Skipper Johnson
New Member
We'll, thank you all for your advice regarding how to sail in 25knots +. I diligently read all of your wise advice and then promptly forgot everything in the race. In hindsight, I should have excepted Jimmy's advice - ie stay on shore in the bar.
Anyway, I knew things were not going to go too well after my first capsize. I know, you're thinking capsizing is not unusual in Laser sailing. The trouble is, this capsize happened while I was still rigging the boat on the dolly! I had accidentally cleated the main, was leaning down attaching the vang when - boom the wind shifted and over I went on top of the poor guy setting up next to me. That guy was Herman, the same one who I nearly ran down about 3 races ago. Herman (who must have the patience of a saint) helped me get the boat on the dolly.
My second capsize happened as I was launching the boat. I have this thing in my brain when I am about to sail. It automatically switches off the ability to hear the common sense voice inside your head. Normally, I would have heard Mr Commonsense saying "Excuse me Skip, you have yet to actually start sailing and have already capsized twice, is it possible you are not yet sufficiently skilled to handle 25 - 30 knots?"
Huh? Did somebody say something? Nope, time to go sailing Skipper.
I wont bore you with the rest of the details of various capsizes (including the one where I ran into the buoy and broke my wind vain) but suffice to say I came last, but did finish. The wind would not have been so bad if it was coming from the same direction but because it was so shifty and gusty it was hard to hike with conviction because a moment later you would be over to windward.
Upsides? I did have one screaming reach where the boat seemed to hum and I made up an amazing amount of distance. And funnily enough I never capsized when gybing. I think this had a lot to do with previous advice that said make sure you have speed before gybing, which for a beginner is a bit counter-intuitive.
Downsides. Going to windward was a nightmare. I basically spent the whole time pinching way too close and was in irons a few times when tacking.
I'll put it down to the great learning book of experience. Here's hoping next week is under 20Knts!
Anyway, I knew things were not going to go too well after my first capsize. I know, you're thinking capsizing is not unusual in Laser sailing. The trouble is, this capsize happened while I was still rigging the boat on the dolly! I had accidentally cleated the main, was leaning down attaching the vang when - boom the wind shifted and over I went on top of the poor guy setting up next to me. That guy was Herman, the same one who I nearly ran down about 3 races ago. Herman (who must have the patience of a saint) helped me get the boat on the dolly.
My second capsize happened as I was launching the boat. I have this thing in my brain when I am about to sail. It automatically switches off the ability to hear the common sense voice inside your head. Normally, I would have heard Mr Commonsense saying "Excuse me Skip, you have yet to actually start sailing and have already capsized twice, is it possible you are not yet sufficiently skilled to handle 25 - 30 knots?"
Huh? Did somebody say something? Nope, time to go sailing Skipper.
I wont bore you with the rest of the details of various capsizes (including the one where I ran into the buoy and broke my wind vain) but suffice to say I came last, but did finish. The wind would not have been so bad if it was coming from the same direction but because it was so shifty and gusty it was hard to hike with conviction because a moment later you would be over to windward.
Upsides? I did have one screaming reach where the boat seemed to hum and I made up an amazing amount of distance. And funnily enough I never capsized when gybing. I think this had a lot to do with previous advice that said make sure you have speed before gybing, which for a beginner is a bit counter-intuitive.
Downsides. Going to windward was a nightmare. I basically spent the whole time pinching way too close and was in irons a few times when tacking.
I'll put it down to the great learning book of experience. Here's hoping next week is under 20Knts!
