Chicago Fleet Notes on T-Ten Racing
2009
Notes from March 19th meeting:
Steve:
An early comment from Steve was “you’re only as good as your worst person – this is totally a team sport”.
Thinks it is a good idea to get out early – it irks him that Tim (Rathbun) beats him out to the race course. For the NOOD – No mountain dew ! Studies the weather charts starting on Wed.
Spinnaker launch – Do not put the bag to the rail too early due to the risk of shrimping – they bag launch for the first launch then go out of the hatch. Hatch launching can be a problem as the whole sail has to go around the shrouds. Be efficient with weight and bring the bag up when on the high side.
Don:
We launch from the forward hatch (round hatch)
Steve:
Setting the pole while on port tack requires a LOT of practice! Try to minimize the mistakes and weigh the risk rewards with all decisions.
Downwind – Steve “The mast head fly is like a religion”, He sets the two flys at 150 degrees and uses them and the polars. Not a fan of the parades after rounding or people rolling has a tendency to gybe away for clean air
Steve – “If I don’t win – it’s a bad day – I had a lot of bad days last year”
Sail deep! Gybe away and gybe back to clear from people. Sailing is a great sport, downwind the person behind is controlling.
Don:
In light air the spinnaker trimmer does both sheet and guy together in the gybes, in heavier air it’s a two person job.
Steve:
In 20kts + the skipper has to be good. We once went from Point Betsy to MAC with no pole, the helmsperson is really driving the chute. You do not need the pole on a gybe. They always drop the pole early coming in towards the leeward mark. “I can make out in the puffs downwind – always play the shifts downwind.
Don :
Our trimmers move the pole around a lot for optimum spinnaker trim – we douse the chute into the forward hatch.
Steve:
ALWAYS a windward takedown on the port side, approach the mark wide and come in tight. The fleet has a
“Herd mentality”, avoid the herd, go for the least trouble. Have someone other than the driver who knows the rules very well.
Don:
“Starting is my weakest area, I am working on this”, Hiring someone to race with you (a pro) is very useful, we have learnt a lot from each one. It can upset the team harmonics so it’s better to do it on a regular race.. I am extremely focused…The crew is also focused a talking, giving information. Upwind there is a big balance between pinching and speed mode that is always being adjusted.
Sandy Wurtzbach: to Steve “Do you actually tell the crew you’re going to turn the boat – what a novel idea”
Steve: uses three methods for starting a) I min before the start circle the boat you should not be barging b) port tack and look for hole c) Make sure you have speed
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Notes from March 12th meeting:
Vince:
Most shifts in Chicago are persistent
If the whole fleet goes Left and you want to go Right, just stay Right of the fleet
Steer with your fingertips only, even in heavy air otherwise you’re slowing the boat down
I never use any vang off the wind- the main seems to want some twist
As the wind builds the inside jib telltale should lift or flutter, not stream
In heavy air move the jib car back to twist the jib and open the slot so you have room to drop the traveler
We don’t adjust the jib at all except to increase halyard tension and move the car back as the wind increases
Know where you want to be at 2 or 3 minutes before the gun
I don’t play the mainsheet, just the traveler and backstay
In a Southwest wind go to shore and play the shifts
Downwind, sail up just until the chute begins to lift, no higher
Up to 15 knots we don’t use a winch on the spin sheet, it interferes with your feel
Nancy
The backstay goes on, jib and main in, for pointing; out for speed. Alternate these settings to scallop up higher
Always separate from a leeward boat going upwind; their main will spill air to windward as well as leeward, disturbing your air
In heavy weather gibing put the jib up; it won’t slow you down and it will prevent the spinnaker from wrapping around the forestay
0B
Tim
You don’t have to win any races to win a regatta; we won the NOOD last year with 4th’s and 5th’sWe’ll start late if we have to to get clear air, or to get the side of the course we want to go to
A Southeasterly wind will usually go east
A 015K wind, with waves, will continue to build but not shift. Move the tiller constantly as you go up one side and down the other. In waves, adjust the jib if the groove is too narrow
Our most important instrument is Boat Speed; we watch it and adjust the main constantly (we have a 24:1 purchase)The main sheet is like a running backstay for the T10, and helps the jib shape as well
On port-to-ports we keep everything a bit looser- the main sheet & the jib sheet and we use a barber haul.
