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Harwich High School Sailing Skills

Outline by Coach Dickson; edited by Coach Leach

Goals:

  1. Boat speed development
  2. Sail adjustments
  3. Boat handling
  4. Fleet Race Skills
  5. Team Racing skills
  6. Rules knowledge
Boat Speed Boat Handling Fleet Racing Skills Downwind with Spinnakers Mark Traps Team Gybe Mark
Fleet Racing SkillsOffwind sailingStarting Sailing in Current Passbacks Second Reach Mark
Light Wind 720s, 360s Turns Fleet Upwind Team Tactics Defensive Moves Leeward Mark
Moderate Wind Capsizing Mark Rounding Winning Combos Team Starting Upwind Rounding
Heavy Wind Downwind1st Upwind Team1st Reach Mark Last Upwind
Planning/Practice The Finish

Boat Speed:

    Upwind Sailing
  1. tiller trim
  2. mainsheet adjustment
  3. weight balance
  4. ease/hike/trim
  5. driving/pinching
  6. adjustments for windspeed
  7. crew weight/jib adjustments
  8. boom vang/cunningham/jib luff/main halyard
  9. trapeze skills
    Offwind sailing

    i. sets
    ii. flying
    iii. gybes
    iv. takedowns
    v. flying on the trapeze

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    Sail Adjustments:

      Light Wind
      1. moderately tight jib wire
      2. loose cunningham
      3. moderately loose main halyard
      4. tight outhaul (keep slot open)
      5. loose vang
      6. loose main
      7. moderately loose jib trim

      Moderate Wind

      1. tight jibwire
      2. some cunningham (release downwind)
      3. moderately tight main halyard
      4. moderate outhaul (watch slot)
      5. vang slack at upwind trim (adjust downwind)
      6. moderate main trim – adjust for windspeed
      7. tight jib trim – windward sheeting

      Heavy Wind

      1. moderately loose jibwire
      2. tight cunningham (release downwind)
      3. tight main halyard
      4. tight outhaul
      5. tight vang (loosen some downwind – watch slot)
      6. alternating main trim – keep as tight as possible with a flat boat
      7. tight jib trim
      8. KEEP THE BOAT FLAT!! HIIIIKE!!!!!!!!

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    Boat Handling:

      Roll tacks
      1. pinching into the tack
      2. let tiller drift to 45 degrees, don’t push over
      3. quiet flat tack to head to wind
      4. synchronized weight movement to outer old windward rail
      5. flatten with sail trim
      6. light wind – crew stay to leeward, skipper flatten
      7. moderate wind – crew to middle, skipper flatten
      8. moderately heavy wind – flatten together
      9. heavy wind – no roll, just wait until boom crosses to switch sides

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      Roll gybes

      1. heel boat to windward
      2. crew move to windward side, bringing jib around mast to wing
      3. little tiller movement
      4. let boat carve until by the lee
      5. pull main across
      6. skipper moves to windward to flatten (crew to middle?)
      7. trim main as the boat flattens

      Gybes with spinnaker:

      1. skipper takes sheets
      2. crew releases pole from mast as boat bears off
      3. crew throws main across, as skipper pulls chute to leeward
      4. crew sets pole for new tack
      5. crew takes sheets

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      720s, 360s Turns (spins)

      1. when upwind, a good roll tack first, heel to windward and keep jib in to help turn down, good roll gybe, use heel and main trim to help head up (repeat)
      2. when downwind, a good roll gybe first, then continue as above
      3. make sure you sail clear of other boats before starting
      4. don’t use too much tiller, good smooth turns are faster
      5. when in doubt, spin (usually)

      Capsizing

      1. try to have skipper or crew on centerboard before mast hits water
      2. DON’T climb over rail after mast hits water, let go and swim around
      3. check if skipper and crew are OK
      4. if turtled, both stand on rail holding centerboard to pull it to perpendicular
      5. swim the boat so that the wind and waves are helping not hurting
      6. don’t drive the mast into the mud
      7. lighter person swim to the cockpit and grab the upper hiking strap
      8. release boomvang and jibsheets
      9. person on centerboard pull the boat up – using jib sheet if necessary
      10. crew balance boat to prevent recapsize

