Fast Reaches

S

Schmidty_AUS

New Member
Just wondering peoples oppinions to sailing fast on a reach. Im heavy for a radial (75kg) and am quick upwind and on the run. I lose it on the reaches. Neone got any tips for me ???

cheers
 
dont drink XXXX, that would help

seriously, im heavy too (i was about 76 at the youth worlds up there) and i found that sitting back a little bit and trying to induce planing works well
 
have a changeable weight, so that when ur goin upwind u weigh 75kg, but goin down the reaches u weigh like 50-60kg, now that would be great wouldnt it he he he.
 
nah, he's already 75 kg, if he used a weight jacket he would still be 75kg on the reaches, but if he could loose 15-20kg of the 75kg at the mark, that would be good! :p
 
make sure you have enough vang on and sail the rhumb line, also, in breeze you want to slightly overtrim when your planing so ur sail adjusts to the aparent wind
 
Hi,
I want to add Matt´s hints a bit:
don´t forget to open the bailer. The spray you get into the cockpit makes your boat havier and in reason of this a bit slower.
Don´t carry not needed heavy stuff on your boat around on the lake you sail on, make your boat and your self light.
Looking to "racing-rule 42", you are allowed (I think) to "pump" your sail !ONE! time each breeze + each wave you catch are surfing down. Move your body !ONE! time to compensate your boat-movement on each wave and try on this technique to hold the boat in "singing" and surfing on top speed. The higher your speed gets the more difficult it is, not "to play the violin" at least into a luff-capsizing, but much training will help to get the fine sense for it :)

Put your centerboard/daggerboard up a bit (1/4 - 1/3, if you are a hero: 1/2+), don´t forget the outhaul/cunningham to adjust.

Stay wet
LooserLu
 
At 75 Kilo's, I use a full rig. There aren't many races with reaches anymore, so it's harder to learn, that 10+ years ago, when all courses had triangles. But some ideas:

Sail Flat! so flat that you use no rudder at all, rock it over to bear off even. If in waves, pump the rudder and your body, then let the rudder run free to try to break onto a plane. Move in and out fast! and even forward and back, almost violently, if you are trying to break onto a plane. You should strive to use 2 fingers to hold the stick, so you sail with the least drag.

Fatten the sail up to get as much power as you can, AND keep the outer telltales going ALL the time, without spilling any wind. A stalled sail will stop you.

Forget the Rhumb line, sail up in the lulls, down in the puffs, whatever the velocity range. Also, stay high after the marks to try to get in the passing lane, then sail lower in 2nd half to work on being inside. Sail high after the Gybe mark. And use another boat to pass, as 2 can pass easier than one.

And practice those roll gybes!

Al Russell 66451
 
mattsterett said:
the offcial laser course is a trapezoid, with two reaches
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Where is that specifed? I just thumbed through the ILCA 2004 Handbook, and I didn't see anything about courses.

FWIW, it seems that windward-leeward courses are becoming more the norm these days. I know some classes still favor reaching legs (ex. the 505s with their 60 degree reaches), and I understand the reasons for their desirability (skill in marginal planing conditions, etc.). However, the increased tactical opportunities for playing the shifts and such in a dead-downwind leg seem to be winning out in many places.

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
i have never sailed a windward leeward course in a laser
the races at the North Americans, CORK, Canadian Youth Champs, were all trapezoids. Some of the smaller regattas use triangles because they're easier to set, but i have never sailed windward/leeward.
 
yep, go as fast as you can, decide whether you are going to go high or low in the first half of the reach leg, don't go along the rumb line. get up on a plane as fast as you can.
 
hey dave it's dave parker do u remember me. listen the only tip i can give you is work very hard. sailing above people if possible, if there are good sized waves sail high have your centre board up abit more than you normally would and attempt to surf the wave diagonally. i sounds weird but if you can learn to do it trust me it helps mate
 
Downwind demom said:
hey dave it's dave parker do u remember me. listen the only tip i can give you is work very hard. sailing above people if possible, if there are good sized waves sail high have your centre board up abit more than you normally would and attempt to surf the wave diagonally. i sounds weird but if you can learn to do it trust me it helps mate
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this may sound stupid but remember to use ur kicker
 
you already have enough 'clues' to go on---the rest requires rigging up and going sailing-----that's what it's ALL about..........REALLY!!!
 
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