Hi all,
Today one of the clubs near me had a large pursuit race.
Sadly only 2 lasers turned up - must be afraid of the cold, the club thermometer said 6 degrees below zero. The breeze was perfect for the other guy, who weighed somewhere around 75kg, with marginal planing, and lots of broad reaches. At 100kg, I was a little worried!!
When I race on the sea (I normally do) I find it quite hard to keep pace with the lighter guys in marginal planing conditions, where they seem to pop out a lot sooner, as you would expect.
Today however, on the fresh water lake, this didn't really seem noticeable. With the exception of one leg, when he pulled up to level with me on a gust, which allowed him inside on a mark, I seemed to have better speed in all directions.
Aha! I hear you say, he might be still quite novice. No. Apparently he is quite well known, and races the UK national circuit, where he performs rather well. (I haven't bothered to do any national or internationals for about 8 years, so am relying on hearsay about that.)
Big question of the day........
When switching between ponds and oceans, have any of you noticed a change in relative boatspeed compared to lighter or heavier competitors?
Any answers as to why this effect should occur, and whether you've ever gained/lost from it would be much appreciated. Might be a good research assignment for my next uni project!
Cheers to all, and a happy new year to everyone on TLF!
Today one of the clubs near me had a large pursuit race.
Sadly only 2 lasers turned up - must be afraid of the cold, the club thermometer said 6 degrees below zero. The breeze was perfect for the other guy, who weighed somewhere around 75kg, with marginal planing, and lots of broad reaches. At 100kg, I was a little worried!!
When I race on the sea (I normally do) I find it quite hard to keep pace with the lighter guys in marginal planing conditions, where they seem to pop out a lot sooner, as you would expect.
Today however, on the fresh water lake, this didn't really seem noticeable. With the exception of one leg, when he pulled up to level with me on a gust, which allowed him inside on a mark, I seemed to have better speed in all directions.
Aha! I hear you say, he might be still quite novice. No. Apparently he is quite well known, and races the UK national circuit, where he performs rather well. (I haven't bothered to do any national or internationals for about 8 years, so am relying on hearsay about that.)
Big question of the day........
When switching between ponds and oceans, have any of you noticed a change in relative boatspeed compared to lighter or heavier competitors?
Any answers as to why this effect should occur, and whether you've ever gained/lost from it would be much appreciated. Might be a good research assignment for my next uni project!
Cheers to all, and a happy new year to everyone on TLF!