Light air sailing

O

ozsteve

New Member
Hi,

I am relatively new to the laser and am getting to the end of my first season. I live inland in Australia and we are now into ligher air weather patterns predominantly. What tips or tricks do people have for getting boats moving fast in lighter airs? Should you still mainsheet block to block upwind or ease off just a bit? Is the boat better sailed healed over slightly or flatter?

Thanks for any comments

Steve
 
I might be wrong but this is what I do:
set the vang to hold the blocks abour 8inches apart, then ease the main about 12 inches. When the boat starts moving i slowly sheet in till there is about 8inches between the blocks. At the same time I head up, but not as high as i would normally. If the boat starts slowing down i bear away, ease the sheet and then start again.
I only heal the boat to windward when there isn't enough wind to hold the sails in the correct shape.

Hope this helps!
 
I might be wrong but this is what I do:
set the vang to hold the blocks abour 8inches apart, then ease the main about 12 inches. When the boat starts moving i slowly sheet in till there is about 8inches between the blocks. At the same time I head up, but not as high as i would normally. If the boat starts slowing down i bear away, ease the sheet and then start again.
I only heal the boat to windward when there isn't enough wind to hold the sails in the correct shape.

Hope this helps!
 
LPW said:
I only heal the boat to windward when there isn't enough wind to hold the sails in the correct shape.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

That's a mistype, right ? You want to be heeling to leeward when there isn't enough wind.
 
49208 said:
That's a mistype, right ? You want to be heeling to leeward when there isn't enough wind.
Click to expand...

Actually, on his Boat Whisperer DVD, Steve Cockerill says that heeling the boat to windward is best in light wind, but that it is quite difficult to master.
 
Interesting. Is he talking about drifting conditons (3 and under) ? All that does for me is flop the boom over. He'll be talking at Cedar Point on Sunday so I can follow up if it's not clear on the DVD..
 
49208 said:
That's a mistype, right ? You want to be heeling to leeward when there isn't enough wind.
Click to expand...
yep, i ment leeward heel when there isn't enough wind. However i have read that a windward heel can be benificial, never tried it, but i imagine the heel shouldnt be more than 5-10 degrees.
 
I am having some similar problems as well... Due to my light weight, initially when I started laser sailing, I thought I could sail better in light wind. Although in the end, I managed to survive in stronger wind, I realise my light wind sailing is still bad and has not improve much...

I am still in the stage of adjusting for the correct draft and correct mainsheet sheeting.... I realise there are always other sailors who sail much, much better in light wind... those are the good sailors who can sail well in all kind of wind conditions. Sad to announce, I am almost always last in light wind racing...
 
Well, ok I"ll toss my $0.02 in even though no one would consider me a light air ace.

For light air I'm assuming <5kts. That's light air for us here on the Chesapeake.

Sheet block to block. Snug vang. ease mainsheet 8" or so. That's basic setting for upwind (what the heck, it works for me anyways).

I've seen the Rooster video and I'm intrigued by the "heel to windward" mode. I'm going to try it. I've never made it work it competition. If your "new" to Lasers - please don't try this at home. In light air, heel a bit to leeward to fill the sails and foot off. Feels right and the sail sets properly.

Attach many telltales. Do you have a masthead fly, and a wind indicator of your choice on the mast at boom level???

Hmmm...if interest develops I'll share some thoughts on downwind in light air - although from recent results I should defer to my wife who regularly whips me offwind.


Mike S
Magothy River Racing Team
 
ozsteve said:
Hi,

I am relatively new to the laser and am getting to the end of my first season. I live inland in Australia and we are now into ligher air weather patterns predominantly. What tips or tricks do people have for getting boats moving fast in lighter airs? Should you still mainsheet block to block upwind or ease off just a bit? Is the boat better sailed healed over slightly or flatter?

Thanks for any comments

Steve
Click to expand...

IN <3 Kts, I move the tiller back and forward quickly which acts like a paddle pushing the boat forward. I've noticed the other sailors looking me which I take as envy that I have developed such a good technique.
 
Skipper Johnson said:
IN <3 Kts, I move the tiller back and forward quickly which acts like a paddle pushing the boat forward. I've noticed the other sailors looking me which I take as envy that I have developed such a good technique.
Click to expand...

Oh Skizza! You are such a stitch!
 
49208 said:
Interesting. Is he talking about drifting conditons (3 and under) ? All that does for me is flop the boom over. He'll be talking at Cedar Point on Sunday so I can follow up if it's not clear on the DVD..
Click to expand...
Merrily is correct. Steve explains on his DVD ("Upwind") why heeling to windward in light winds (below 3, perhaps: Bft. 2-) makes the boat faster than heeling to leeward.
Ciao
LooserLu
 
As in the case of the Orange Bowl regatta. Half the challeng is getting out there in light air. i got a pretty good technique at pumping the sail to get out.
 
Skipper Johnson said:
IN <3 Kts, I move the tiller back and forward quickly which acts like a paddle pushing the boat forward. I've noticed the other sailors looking me which I take as envy that I have developed such a good technique.
Click to expand...
Hey Skip , they recon the one thing on the laser that would have been altered is the small rudder .
don't fot get to let it up when doing the repeated course alterations tho :)
laser stratos ruder is the best I've had to use so far , too far out when the wind finally dumped me ;-(

best tech for light wind........gentle leward heel , gentle movements & sail straight as poss back to the bar to watch the rest melting out there.
 
Merrily said:
Actually, on his Boat Whisperer DVD, Steve Cockerill says that heeling the boat to windward is best in light wind, but that it is quite difficult to master.
Click to expand...

Yeah he says to heel the boat to windward and it will actually "pull" you to windward a little bit. But for drifter conditions I don't think this would work well because the boom wouldn't stay on the leward side of the boat.

Tim
 
Hey Skip.....
You get those looks of envy too???? You need to try the advanced tecnique. This will really help ya in light air. You stand on the edges of the cockpit to lock in well and start rocking the boat about 22.5 to 30 degrees lean and then move the rudder back and forth in time with the rock and your smooth pump/pull on the main sheet...
Now this requires a good sense of balance and it brings a new meaning to the term "working the boat".
Regards,
Fishing mickey
150087/181157

P.S. happy april fools day :)
 
LooserLu said:
Merrily is correct. Steve explains on his DVD ("Upwind") why heeling to windward in light winds (below 3, perhaps: Bft. 2-) makes the boat faster than heeling to leeward.
Ciao
LooserLu
Click to expand...

We had Steve narrate his Boat Whisper DVD's after racing today and he covered sailing upwind with windward heel. He gave the conditions that he thinks it's beneficial. Flat water and a narrow wind range of 5-10 knots of breeze. In other words, the wind has to be strong enough to pressurize the sail.

So, in 3 knots or less, heeling to leeward is still the preferred method.

FWIW, his talk was excellant, it was great to have him explain the whys while watching the DVD.
 
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