Slow on downwind leg

J

jamcon

New Member
I am having trouble racing on downwind legs because i seem to be going slower than everyone else and often lose up to two places because of it. I seem to be fine on upwind and reaching legs and uasually make ground on other boats. I sail a radial. As i go around the windward mark i let off my kicker, downhaul and outhaul. what am i doing wrong?
 
how much do you weigh?
do you have a stucco finish on your hull?... kidding
where are you positioned in the boat?
look at the guys passing you & where are they located on their boats?
 
There are some fine nuances to sailing downwind, such as knowing when you want to sail by the lee, when not to, how to transition between them, when to transition, how little vang tension, daggerboard position, amount of heel, boom position etc.

I learned the most when I was able to sail next to and copy the guys that were/are faster, I also had them critique what I was doing. And then it's practice, followed by more practice.
 
I try to see which gybe is going to be by the lee going downwind and gybe to this first. Once positioned i make sure my main is not past 90 degrees. Then I release outhaul, cunningham, boom vang all the way. Pull my dagger board up and lean the boat to weather just getting the weather rail wet. I am focusing on two things downwind:

A) Where the new or heavier breeze is coming down the course. I am always trying to position myself for the puffs. I weigh 230 lbs and have problems myself keeping up so I have to use everything to my advantage. When the puffs hit I sail more dead downwind course to stay in th e puff longer. When out of the puffs I sail by the lee again. It also depends on where my leeward mark is of course too.

B) I am always focusing on my downwind boatspeed. I am working on a new technique that was just taught to me this year. It involves sailing by the lee, leaning the boat to windward while heading up slightly easing the sail. Then bearing off slightly, and flattening the boat and slight pull in on the main.

Supposedly you are catching the wind twice by cupping it and turning the leach into a luff. It has taken quite a bit of time to perfect as if you are two extreme with it, you look like your cheating and plus the boat really doesnt go faster. When you can master this technique while being very fluid it works really well. It also doesnt take much exageration. Let me know if anyone has better advice on this???
 
James - I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding your explanation of your technique, so forgive me if I have it wrong. But the technique you describe sounds like good, old-fashioned rocking, which is probably why it can look like you're cheating.

"Leaning the boat to windward" then "flattening the boat" repeatedly is illegal. It doesn't matter if you change course while doing it, or if you are not doing it non-stop. You aren't using the wind twice (although that is a very creative way of putting it) - you are creating your own wind. If you are doing it to steer the boat to catch waves then that is ok, but you still have to be very careful defending it in front of a jury.

The current ISAF interpretation of RRS 42.2(b), shamelessly c&p'ed from the ILCA web site is as follows:

RRS 42.2(b) Rocking
Prohibited
- More than one roll at the start.
- Any body movement, sail adjustment or hull trim, which causes the mast to move athwartships repeatedly is prohibited at all times. A roll of the boat to facilitate steering is permitted. Repeated changes of course by rocking is not steering. It is important to be aware that even minor movements can constitute rocking and 'persistent' body movements can occur continuously or with quite long breaks of irregular periods.
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I agree with you that if you were to repeat this process over and over again it can be percieved as cheating. I am just trying to learn what makes the boat go fast, on Wed night races. The master who has taught this to me has won a lot of things and ive seen him do it as well. Maybe I will ask him if he has ever gotten a whistle blown on him for this...
 
jamcon said:
I am having trouble racing on downwind legs because i seem to be going slower than everyone else and often lose up to two places because of it. .... what am i doing wrong?
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Only two places?? I am so jealous!!! Usually I lose about 30% of the fleet.

Advice?? Don't take any advice from me
 
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