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Hayling Island, Race 4: A light wind from the SW with cumulus building over the South Downs was the scene as the fleet beat out to the start. At the start itself, the Pathfinder was headed slightly on port as the wind began to drop. Looking to windward, there was clearly less wind on the left hand side of the beat. For a while it looked good for the late starters (including the Pathfinder). The wind was still heading on port and so a good proportion of the fleet tacked right, hoping (eventually) to get the starboard lift. It never came. Whilst these boats were still moving in the old breeze, a new wind filled in from the South - exactly where it always does at Hayling! However, because the old breeze refused to die on the right of the beat, the new breeze front took ages to track downwind. The early starters were now virtually all on port tack, being freed and were up to hull speed. By the time the late starters had crossed to the new breeze and to the windward mark, these leaders were way beyond the gybe mark. Then, as always happens on the South coast on a sea breeze day, the wind gradually veered and increased in strength. What lessons can be learnt from these 2 races? As Llandudno proved, sailors should always tack short of the layline in a new wind, having already tacked towards the favoured side of the beat. Then, if it continues to free they will have gained truck-loads. Even if it doesn't, they won't have lost anything and if the old breeze decides to make a comeback, they are in the right place to take advantage of it. By the way, this rule also applies in an ordinary steady sort of windbend beat - just like the ones you get for example on a sea breeze day at Looe. Then the tactic is to tack about 60% into the bend - although guessing where the 60% point is can be tricky!. As Hayling Island proved on a sea breeze day, sailors should always use the last vestige of the old dying breeze to tack towards the sea - towards the area where the wind is dying most. That is where the battle between the old and new winds is being fought and lost - usually by the old wind. Interestingly, this was beautifully demonstrated at the Cadet Worlds in Australia earlier this year when the morning land breeze died away to nothing. With a "wham" the sea breeze then filled in from the opposite side of the course and within seconds was up to force 4 in strength. Get left at any cost was the order of the day as the land breeze died, because once the sea breeze came in, those left hand boats could spinnaker plane into (what had been) the windward mark! 3.1.3 Windshift tracking before the start Although getting the most speed out of your boat is important when beating, massive gains can be made by reading the wind properly. Equally, distance can just as easily be lost by getting it wrong. As we all know, the wind is constantly changing in both speed and direction. These changes may be oscillating shifts which continually return to an average or mean direction, possibly at very regular intervals or they can be biased shifts where the mean direction is also changing, perhaps as it follows the sun in the course of a day. This is very common on sea breeze days, for example on the South Coast of England. There may also be massive sudden shifts which change the whole character of the race. Further complications occur as the wind bends around topographical features such as cliffs, hills, large buildings or trees. It can even change in direction as it leaves the land and blows across water. The key to understanding and using shifts to best advantage is observation and recording. If you want to pick up regular oscillating shifts or a gradual direction change, you need time and a constant reference point. 98
If you discover that you have shifts on top of an average direction, you can establish your best heading on port and starboard tacks when the wind is in the average direction, then ensure that during the race, you spend time on each tack according to thefavoured side of the shift (Fig.2). Easily the best reference is a compass but transits can be used on enclosed waters. A recording diagram shown in Fig. 1 is valuable but quite a time is needed to make a worthwhile survey.The object of the exercise is to take wind direction readings every five minutes. The simplest method is to go head to wind and when the boom is amidships read your compass course. Completing the form like Fig. 1 will show which of the various types of shift you are having to deal with. 99
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ayfarer Racing rig for racing racin
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2.7 Heavy air gybing tips .........
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1 Rig for racing 1 1.1. Hull, rudde
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1.2.3 forestay setup The forestay p
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All your numbers and settings regar
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eally light stuff, we have successf
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3 Now you can often just lay the wi
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Our lever is a HA 4192. It is doubl
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1.3.3 Boom outhaul Function of the
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1.3.4 Main cunningham 21 Our Cunnin
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Remember that you will point better
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1.3.6 The mainsheet 14 The main she
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We used to use a block with a becke
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kg (350-360 lb). By the same token,
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the mainsheet. 18 As this technique
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3 The final guide is that sometimes
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(!), put the mast back into its upr
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Upwind, we tighten the cunningham e
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Using a sheet that is no more than
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When going to windward in heavy air
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(6”) or so from the luff and away
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In a breeze, one particular problem
Page 47 and 48: 1.5. Spinnaker setup and controls 1
Page 49 and 50: The “balls” system requires a b
Page 51 and 52: The uphaul/downhaul is fastened to
Page 53 and 54: 4 correct pole height The pole heig
Page 55 and 56: Usually it is only necessary to adj
Page 57 and 58: from keelboats has been in-creasing
Page 59 and 60: Mainsheet • thickness: needs to b
Page 61: Breezy winds: spilling wind/overpow
Page 64 and 65: 2.2 Those last few seconds 26 Those
Page 66 and 67: Some sailors have the knack to do t
Page 68 and 69: If the mainsail is too flat, the le
Page 70 and 71: 2.5 The fine art of pinching 32 On
Page 72 and 73: ow is pushed to windward a bit and
Page 74 and 75: By the way, if the board is raised
Page 76 and 77: Oversheeting is in fact a major pro
Page 78 and 79: the beat. Once the boat is trimmed
Page 80 and 81: pole is wedged against the shroud o
Page 82 and 83: 4 That the long toe straps are as c
Page 84 and 85: should hold the boom out after the
Page 86 and 87: constant watch to windward, watchin
Page 88 and 89: 4 hoist as high as the sail will go
Page 90 and 91: 2.11.3 Miscellaneous manoeuvres In
Page 92 and 93: 2.12 The Beaufort Scale of Wind Spe
Page 95 and 96: 3 Weather, strategy & tactics 3.1 W
Page 97: Sea breezes occur when the air temp
Page 101 and 102: Don't forget also, that you must co
Page 103 and 104: enormous. You'll be ahead of the pa
Page 105 and 106: current. Interestingly, it is only
Page 107 and 108: In any case that extra distance to
Page 109 and 110: 4 General Racing Tips from the Expe
Page 111 and 112: With the mast fully chocked at deck
Page 113 and 114: Tactics So, having got your boat se
Page 115 and 116: 4.3 What not to do: how to lose a s
Page 117 and 118: Second Beat: Forget about the rest
Page 119 and 120: Annex 1 Wayfarer Class Rules & Cons
Page 121 and 122: REGISTRATION 3.1 The licensee is re
Page 123 and 124: d Mark IA G.R.P. construction. e +
Page 125 and 126: 12. BILGE KEELS 12.1 Length. 6’6
Page 127 and 128: 18. RUDDER BLADE 18.1 Material. Sha
Page 129 and 130: or (c) 5 ¾” +/- 1¼” (146 +/-
Page 131 and 132: 25.3 Weight correction. Hulls weigh
Page 133 and 134: (b) At a corner where there is more
Page 135 and 136: 33.5 Width measurements. Between th
Page 137 and 138: 35.7 Devices to adjust the position
Page 139: Annex 2 Adresses Websites Website U
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