The uneasy truce between laser sailing and Rule 42

bjmoose

bjmoose

Member
For a while yesterday, I got to sail with one particular sailor I don't usually get to sail with because he's at the front of the fleet, instead of the back. However, in this case he was called over-early and had to go back and restart, so we rounded the top mark together. So I got to watch him for a while.

Now, we all know that sculling, rocking, and trimming can move the boat, especially a boat as small as the laser, even in the absence of wind. And by combining the three you can get the boat going pretty good. But rule 42 as written is designed to prevent propelling the boat in this way.

What I *think* I'm getting from watching folks faster than me is that basically, every minor change in wind velocity or direction, and every little wave, is an opportunity to trim, shift weight, or steer (or some combination) in order to take maximum advantage of that change.

And that this isn't considered cheating under rule 42 but is accepted practice across the fleet. Do I have that about right?
 
bjmoose said:
For a while yesterday, I got to sail with one particular sailor I don't usually get to sail with because he's at the front of the fleet, instead of the back. However, in this case he was called over-early and had to go back and restart, so we rounded the top mark together. So I got to watch him for a while.

Now, we all know that sculling, rocking, and trimming can move the boat, especially a boat as small as the laser, even in the absence of wind. And by combining the three you can get the boat going pretty good. But rule 42 as written is designed to prevent propelling the boat in this way.

What I *think* I'm getting from watching folks faster than me is that basically, every minor change in wind velocity or direction, and every little wave, is an opportunity to trim, shift weight, or steer (or some combination) in order to take maximum advantage of that change.

And that this isn't considered cheating under rule 42 but is accepted practice across the fleet. Do I have that about right?
Click to expand...

Pretty much, yeah.

Taking advantage of opportunities.
 
A lot of good sailors dont think of it as cheating or taking advantage of opportunities, but as sailing on the edge, or "in the yellow". "in the yellow" meaning almost breaking the rule but not actually enough to cause a judge to flag you. At a regatta with an umpire one wants to move the boat as well as possible without causing the judge to flag you.
 
First off...Rule 42 discussions on the internet are in my "been there tried that not gonna do it anymore" category.

But...

Your description is of nothing illegal. The sailor who reacts to ever little wave and shift of teh wind teh best is teh best sailor.

Rule 42 prohibits use of specific body movements to propel the boat and allows for some very specific uses of the body to occasionally propel teh boat.

When a player of a game does every little thing that is legal under the rules of that game, teh competitor is merely playing the game within the rules.

When a competitor does something outside the rules, teh competitor is no longer playing teh game according to teh rules. ( Som e call that cheating)


Sailing is not the only sport whre there are fine lines.

In fotball the defensive back can hit the receiver at certain times and may not touch the receiver at other times. Touching and disrupting the receiver just before or just after the prohibited period is comnsidered to be playing the game well.

Back in Lasers. Yopu can only pumpo your mainsheet once and only when there is considerable reason to believe the pumping action will initiate surfing or plaining. You may not pump when you can't initiate surfing and plaining. You may not EVER pump while already plaining.

You may not rock to propel teh boat, but you may tip teh boat as part of steering.

it is always legal to heel teh boat to windard if you are bearing off as you do it. You may also heel to leeward if youa re also heading up.

You may never heel to weather without turningif there is any possiboilty what so eve that weather healing might propel the boat.

The ILCA website has a page dedicated to a document that is always posted by the international judges at every international event.

I think I understand that document. I think it is pretty straight foreword.

If I had my way, no one would enter a discussion about the laser and rule 42 without firsrt having read that document...

or at least stopping to read it. That document and others like it can be fou8nd here>>>http://www.sailing.org/2004.php
 
sailjacks said:
A lot of good sailors dont think of it as cheating or taking advantage of opportunities, but as sailing on the edge, or "in the yellow". "in the yellow" meaning almost breaking the rule but not actually enough to cause a judge to flag you. At a regatta with an umpire one wants to move the boat as well as possible without causing the judge to flag you.
Click to expand...

......

Taking advantage of opportunities...
 
bjmoose said:
every minor change in wind velocity or direction, and every little wave, is an opportunity to trim, shift weight, or steer (or some combination) in order to take maximum advantage of that change.
Click to expand...

I think you could use that as the perfect definition of what sailing is all about.
 
Sean said:
I think you could use that as the perfect definition of what sailing is all about.
Click to expand...
I suppose that's true. But realize that most of my racing has been done in heavier boats less influenced by kinetics.

So if I trim a J/24 in response to a shift, it's to optimise the wind flow over the airfoil (sail)

If I trim a laser downwind in response to a puff, it also seems to be with a consideration to get the maximum roll increasing the water flow over the foils in the water. This is what I'm trying to come to grips with.
 
bjmoose said:
I suppose that's true. But realize that most of my racing has been done in heavier boats less influenced by kinetics.

So if I trim a J/24 in response to a shift, it's to optimise the wind flow over the airfoil (sail)

If I trim a laser downwind in response to a puff, it also seems to be with a consideration to get the maximum roll increasing the water flow over the foils in the water. This is what I'm trying to come to grips with.
Click to expand...

I bet on the J24 the crew also moves around a bit to maximize righting moment, or help to better balance the helm on the runs, etc.

I had the opportunity to race both the Senior AND Master Worlds in Halifax. In the Senior Worlds I had the ideal position to view the fleet on the runs (ie near the back) and in the Master Worlds we "collided" with another fleet in a few races. I can say there is no comparison between the two, the old guys (and I bet that includes me) look like immovable objects on their boats compared to the Olympic wannabes. In both cases the judges are keeping a keen eye so it was instructive to see how much body movement, when done properly I guess, is ok when sailing downwind in medium breeze and waves.

In talking to some of the guys on the US Sailing Team I think the mantra is to use the roll to turn the boat (the two must be connected) with the main idea to reduce your actual turning of the helm while rapidly trimming the main to adjust for the angle to the wind. It sounds like pumping is secondary to this program.

Upwind is, I think, where the line gets more blurry. It can be really fast to get the leach to flick at the right moment and it doesn't take a lot of movement to get that to happen, so I think the judges have to work pretty hard to call this one. But, again, not many old guys seem to have this mastered.
 
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