downwind speed while racing..

Krycek

Krycek

Member
Sooo... this is spawning after a heated bar debate with a buddy while discussing tactics for the upcoming frostbiting season...

Say one sails with a specific fleet that tends to run a lot of windward/leeward courses over a day of racing. Now, is it faster to go directly downwind or is is quicker to gybe several times and broad reach to the leeward gate.

Several years of college physics tells me that there as benefits to both. While running directly downwind you are sailing the shorter path. However, you are also minimizing air flow over the sail, thus going slower. Conversely, while reaching there is more air flow, thus more lift and an increase in boatspeed. However, is the increase enough to make up for the longer course from the people sailing "as the crow flys?"

I can see that it would be the most beneficial to reach and gybe in light air as opposed to heavy air. Infact, I can see boatspeed to windspeed being inversely perportional as the breeze comes on.

I dunno... I'm going to try it tomarrow and see if I can see a difference. I just wanted to know if anyone out there has any words of wisdom on this topic...


thanks!!!

Jon
 
In my experience, I have found that sailing by the lee and gybing once or twice is the best. I think that the smaller angles and almost as fast as reaching speed that you get by sailing by the lee creates the best compromise. This is especially important in higher winds, as dead down wind is very unstable and capsizing is not fast.:)
 
It's faster to S-curve in breeze than do either of those. In the lighter stuff, it depends on the situation, I will sail whichever angle I need to link the puffs together to stay in the most breeze.

TC
 
Depends on the conditions.
In light airs you need to sail angles just to keep the boat going, when the breeze goes up abit, but yet not high enough to surf/plane it the gains of sailing angles becomes smaller (dead downwind still usualy aint good but you dont need very big angles).
When you can surf/plane you need to sail the angles needed to get the surfs/planes going (this obviously leads to no angles if the wind is REAAALLY strong so you plane no matter=P).

I guess this was very crude but I think it summarized the main idea =p
 
Can someone explain S-turns downwind? I'm solid with the concept for slowing down upwind (before start, for example). But how do you do it downwind without gybing (or risking an accidental gybe)?

Many thanks!
 
Meryl said:
Can someone explain S-turns downwind? I'm solid with the concept for slowing down upwind (before start, for example). But how do you do it downwind without gybing (or risking an accidental gybe)?

Many thanks!
Click to expand...

you use just a bit too much vang for optimum speed in the conditions and trim the main in till just before a gybe. That slightly slower zone is large enough to avoid accidental gybes. But you'll still be moving forward. The only other way to stop on a startline that is down wind is to turn up from a broad reach.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this about going faster, not slower?

I think the "S Bend" in this instance is referring to the transitioning from broad reach to BTL and back with waves, gusts etc. As well as trying to use each turn as a "pump" to gain a little more speed.

I use combinations/variations of all the above, going for the BTL option if its really howling because its safer than dead downwind, doing the S-bend thing if the waves require it (I managed to get washed off when I got this wrong a few weeks back), and flat downwind (which despite all the theories, sometimes gets me there quicker!) if I think its going to work.

What Chainsaw is referring to is the survival mode, which at least gaurantees you'll get there in one piece.

On to my next post....
 
Anyone have ideas on getting downwind fast in a drifter?? It seems the wind has gone from our little part of the world, and 3 weekends in a row have been completely flat!

Any thoughts on how far to heel to windward?

Vang setting?

Trying to get maximum area? or a little depth?

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've gone from mega fast, to mid fleet! I dont think its all from a lack of practise, but I've only sailed about 5 times all year.

Anybody??? Help???? :)
 
Take this with a grain of salt, as it is coming from someone who's scores rise as the wind drops, but... My coaches have told me to heal to windward and let out the sail past 90* to keep it from falling back into the boat. As for the vang, you are supposed to have it as loose as possible except if their is chop, in which case you should pull it on until the battens only pop slightly as you go over the waves. I have found that if it is choppy the sail will fall into the boat sometimes no matter what I do.
I'd like to have some more input too.
 
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