Hi Everyone,
As I've posted before, the majority of my sunfish racing is on small NE + midwest lakes with light/flukey summer breeze. Most afternoon breezes build to 8-10 knots but, more often than not, we're racing in unpredictable 4-7 knot breeze.
Yes, it's as much fun as it sounds...
That said, it's been a while since anyone has posted tuning/handling strategy for these conditions. Beyond the standard tuning guide advice (power up sail with halyard and gooseneck adjustments, etc) would be curious if anyone has personalized strategies that have worked for them?
Some of my thoughts that haven't been fully tested:
-Going with less (or an older, smaller) centerboard Doubt that would help; the newer boards have a nicer shape
-Cautious not to oversheet (boom never within the back corners of the transom) Yes!
-Heeling to leeward (vs sailing it flat) Yes, so the sail will stay where you want it to be
-Running by the lee Downwind, yes
-Playing every puff (sail + course) vs minimizing rudder movement and flow disruption Also important. A very sensitive tell tale system (with magnetic tape) will help a lot
Aim for the next breeze/puff/whisper, independent of where the mark is. In other words, connect the puffs
Loose 20 lbs (just kidding!)
Once, when caught in a totally-windless stretch, I reached for what I'd been dying to try out. So I lit a stick of incense and held it up in the cockpit. The smoke traveled straight up, then dissipated into the sail area.more often than not, we're racing in unpredictable 4-7 knot breeze. Yes, it's as much fun as it sounds...
No practice too absurd - let's hear it!
L and VW, along those same lines, did you also know that the presence of a lot of metal in cars is why they get better gas mileage driving north, where the North Pole helps pull them, vs driving south, when the pole is trying to prevent them from moving?magnetic tape has iron in it, and, being magnetic, is "distracted" to Earth's magnetic field!
j/k
Well, stronger gale force winds can be called up
by...
1. Whistling Loudly.
2. Setting sail on Friday.
3. Insulting Poseidon in any manner.
4. Stirring your tea with a knife or fork.
5. Losing your hat overboard.
If you really want to trick the other racers, run your sheet through the block the wrong way so it clicks when it shouldn't and vice versa ;^)I heard that hotshot racers will turn off the ratchet when appropriate so as not to tell nearby competitors as to what they are doing (sheeting in or out).