Weight versus performance

B

bigboned

New Member
Hi there,
I would like to hear comments from some of the heavier laser sailors (or even
observations from others) about performance limitations in their sailing.
I weigh 100+kgs/220+pds and find that I am hardly competitive these days upwind
in anything below 10-12knots
No matter how I set the sail (foot quite loose,little cunningham,almost no vang,
mainsheet not bock-to-block,etc) I cannot seem to point or even match the speed
of guys below 82-83kgs/180pds.
I was watching some of the Olympic squad this weekend (6 contenders) and was
perplexed by their setups.
One or two guys had heaps of foot (cunningham did ot look too tight) and then others
had much less foot and a reasonable amount of cunningham.
Even worse,the top guy seemed to have his main block-to-block all the time (magic boat handling).
Yet all of them seemed to perform very close to one another.
I do not expect to emulate these guys but it is hard to concentrate on tactics when
worrying about basic boat speed.

Thanks for your feedback

 
this corresponds to your question on telltails too:

Weight makes a huge difference, more than sail trimming - within reason. The proof of that is in your own observations. The more foot you have, the more power you have to either push through waves or carry that extra weight. It will get to a point however that you leave efficient shape behind. Exactly where that point is will become clear during practice and experimentation. The less cunningham you have, the higher you will be able to point, but the draft of your sail slips backwards too, just like adding more foot, but in a less extreme manner. This may not be such a problem for you because you have the weight to counteract the sudden increase in the tendancy of the boat to heel - literally becoming overpowered.

Three leech tell tails: one just below each batten

One near the head on the sail.

Two inside the first third of the luff just above the window.

Then go and play. I've tried putting many more telltails on the sail, just like a stayed rig, but only those few tell you anything useful.

Lastly, though the laser sail is a reasonably blunt instrument, bear in mind that you can make small adjustments, not just yank this and yank that. Small adjustments also increase speed dramatically.


Spend a lot of time practicing and experimenting. I do, and the results in speed increase are sometimes huge. :D
 
i'm short... 168cm and weigh about 60kg and sail a radial, its hard work when the wind picks up, otherwise its pretty fun... i think you'd have fun in the radial...

to everyone else: how do you put on weight in terms of muscle mass? not having much success gaining weight...
 
I've found that once you break the 200+ Lb barrier you are at a big disadvantage. Like you I was around 217+ last year and just had no boat speed. This spring I lost a little over 20 lbs and have gained my competitive edge back. I also trained in the gym a bit to help endurance. This sring I've been at the top of our 20+ boat fleet and have not yet finished worse than 2nd.
 
what kind of excercises do you do to gain weight and to help endurance? currently i cycle and run whenever i can for the endurance part, and do chin ups at the local bar.
Rob B said:
I've found that once you break the 200+ Lb barrier you are at a big disadvantage. Like you I was around 217+ last year and just had no boat speed. This spring I lost a little over 20 lbs and have gained my competitive edge back. I also trained in the gym a bit to help endurance. This sring I've been at the top of our 20+ boat fleet and have not yet finished worse than 2nd.
Click to expand...
 
"what kind of excercises do you do to gain weight?"

I simply waited until I was 30ish and one day I woke up a bit fat.:(
Seriously, all you can do is increase your muscle mass a little with regular excercise and pick the right rig for your weight.
I think you're asking the wrong crowd here.;) We're all trying to lose it.
 
clouser_minnow said:
i'm short... 168cm and weigh about 60kg and sail a radial, its hard work when the wind picks up, otherwise its pretty fun... i think you'd have fun in the radial...

to everyone else: how do you put on weight in terms of muscle mass? not having much success gaining weight...
Click to expand...


If this guy is 220, a Radial is not for him, try a Finn

Minnow, how old are you? height and weigh will come soon enough if you are young, and be carefull in the gym, being young you can really hurt yourself if you push too far
 
clouser_minnow said:
i'm short... 168cm and weigh about 60kg and sail a radial, its hard work when the wind picks up, otherwise its pretty fun... i think you'd have fun in the radial...

to everyone else: how do you put on weight in terms of muscle mass? not having much success gaining weight...
Click to expand...

i went from 64kg in a full rig to 76kg over the winter, uve got to do loads of exercise (high weight low repetitions) but also eat loads. Easier said than done. Ur probably asking at the wrong place for specifics on gaining weight, ud be better off asking on a health forum or something similar. Gd luck!
oh and about ur age, most people say that u shouldnt lift heavy weights until ur over 16, but still then ur young so make sure u dont push urself too much. Or you could just sail a 4.7??
L
 
Hi Chainsaw,

thanks for your comments and suggestions.
I normally forsake the winter season sailing due to the light winds but
figure it is now or never to get this sorted out.

Good sailing
Bigboned
 
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