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    Fleet Racing Skills:

      Starting
      1. timing sequences
      2. dinghy starts
      3. favored end
      4. upwind plan
      5. playing off other boats – pinch off above, hole below
      6. getting off the line – first 20 seconds
      7. calling the line

      Fleet Upwinds

      1. staying in the cone – exceptions
      2. staying on tack heading closer to the mark
      3. reading the water
      4. staying on the lifted tack
      5. clear air
      6. covering
      7. lay lines

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      Mark Roundings

      1. Upwind – starboard approach, hiking around the mark
      2. Gybe – breaking overlaps, coming out high on second reach
      3. Leeward – wide then close, hike ahead of the round up

      Downwind

      1. protecting wind
      2. avoiding the banana
      3. up in lulls, down in puffs

      Downwind with Spinnakers

      1. spinnaker handling
      2. clear air
      3. looking for wind
      4. staying in puffs
      5. gybing on shifts on true downwind

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      Sailing in current

      1. starts
      2. laylines
      3. markroundings
      4. favorable v. adverse v. sideways current

    Team Race Tactics:

      Know the winning/team racing combinations!

        Winning and very comfortable

        123,124,125,126

      1. Winning and comfortable, but they can try to wreak havoc

        2. 134,234

      2. Winning, but can be team raced

        3. 135,136,145,235

      3. Losing, but can team race, two of our boats ahead of two of theirs

        4. 146,236,245,246

      4. Losing, but our lead boat can try to wreak havoc to reshuffle the deck

        5. 156,256

      5. Losing and hurting, all you can do is chase and try to get into second

    345,346,356,456

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      Mark traps

      1. idea is to pass back an opponent to let a teammate through
      2. get into two boatlength circle clear ahead
      3. get into safety position before getting to the mark – with enough room to accelerate and maneuver
      4. force the opponent to windward of you, then accerate and take them off the course
      5. once out of the two boatlength circle, reentry sets up a new situation
      6. try not to lose the boat you’re taking out

      Passbacks

      1. the essential skill of team racing is slowing down an opponent to let a teammate by and improve the team’s position, especially upwind
      2. upwind – position yourself directly upwind of your opponent, within 2 ½ overall lengths, then release the jib to disturb the air for the opponent
      3. watch for, and react instantly to tacks by the boat you are trying to slow down – a tacking duel will also effectively slow them down
      4. make sure you do not release the jib when they are not in your wind shadow, or you may lose the boat, don’t let them get bow out on you, drive over them if you have the room
      5. the teammate who is being passed forward should sail clear and fast around the two engaged boats then when they are ahead, come back and consolidate position
      6. when you need a passback, don’t wait!! – start the passback early, sail back to the boat if necessary
      7. downwind – slow down to force the boat to overlap with you – if they go above, take them to the moon, teammate sails straight to the mark – if they go below, overtrim your main to slow them down, teammate sails by to windward

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      Defense

      1. when being teamraced, keep four things in mind – keep sailing the boat as fast as possible to finish as soon as possible despite the opponent, do to them what they do to you, get help from a teammate when you can, and look for openings to pass the boat that is slowing you down
      2. since they are trying to slow you down, it is critical that you keep sailing fast and boathandling well, this will make the passback harder for them
      3. the best approach is to do to the opponent behind you what the opponent ahead is trying to do to you, for example:

    i. if the opponent ahead sets a mark trap for you, set a mark trap for the boat behind by positioning yourself just astern and above the opponent (within the 2 boatlength circle), if you can force the boat behind to overlap you before you overlap the boat ahead then they the boat behind may not get by
      1. if the opponent ahead tries an upwind passback, cover the boat they are trying to pass ahead of you – keep them behind as long as you can, even if they eventually get by, you will have slowed two of their boats down for a longer period
      1. you need to communicate with your teammates, your teammate ahead can come back and cover/trap the boat slowing you down to release you (and then pass you by), but if this would allow the opponent behind to get by all of you, your teammate should cover that boat and slow it down so that you may still beat it despite the slow down
      2. the next best thing to do is to beat the boat that is slowing you down – on a mark trap let them carry you well outside two boatlengths, then tack for the mark and try to be inside overlapped when you both reapproach the mark – on an upwind passback, try to get clear air – nose out then if you can pull even you can begin to pinch them off and pass them
      3. keep in mind, communication with your teammates is critical, they need to know if you need help, if you can beat the passback, if the passback won’t hurt you, etc.
      4. the best way to help your defense is to anticipate what the opponents are going to do and plan your response ahead – so the crew knows to put the centerboard down, trim the jib, etc., a mark trap or passback should never take you by surprise

