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    Tacking

    I did plenty of loosening up and chilling in the 90's, infact until I had almost fallen apart and frozen!!! Seems like you are a little sensitive - all I was trying to point out is that you would benefit greatly from learning the basic language if your aim is to increase your knowledge about...
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    Just wanted to share my happiness with you!

    No excuses now!!
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    Tacking

    I would suggest getting a book about dinghy sailing that explains the basics. Sailing terminology can be confusing if you are not familiar with it, and you would get so much more out of forums like this if you knew what we were on about!! There are also plenty of websites that explain the terms...
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    Tacking

    I think you are confused. 'Tack' means to make the front of the boat go from one side of the wind, through head to wind, to the other side of the wind. This can be done reach to reach(wind coming over the side of the boat) or beat to beat(boat sailing as close to the wind as possible)
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    acceleration from start in 100m

    I agree, people at our club get obsessed with starting at the favoured end of the line. This means they are all bunched up and in dirty wind with nowhere to go. I tend to get a good start by keeping away from that lot and concentrating on sailing in clear air away from other boats. Of course I...
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    Fitter = faster ??

    I know that sailing a boat fast is just one component of winning a race. I can sail faster than the rest of the fleet and still loose. They say it is something to do with stopping occasionally during a race to flip the boat and make sure the bottom is still nice and shiney, but I don't believe...
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    Fitter = faster ??

    This may be a silly question but is there a point where the only way you will get faster is by being fitter? I noticed last time I was out that when I ease- hike- trimmed constantly in the puffs going up wind, I went considerably faster. However,my arms were like jelly afterwards and my stomach...
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    4.7 faster than a radial???

    I didn't think so. After all exactly the same boat but with less sail, on average, is always going to be slower. So the US sailing handicap system is not to be trusted. Slightly off topic, would you say that a 4.7 is faster, slower or similar to a Sunfish? Cheers Nicko
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    4.7 faster than a radial???

    So it is generally thought that the 4.7, on average , is faster than a radial? I don't think so, but the US handicap system says this is the case. The UK handicap system, however, has a 4.7 considerably slower than a radial, which makes sense.
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    4.7 faster than a radial???

    My point exactly, a 4.7's number is LOWER than a radial's, although obviously SLOWER than a radial.Or am I looking in the wrong place? I looked here http://www.ussailing.org/portsmouth/tables08/tables08cb.asp Any ideas?
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    4.7 faster than a radial???

    Why is it that , according to the US sailing's portsmouth yardstick numbers, a 4.7( pn95.4), is considered faster than a radial(96.7)??? Is there something I am missing about the USA handicap system, because there seems to be quite a few boats that the British system say are faster than others...
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    Sunfish Handicap

    Yes, we have the Royal Yachting Association, who run a rating system also called the Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme, but with some very different figures, although the sunfish is not listed because there are very few sailed in this country. http://www.pys.org.uk/yardsticks.asp Nicko
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    Sunfish Handicap

    Thanks Mike, I have a had a good look at the USA's portsmouth numbers and they just do not compare to the UK's When I looked which boats are faster than which, the two different handicap systems have them in very different orders.
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    Sunfish Handicap

    Any ideas for a UK handicap rating for a Sunfish? How does it compare with other boats, is it similar in performance to any other international class so we can make a comparison for UK handicap fleet sailing. Cheers Nicko
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    By the Lee on flat water?

    Our frostbite series starts next week which I would like to compete in. I am brushing up on my sailing skills and am tempted to have a go at perfecting sailing by the lee. All I have read so far seems to be explaining how helpful it can be in waves. Can it be used to good effect in flat water...
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    Theory and intuition of trimming sails with cunningham

    My understanding is that the sail has built in draft at a certain point in the sail. As wind pressure increases, the low pressure zone on the leeward side of sail, just aft of maximum draft, increases. This stretches the fabric and pulls the draft backwards towards the leech of the sail ...
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    Organised efficient mark rounding?

    Thanks guys! I was out today in a bit of breeze and put ino practice your advice. It made what was previously a hectic flustered pig of a move, into an organised efficient rounding! Getting everything done before I got to the mark meant I could concentrate on getting the boat moving up wind and...
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    Organised efficient mark rounding?

    So it is windy, I am planing towards the down wind mark with the cunningham, outhaul and vang all eased,the centreboard half up, sitting out and generally loving the speed, picking up a few places as I go. Then, all too quickly I am at the mark, I have to pull on three sail control lines and...
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    radial v Sunfish handicap

    Can anyone help ou an old Limey? We have a Sunfish in our handicap fleet and I am not sure if it is sailing on the right handicap. I know a laser Radial is 1101 over here but I can't find an equivalent handicap for the sunfish. All I can find is that a Radial is 96.7 and a Sunfish 99.6 but I am...
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    Competitive weight for a Radial?

    I sail in a handicap fleet and a radial makes me competetive with the ok's and Streakers. I am not about to get a 4.7 and hang around at the back of the fleet. Anyway I can handle the big winds, and infact do better the more wind there is!

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