It's Amazing how...

sailor327

sailor327

New Member
it's amazing how hiking the boat flat for a whole race will increase your boat speed tremendously. i used to be a lzy hiker and not keep my boat flat the whole time and i would usually be figting not to get last. But over the weekend i went to a clininc in palm beach and i went with my usual ways but then the instructor told me that if i kept the boat flat the whole time my boat speed would be alot better and i did that and dang dit help. i just had to say this because im so happy i was coming in midway between the front of the fleet and the front rather than all the way at the back behind 4.7's especially when im in a radial.

P.S: Sarah if you see this message me
 
Yes, I gather that sailing most dinghies (Fireball excluded) flat in all but the lightest conditions gives the greatest speed and least leeway. But my question is is it ever advisable to sail a Laser with a few degrees of heal to windward? Then again with the Laser's shallow draft I suppose this would result in excessive 'bum' drag which wouldn't be fast!

When you're lining up to start a race is windward heal advisable if only to reduce drift to leeward lowering the chances of being lee bowed off the line?
 
i never heel the boat to windward, unless the wind is in a pretty constant direction and a gust is about to hit, then ill hike harder or dump a little sheet to get the most acceleration out of the gust, rather than having the boat flat and then losing some of the acceleration force when the boat heels over or when i dump sheet after the gust hits

heeling to windward when you're sitting on the start line actually promotes drifting to leeward. boat should be dead flat
 
Glenn Bourke advocates windward heel in pre-hiking conditions. When the breeze is strong enough to hook your feet under the grab rail. Your bum won't drag in the water this way. I have tried it but it just feels so uncomforable and I had lee helm too - just could not see how it would be fast.

The Laser centreboard and rudder are very short compared to most dinghy's, so any heel at all and they will very quickly stop working = massive leeway.
 
As I have only learned sailing a laser from a book and a c.d. so far, I can copy a small paragraph from the book i have read entitled The Complete introduction to Laser Racing.

"When sailing downwind, a windward heel brings the sails center of effort directly over the centerline, neutralizing the helm and thus reducing unnecessary rudder action.From this position, athwartships movements will steer the boat effectively (heel further to windward to bear away and heel to leeward to point)..."

Hope that helps....

Ray
 
I sail inland on a lake which has some pretty amazing wind complications and only last week I realised because of this I was chickening out of hiking properly.
However, I've forced myself to get out and in the toestraps properly and I feel much more 'locked in' and in tune with the boat, so much so that I came 4th in the race on Sunday, much better than my usual 12 - 8.
Sailing in a handicap fleet also demonstrates this, especially in windy/gusty conditions. The slower handicaps seem to go backwards when a gust hits and I hike right out and keep my Laser flat, even though they are doing the same.
 
Sunray said:
As I have only learned sailing a laser from a book and a c.d. so far, I can copy a small paragraph from the book i have read entitled The Complete introduction to Laser Racing.

"When sailing downwind, a windward heel brings the sails center of effort directly over the centerline, neutralizing the helm and thus reducing unnecessary rudder action.From this position, athwartships movements will steer the boat effectively (heel further to windward to bear away and heel to leeward to point)..."

Hope that helps....

Ray
Click to expand...


I won't even get started on the debate we've had about downwind sailing....
do a search and you'll see what i mean



A laser shows this more directly, but with all boats, the flatter you are, the faster you are. this is true of ANY and ALL boats. If you look at the hull, when it's flat, the flat part of the hull is in the water. that =fast. when you are heeled over,
1. the rounded part of the hull is in the water. 2. the boards are not perpendicular to the surface and therefore stalling out, causing slippage to leeward.
3. The sail is not straight up, but leaned over to the side, and thus not exposing its full area to the wind.

having the boat completely flat is one of the most important things you can do to improve your boatspeed.
 
Yeah, I sail on an inland lake too and hiking out hard in really changeable and gusty conditions can be nerve racking. Then again, when it all goes wrong the worst that happens is a refreshing swim ;)

So, on the start line it's always best to keep the boat comletely flat?

What about the idea I read somewhere that with a few seconds to go to the gun it pays to roll the boat to leeward and then vigorously hike it flat simulating a gust in the process and aiding acceleration through the line?
 
crazyuncle said:
I sail inland on a lake which has some pretty amazing wind complications and only last week I realised because of this I was chickening out of hiking properly.
However, I've forced myself to get out and in the toestraps properly and I feel much more 'locked in' and in tune with the boat, so much so that I came 4th in the race on Sunday, much better than my usual 12 - 8.
Sailing in a handicap fleet also demonstrates this, especially in windy/gusty conditions. The slower handicaps seem to go backwards when a gust hits and I hike right out and keep my Laser flat, even though they are doing the same.
Click to expand...
thats exactly how i have felt but i sail on a river.
 
Far away said:
Yeah, I sail on an inland lake too and hiking out hard in really changeable and gusty conditions can be nerve racking. Then again, when it all goes wrong the worst that happens is a refreshing swim ;)

So, on the start line it's always best to keep the boat comletely flat?

What about the idea I read somewhere that with a few seconds to go to the gun it pays to roll the boat to leeward and then vigorously hike it flat simulating a gust in the process and aiding acceleration through the line?
Click to expand...

This is somewhat of a loophole that people take advantage of. In the rules for propulsion, you aren't allowed to rock the boat back and forth. You are, however, allowed to heel the boat over to facilitate turning. Therefore, while you are reaching just before the start, you can heel the boat way over to head up to close-hauled, then flatten it. You cannot, however, heel the boat and flatten it again if you are already close-hauled. people can and will protest you under rule 42 for this. if it's obvious you're heading up though, then it's perfectly legal and very helpful.
 
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