Two Questions - Reaching Legs And Book

P

PlaneSailing

Member
Hi - looking for a little help please ....

There is a hand book about Lasers - very thorough, guidelines on just about everything from rigging, upwind, downwind, tactics and weather. I don't think this was published nor is for sale, you just download it as a PDF. I believe it was written in the 1990's or early 2000's. I had it a few years ago, but can't remember how to get it or author's name - appreciate any suggestions. Possibly Australian, but not sure.

Second question - the above book had a section on reaching tactics in relation to whether you were in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. I think the book suggested it was better go low on starboard reach, but the opposite after gybing onto port in the N. Hemisphere. Does this make even the slightest sense to anyone?!!

Thanks!
 
PlaneSailing said:
Second question - the above book had a section on reaching tactics in relation to whether you were in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. I think the book suggested it was better go low on starboard reach, but the opposite after gybing onto port in the N. Hemisphere. Does this make even the slightest sense to anyone?!!

Thanks!
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If marks are being rounded to port, then the suggestions above make sense in that they will put you inside of the boats around you at the next mark (although other factors could influence the decision as to whether to go or high or low too.) But I can't imagine why it would matter which hemisphere you are in!
 
Tillerman said:
If marks are being rounded to port, then the suggestions above make sense in that they will put you inside of the boats around you at the next mark (although other factors could influence the decision as to whether to go or high or low too.) But I can't imagine why it would matter which hemisphere you are in!
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Hi Tillerman - many thanks.
I managed to find the book! It's called "A laser Training Manual" by John Anderson. I haven't had much time to look at in detail - it's about 100 pages long - but if you are interested in the Hemisphere stuff, there is a chapter on reaching which includes the impact of true wind tending to back in S. Hemisphere gusts, and whether it is a good idea to stray from the rhumb line according to which tack you are on. He seems to conclude that it is better to go high (gusts) and low (lulls) on starboard tack, but on port reaches to stay close to the RL. I think I'll have another look at this later .... and then turn it all upside down for the N. Hemisphere. Let sleeping dogs lie!
 
I would suggest going high in the lulls and low in the gusts on a reach for max vmg regardless of which tack you're on, you want to head down when you have the extra power in your sail because in the lull you'll be sailing faster when you head up

I think its more the location of where you're sailing than the hemisphere, different places have different wind patterns but the same laws of physics still apply,
 
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