How to park the boat at the start line?

How can I park the laser around the start line before the race start? Is there a special techniques to stop the boat (such as how much mainsheet should be sheeted in, how the tiller should be manipulated, boat should drift back and forth, how tight the boom bang should be, etc.), and just before the start, how I can make a good acceleration? It would be great if a pointer can be provided to a good video in Youtube or somewhere if such a thing exist.

I have been sailing laser a while and participated several races, but I have never been good at the start. In this season I am hoping I can lean some new techniques to park the boat and then accelerate.

Thank you very much in advance.
 
If you want to stop, and I mean stop completely, backwind the sail by pushing the boom away from you. The problem is you will lose helm control and could start going backwards. I use this technique only if I see a hole in the line I want, and need to get to it before someone else takes.

Once on the line, hovering in one spot takes some technique and practice. I tend to point the boat a little bit above close hauled. I may sheet in slightly to try to make the boat accelerate, but then sheet out if it actually starts to move. It involves continuous micro-adjustment of the mainsheet. You want to maintain some kind of pressure on the helm, otherwise you won't be able to steer at all. It feels like the boat is trying to take off, but you are letting the sheet out before it can go anywhere. I tend to slowly slide down the line as I do this. My technique may not be the best, and I'm sure others will have plenty to offer.

I generally leave my vang slack as I don't think a tight vang is good for accleration once the gun goes off. I tighten up the vang once I'm up to a decent speed. I preset the cunningham and outhaul to what I think will be needed for the upwind leg. I don't want to have to adjust those in the middle of a crowded start unless I need to.
 
it depends, you have to consider current as well, you'll want to make or find space on the line so that you're not just head to wind and can't accelerate off the line

the sail should be luffing, you can heel to windward slightly, and steer the boat just enough to keep you from going backwards with the tiller, sail and your bodyweight

you should have the vang off before the start to keep you from jumping off the line, but have the vang on a little while you sheet in to make acceleration more efficient, it also makes it easier to sheet in and saves you some energy

Watch how Andrew starts:
 
Thank you very much for the very useful information, torrid and laserxd!. I now have got a rough idea of how it might work, and got a feel of how/what I want to practice next time when I am on the water.
 
Part of the trick is developing confidence. Every week while waiting for the start sequence to begin, I like to park at the pin end, and try to stay within a couple of boat lengths of the buoy. As you sit on starboard, the boat tends to drift to leeward, so then you roll tack, just sheet in enough to move back up to the buoy, then drop sheet and drift again. Being able to tack with almost no speed and know exactly how much time it takes, how much room you'll need; it all helps you confidently pull the stunt once you're in a crowd on the line.
It's cheeky as hell to tack onto port and drift across in front of people on the line, so you just have to be sure you can quickly tack back again - without shooting forwards - should anyone try to move up and call starboard.
It's good to practise accelerating away too; and ideally you have a loose vang & fuller sail, but being able to hike and go is a priority; so you have to judge whether or not you want to adjust sail trim 30 seconds after the start.
If it's a crowded line, you need to be right at the front, on the line, then everyone starts from nothing so it's all even as you accelerate away. With a more spread fleet, it can be worth setting up a few boat lengths back from the line, accelerate with 5 seconds to go and hit the line flying. Again, it takes practice to be confident in knowing how much distance you'll cover in how much time.
At A-class cat Nationals I watched them line up a good 10m back from the line, and then you could hear the ratchet blocks all whizzing in unison as they began to sheet in with 10 seconds to go, and all acclerate together to cross the line at the gun.
I've had champions advise me to set up with 2 minutes to go, and try to set-up upwind a bit to allow for the drift-down. My personal best was achieved by setting up right next to the start-boat with 3 minutes to go at Laser states (ACT & NSW), then tacking on-the-spot to hold position, achieving a start right next to the start-boat as the gun went.
A good start is critical; in that example it meant I stayed with the lead boats to round 1st mark in about 5th, and held a top-ten place all the way to the finish; on my crusty old 'Firefly' 24877!
 
it depends, you have to consider current as well, you'll want to make or find space on the line so that you're not just head to wind and can't accelerate off the line

the sail should be luffing, you can heel to windward slightly, and steer the boat just enough to keep you from going backwards with the tiller, sail and your bodyweight

you should have the vang off before the start to keep you from jumping off the line, but have the vang on a little while you sheet in to make acceleration more efficient, it also makes it easier to sheet in and saves you some energy

Watch how Andrew starts:


He also looks (In my opinion) to be pumping all the way down the run !

What are others views on how he is constantly trimming ?
 
If you pay close attention you can see he is doing S turns. He is trimming in and out because he is constantly turning back and forth. Watch the deck and his tiller action. Pumping is much faster.
 

Back
Top