Light air sailing

L'Angostino

New Member
Well, lightweights should be happy when in a race it doesn´t blow much, but what about us the heavies? I strongly support the idea that no matter yor weight ,technique is all.
However, from two important regattas I´ve lost many many places during the light wind races, so, what could I do to improve light air sailing??
 
ALWAYS keep the boat to leeward. Just alittle. Tacks, jibs, and mark roundings are everything. First, roll to leeward so the boat starts turning by its self, then slowly come over and roll. On a good tack, you can gain 1-2 boatlengths. Clear air is the one of the most important things.
 
Light air roll tacks and jibes are key. Practice these more than your buddies, and you will beat them every time. Sit forward in the boat. I mean way forward. Upwind, put your butt on the daggerboard. This will help with keeping comfy whilst going upwind, also will make it easier to keep leeward heel on, as you are fwd of max beam. Downwind, let your boom out past 90 degrees so that you can sail by the lee w/ windward heel. If its really light, use a masthead wind indicator to keep aneye on shifts. Lastly, sit still. very still.........
 
ALWAYS keep the boat to leeward. Just alittle. Tacks, jibs, and mark roundings are everything. First, roll to leeward so the boat starts turning by its self, then slowly come over and roll. On a good tack, you can gain 1-2 boatlengths. Clear air is the one of the most important things.

If you are gaining 1 to 2 boat lengths on every tack you should retire from the race or do your 720 cause you just broke rule 42 for sure.

Sadly after retuning from racing in other classes I find that the Laser fleet pays little if any attention to rule 42
 
If you don't want to use an established technique long cherished by the class, don't. but the rule says not faster thsn when you went into the tack. if other people have bad tacks, and you have good tacks, whose fault is that? not losing speed is the name of the game, its not as though he said tack every time you feel slow to accelerate. Sure, laser sailors push rule 42, but if you want to protest, get out your radar gun......
 
If you don't want to use an established technique long cherished by the class, don't. but the rule says not faster thsn when you went into the tack. if other people have bad tacks, and you have good tacks, whose fault is that? not losing speed is the name of the game, its not as though he said tack every time you feel slow to accelerate. Sure, laser sailors push rule 42, but if you want to protest, get out your radar gun......

If you leave the tack at the same speed as you entered you don't pick up 2 boat lengths on the guy who did not tack. I can play the roll tack for no reason game and have after a couple of ignored infractions by others...and its not that long standing a tradition less than 10 years ago it was not as wide spread as it is now. Consider rule 42 obliterated not pushed. If I need a radar gun to prove that rule 42 is broken so much for honesty and integrity in the sport.

But hey I can play the game too. Thats Rock & Roll EH!
 
If you leave the tack at the same speed as you entered you don't pick up 2 boat lengths on the guy who did not tack. I can play the roll tack for no reason game and have after a couple of ignored infractions by others...and its not that long standing a tradition less than 10 years ago it was not as wide spread as it is now
I rolltacked harder 10 years ago as college sailor. Roll tacks and jibes have been a staple of dinghy sailing since I started sailing opti in 1992. I'm not just a laser sailor, roll tacks are the rule, not the exception in every dinghy class. To me, 4 pumps per wave is a much bigger infraction than a good roll tack. Granted, your point about not gaining on the guy who didn't tack can't be questioned. But if you tacked for a good reason, like a header or layline etc, that other guy probably should have tacked too.

Sure, laser sailors push rule 42, but if you want to protest, get out your radar gun......
I think I owe you an apology for the tone of my radar gun response. I was merely trying to illustrate that the wording of the rule is so nitpicking as to be unenforceable(sp?) You must admit, since we don't know how fast we were going before we tacked, how can you say a boat accelerated?If its flagrant, of course say something. If its a little faster than before to your eye, I'd say you need to be very sure before you call somebody out.

Consider rule 42 obliterated not pushed. If I need a radar gun to prove that rule 42 is broken so much for honesty and integrity in the sport.
I consider myself a honest sportsman and a follower of the rules. If i commit a foul under any part of the rules, I do my turns or retire.
 
If you slowly come up into wind, you don't lose much speed in light airs so for a few seconds you are going straight into the wind instead of 45 degrees to the wind.
Therefore you gain extra distance without needing to come out of a tack faster then when you went in!
 
If you slowly come up into wind, you don't lose much speed in light airs so for a few seconds you are going straight into the wind instead of 45 degrees to the wind.
Therefore you gain extra distance without needing to come out of a tack faster then when you went in!

I think I read in Buddy Melges' book to divide your tack into thirds (with regard to the helm): Turn up slowly at first (as you suggested), then turn quickly through the part where you're pointing the most into the wind, then finish off by slowly coming down to your final course
 
I'm a roll tacker and like Mlemueix I can't do it like I could 10 years ago. However, roll tacking can't out pace good tactics and good boat speed in light air. It's really a pretty small part of the big picture of a light air race.
 
roll tacking can't out pace good tactics and good boat speed in light air. It's really a pretty small part of the big picture of a light air race.
Thats the truth.... you can't win a race no matter how good your boathandling is if you're on the wrong side of every leg and your max boatspeed isn't what it should be. Get a good book and work on your control positioning would be a good thing. I suppose we should have mentioned that first :rolleyes: Thanks for pointing out the oversight Rob. I suppose the heavyweight nature of the question started us down the rule 42 road.....
 
your tiller movement should also be rediciously small, espessially going through a tack/gybe. use your body to move your boat, not ur rudder!
 

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