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      Team Racing Starts

      1. separate fleets until 2 minutes
      2. talk to your teammates!!
      3. geographic – boats at boat, middle, pin
      4. if a favored line, spread boats on favored side of line
      5. tailing their best boat
      6. defending against a tail
      7. trading positions at 30 seconds
      8. winning your spot
      9. starting to leeward of the other team
      10. speed off the line
      11. pinching off
      12. clear air

      First upwind

      1. cover when ahead, split when behind
      2. trade covers instead of ducking each other or forcing teammate to tack
      3. avoid bad splits
      4. get to mark ASAP (sort of fleet race)
      5. COMMUNICATE! (crews can do most of the talking)
      6. use laylines to slow other team – gas them! – maximize lead

      Upwind mark

      1. usually round with speed
      2. can set mark trap when it can help two teammates (usually lose the boat you trap)
      3. talk to teammates for strategy

      First Reach

      1. chase boat ahead
      2. try to get leeward overlap for room
      3. keep clear air
      4. if boat goes above – take him to the moon if it helps the team

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      Gybe mark

      1. good time for a mark trap
      2. set the trap with bow approaching mark in safety position on starboard
      3. take them as far out as necessary
      4. when the tack, make sure you do a good quick gybe, don’t let them get buoy room
      5. protect high after the gybe, or try to climb over them

      Second Reach

      1. keep air clear, don’t let anyone ride over you
      2. try to separate distance by taking advantage of puffs
      3. attack behind if in a team racing position – overtrim the main, force a leeward overlap, then gas them
      4. watch gybing tactics at the end of the leg

      Leeward mark

      1. good time for a mark trap, can set it either way, on starboard to create havoc, on port to force them to sail around into your gas – pass a teammate forward
      2. get around with good speed

      Last Upwind

      1. if winning, cover!, try to force them out to the laylines, communicate, avoid attempts as much as possible to slow you down
      2. if winning but teamraceable, keep cover close and slow them down, try to cover close to release a teammate
      3. if losing but team raceable, execute passbacks, release our last boat and let them sail past – keep close cover to finish
      4. if losing without passback option, engage in tacking duels, keep race in the center of the course, try to get into teamraceable position
      5. talk to your teammates to see if they need help, if you’re being passed back into a losing combination, you need help!

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      Finish

      1. if needed, use layline traps to pass teammates up
      2. if ahead, talk to teammates before finishing
      3. don’t do anything stupid – you’ve worked this hard

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    PLANNING/PRACTICE

    Rules:

      Read and discuss the rules

    Drills/Activities:

      Boat speed development

    1. straight line sailing
    2. rabbit start/drag race
    3. long windward/leewards

      Sail adjustments

    1. onshore practice
    2. on-the-water adjustments
    3. handicapping – faster boats set up wrong
    4. rudderless sailing without a rudder

      Boat handling

    1. tacking/gybing/360/720 on the whistle
    2. races with required tacks/gybes/360s
    3. obstacle course

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      Fleet Race Skills

    1. practice starts
    2. starts on a third of the line
    3. starts luffing from 30à 10, suspended whistle
    4. long course practice races
    5. sailing in current
    6. spinnaker triangles

      Team Racing skills

    1. 2 on 1 drill – warm-up
    2. short triangle – mark trap practice
    3. 236 drill – off line-up start, at weather mark, or reset at all marks
    4. 3 on 2 (automatic 1)
    5. 2 on 2 – last place loses

      Rules knowledge

    1. instant judging
    2. shore review

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    A Team v. B Team

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