Lake Racing

J

JacksonAUS

New Member
Well I attended a regatta on the Hazelwood pondage today, which is a man made lake. The lake was built to collect water for cooling the generators of a main powerplant in Melbourne. This is my first experience of lake sailing, and one of my first races in a large Laset fleet. 23 Lasers competed over the 3 day event, we had our own start which was good.

Here's my question, does anybody have any tips for inland lake sailing? The lake was only as big as the race course and at times was very difficult to sail. There were so many wind shifts, and the amounts of gusts and luls amazed me. There was no consistent breeze compared to what i usually experience on the bay, and no waves either. Anyone got any tips?
 
I sail in a lake-based racing club. Although our lake seems a bit bigger than yours (30 km. long), the same challenges exist for many lake sailors.

Chances are, you won't have some of the big-wave problems experienced by ocean sailors (boat meets wave face, boat ejects captain). Instead, you will have to deal with winds that change directions constantly; that gust at the very worst times (halfway through a tack, for example); or that die just when you are 30 m. from the finish line!

The good news about lake sailing (in my experience, anyway) is that it rewards experience and subtlety. Many of the sailors in my club are elderly and are using equipment that isn't up-to-date. But these sailors are competative because their experience helps them thrive in the changeable conditions.

Have fun!
 
IMHO, in small closed courses with lot of shifts and velocity changes, it's much more important to focus on:

1. Good start - that means on the line and free to tack at the very first shift
2. Forget about trying to get the last bit of speed by tweaking controls, it's more important to get your head out of the boat to look around for puffs and windshifts.
3. Boat handling becomes more important, you are typically tacking and gyping more
4. Stay in phase with the shifts.
 
All the points made so far are spot on. One additional item to pay attention to is local effects. On most of the lakes here in the US Midwest there is a part (or parts) of the lake with a shifted wind pattern for every wind direction. Usually, it's caused by the local geography, and since you're never far from land on a small lake the tactical importance is magnified. Knowing the patterns can be absolutely essential to doing well. Sometimes it's quite a well known effect (ex. the "race for the bluffs" on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin), other times they can be more subtle. If you have the chance, ask the local sailors. Otherwise, I try and identify all the locals (esp. the better ones) and keep an eye on what they're doing.

Keeping your head out of the boat is absolutely key. Often you will find that lifts and headers are as important as sailing towards the next puff. Seeing the puff is the first step. Really good lake sailors will often know that the puff they're sailing to is a lift or header and will sometimes tack/gybe before they get to it because they see how it's moving across the lake, and know it will get to them in a few seconds. Conversely, sometimes you have to sail quite a bit into a puff (on a header!) so that when you tack you don't sail straight out of it.

Have fun!

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
I have learned to stay away from the shore (wind shadows due to trees) and stay a little (just a little) farther forward in the boat. Other than that, watch the wind!!
 
I am from Calgary Alberta Canada and almost all of my sailing is done on tiny prarie lakes. Each lake is different but the most i can say is get in the heavier air. because the breeze is mostly uneven due to geography, it mostly pays to be in the air over the shifts. Watch out for velocity shifts, which is where there is a change in your speed so your apparrent wind shifts so it feels like your being headed but you actually arent. either use a compass or stay on the new tack for at least 5-6 seconds to see if your pointing/speed returns. on most of the lakes that i sail on there is usually a lift coming off of the shore, so watch out for that. Downwind you just need to sail by the lee one way, gybe and sail to the mark. When it is too windy, you dont foot off like you do in waves but you pinch to gain height. I always got screwed when i went to wavey places cuz id be pinching and everyone else would be powering over the waves.
 
hey,
when i sail i do ok in the light to medium winds but when waves start to build i totally get screwed what are some good ways to sail in waves?
 
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