Boat Speed Help

manateerichard

manateerichard

Collegiate Sailor
Got a question, well my boat is a '89, stiff hull and not a leak, really comparable in condition to newer boats, the problem is that I can never seem to get the speed that newer boats can, its odd too because I am a bit underweight for a full (150lbs) and heavier people seem to beat me. :eek: I'm not ill experienced at sailing, I've been doing competitive high school sailing for 3 years now. I am a little new to laser though but getting the hang of it. I have similar hardware to new lasers and the only thing i can think may be the problem is the sail. It came with the boat and is old but still crinkly, any insight?
 
You don't mention what the conditions are. If it's 10+ then weight will play a factor, especially if your sailing against people 20+ lbs more.

Normal sign of a tired sail is to lose pointing ability, but not speed, ie, you go about the same, but can't hold a lane.

Sail setup can be the next problem if it's not weight, ie too much vang/cunningham etc.. easiest way to get up to speed is during training sessions with one or more partners. Sail 2-5 minutes, stop and compare settings (sail, body) and technique.
 
my guess is that 1. your sail trim is not ideal for the conditions, 2. you're sailing in bad air or too high a course, 3. cockpit is filled with water or 4. the hull is leaking.

If other boats are going faster than you check out their trim (everything including body position), sometimes a small adjustment can mean big differences in vmg. Also, clear air can make a big difference.

if your cockpit is partially filled with water, the weight adds up quickly, 1 gallon is over 8lbs of added weight, add that up with a tiny leak in your hull and you're boat is now much heavier than the competition. I had a leak on my inspection port last fall and I would start out the day sailing fast and by the end of the day if felt like I was dragging an anchor.
 
Like it seems in almost all conditions, I have an awesome start, usually start in top 3 but then find myself dragging behind. I believe I have all of my trims adjusted correctly, my trims always look comparable to everyone e lse's... It's really weird, And I find that I cannot point as high as everyone else as well.
 
-what were the conditions?

-how much vang and cunningham did you have on?

-what is the depth of your sail at the boom cleat?
 
Another aspect to think about is how far are the others ahead of you. Where I race (and tend to be bottom half of fleet), when you actually look at how far ahead the leaders are at the finish it actually isn't that far. I'm sure it depends on fleet but often speed differences are very small and these small differences can easily make the difference between 3rd and 15th.

The thing is that, although those differences are often small, it will generally be the same people squeezing that little extra and being at the front.

Yesterday evening after finishing and mentally reviewing I thought, If I had not overstepped that mark (forgetting tide), if I had done those roll tacks a bit better, if I had stayed inshore of that other boat then I would have been several places higher.

I often think that even for straight line speed there is far more to faster/slower than just set-up and gear. Of course decent sails and having kicker, outhaul, etc. set correctly helps but so does having the experience in the boat. Being able to "auto-pilot" and keep everything at 100% whilst looking out for wind on the surface, other boats, tactical considerations. Being able to continually tune main/helm, etc. without having to divert attention to it. Making maximum use of heel to keep the boat balanced (rather than using the rudder/brake), all without thinking. Feeling that gust a bit sooner and using it rather than reacting to it once you start to heel too much. Heading up that few degrees just as the wind lifts you a tiny bit, etc.

Whilst I cannot know about your own boat and settings, often you can be confident that were you to swap boats (set-up, etc.) with the faster person your finishing positions would remain unchanged. So often you see somebody turn up late with a yellow sail with repair tape all over it, wooden tiller and more epoxy repair than original gel on the hull, they just make the start with no time to get set-up properly and they will beat everybody (embarrassing everybody with XD, new hulls/sails/etc.).

Whilst settings and gear are important, they are only one aspect and beating other people is far more than just getting gear and settings set right. And when you find that extra component please post it here so I can learn it as well (except I suspect it is something that only time on the race course can provide).

Ian
 
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