cabalar
New Member
Last weekend I was in a multiclass regatta with an average wind of 12 knots but many waves and a total path of 6 miles.
In the longest leg (upwind) I just couldn't manage to get speed enough and I don't know why it was so difficult to me. To put an example, I was clearly overtaken by a vaurien (it took me like 4 or 5 minutes of advantage!).
I have the feeling that the wind was stronger than 12 knots during this leg (I could see many white horses) and after some time hiking and fighting with the waves I felt physically "broken". I guess I did many things wrong, but could anybody suggest which of the following should I try to improve first?
1) When being so tired: should I give more importance to a proper "wave-driving" than to hike and keep the boat flat? In the beginning I payed more attention to this, but in the end, I just begun "ignoring" the waves.
2) In these conditions, should I just cleat the main and head up when a gust is coming instead of trying to keep the boat flat without changing the direction?
3) or perhaps, should I have given more priority to depower the sail as much as possible? As a matter of fact, I had some problems with the outhaul and the vang and they weren't completely tight...
What could be the main factor explaining this really poor performance?
It's a bit discouraging because it was really hard for me hiking, while the guys in the vaurien were there just sitting and talking as in a picnic, you know?
In a second race, the wind came down to 8 knots and we had a standard and smaller windward-leeward field. Then things went much better and I ended third.
Thank's in advance for any suggestion.
--- Pedro
In the longest leg (upwind) I just couldn't manage to get speed enough and I don't know why it was so difficult to me. To put an example, I was clearly overtaken by a vaurien (it took me like 4 or 5 minutes of advantage!).
I have the feeling that the wind was stronger than 12 knots during this leg (I could see many white horses) and after some time hiking and fighting with the waves I felt physically "broken". I guess I did many things wrong, but could anybody suggest which of the following should I try to improve first?
1) When being so tired: should I give more importance to a proper "wave-driving" than to hike and keep the boat flat? In the beginning I payed more attention to this, but in the end, I just begun "ignoring" the waves.
2) In these conditions, should I just cleat the main and head up when a gust is coming instead of trying to keep the boat flat without changing the direction?
3) or perhaps, should I have given more priority to depower the sail as much as possible? As a matter of fact, I had some problems with the outhaul and the vang and they weren't completely tight...
What could be the main factor explaining this really poor performance?
It's a bit discouraging because it was really hard for me hiking, while the guys in the vaurien were there just sitting and talking as in a picnic, you know?
In a second race, the wind came down to 8 knots and we had a standard and smaller windward-leeward field. Then things went much better and I ended third.
Thank's in advance for any suggestion.
--- Pedro