We will even fall off course a bit to go faster
The compass is your enemy on a ptp
– you must steer for maximum boat speed for the way the sails are set and not direction; if the direction stays way off over time, reset your sails
1B
Tim Rathburn
Only one person does the gybe, so they can control the chute. In fact, in less than 8 knots I have one person trim the guy and the chute for better control I don’t use a downhaul, we just keep the tweakers further forward and it prevents pole bounce
I have a carbon fiber pole and you can’t overtrim the guy or you’ll break the pole.
2B
Mark
In heavy weather gibing make sure you release the vang first, then pull in the mainsheet til its inside the boat, then gybe the pole, trim the sheet, and gybe the main
In greater than 25 knots gybe on a surf If the foot of the chute ever touches the forestay, ease the sheet not the guy
And the comment of the week, from Nancy
If we find ourselves going the same speed as ano ther boat, no matter how good, it isn’t enough; I want to go faster
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Thanks again Mark, who promises us a downwind discussion for our last session
Andrea
Notes from March 5th meeting:
From Martin :
If you get to the course late sail up and down the line with your mainsail barely luffed; the end you are facing when it is most close-hauled is the favored end
If you have no time to choose go with the Committee Boat end; at least you retain the option of tacking if need be
Avoid the midline say at all costs
Keep the bottom of your main leech flat and smooth. If it is a new sail keep the halyard a bit loose and the luff a bit loose-you should see scallops.. The older the sail the tighter the halyard until you are forced to add
Cunningham to keep the draft where it belongs
If the top telltail is streaming back more than 40% of the time trim the main further; it should be stalled, hanging, or behind the sail most of the time, otherwise you won’t be able to point (Tim also strongly agreed with this)
In light air ease the traveler first (Tim eases sheet first, see below for heavy air differences as well)
From Tim :
I get our at least an hour early, and check the wind to figure out which side of the course is favored; the most important decision is whether to go right or left. Winning the favored end gives you a one or two boat advantage which is what you loose in one tack if you have to tack to get to the other (favored) side.
Sail the knocks instead of the lifts if you need to do so to get clean a ir or to the preferred side; I can’t play the individual wind shifts
Everybody watches the compass; we know from before the race how far the wind can go on each board
In heavy air use your boom vang; tension it until it bends. Remember to release the vang before you release the sheet at the weather mark, or you’ll break your boom!
I keep my outer shrouds at 45 in heavy air and the inners even tighter if it’s extremely heavy or big waves
The window in my main is for the jib trimmer, not me!, because we weather sheet the jib in heavy air (so does
Martin)
In waves you are constantly moving the tiller; aim at each wave, ease as you get into it
Overtrimming the jib halyard is slow, even in heavy air; use a loose hand here, and a jib
Cunningham if necessary
In waves have the jib car further forward on the tack which is thumping into the waves
Ease the traveler first in heavy air (Martin eases the sheet first) If the main is flogging, ease the jib; it will not backwind the main as much
If the wind is from the l ake go out, if it’s from the land go in
The port tack Layline is great if you’re behind; no one goes there, clean air, you might get a favorable shift, and you should only have to duck one or two boats
From Mark:
Start racing early; at least 20 sec before the gun so you approach the line with boatspeed.
You need your foredeck person at the bow at the start (all agreed) Have all your trimmers getting the most they can out of each sail as you sweep around the pre-start
I don’t mind taking a flyer, because I hat to tack (so does Tim)
I don’t mind being on a Layline, especially if you’re ahead
This is only what I remember, but two other comments stick in my mind as closers; Martin says nobody wins if they’re not aggressive, and Tim finished with “You win in light air with sail trim, in moderate air with boat speed, and in heavy air with guts”
See you all next week!
Andrea
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