will be a blue flag with a white square in the centre.

1 minutes to start – hoot of horn and 2nd (preparatory) flag down

0 minutes – The start – hoot of horn and 1st flag down and the race is on.

What about those horrible crowded start lines?
When you first start racing, you could hang back a bit at the start, crossing the line after all the keen ones have finished getting in each other’s way.

How do I finish?In Pursuit races, everybody finishes at once when the horn hoots, but keep sailing until the rescue boat notes your position. Your position is when the horn goes, so no overtaking afterwards please!

In Handicap racing, the finish line is normally the same as the start line. You’ll either finish after the number laps on the course board, or if the race was going to take too long, after the OOD has sounded 2 long hoots on the horn and put up the shortened course flag (a blue square on a white background).

Each boat that finishes received a hoot unless they were over the line at the start (OCS), have been seen not to have sailed the correct course, or have received outside assistance, that’s to say you have been rescued!

How do I find out where I finished?
In Pursuit racing the results are as seen on the water – the boat in the lead wins the race.

Handicap races, however, need to have calculations made by the OOD to make allowances for the different types of boat racing. This can usually be done on the day of racing. Results will then be available in the club house after racing. Results will also be made available as soon as possible on the website and usually a printed official copy will be posted on the results board in the clubhouse by the following race day.

How do I qualify for a series?
Completing any race in a series qualifies you to compete for prizes in the series. Other sailing clubs demand that you complete a certain percentage, but we recognise that it is sometimes difficult to commit to 7 or 8 days out of 10. Nevertheless if you can turn up to more races you stand a better chance of winning a prize at the annual dinner dance.

Listen to the commentator – hilarious