SWOT on the sailing status, dampus

Ok, so damp freddy pretends to be total expert on anything sailing as an alter ego, while the real deal is that I need to improve in several areas.

In terms of OD, I shouldn't be so troubled but here are my learning goals specific to OD

1) Boat set up- rig!
2) gear changes versus temporary fudges
3) boat speed and position on starts

Taking the last first, there is no real secret here- for a slower keel boat you want to punch through in a hole - avoid any 'perfect' start while you are learning. This technque won us our best OD results in a large fleet where all boats were in within a few minutes of the first! 76 sigma 33s at the 1996 nationals!

Punching in relies on boats being early, a CHOICE of holes and a good transit on the "safe". It also requires very good timing or confidence in your choice of hole. In terms of boat set up, light is best because it gives you the acceleration edge.

Given either a light keel boat or bad transits on a sigma start it is best to line up with the others if they are orderly.

Squeezing up on a long starboard tack seems not to work, especially with a right bias. Too many boats come crashing in from above. The move also attracts people hunting you from those late chargers or another long shotter.

What seems to work on 'club nights' is going up to the line and working round at some speed just low of the line, taking a gibe if you need to. The wiser dogs seem to pick a spot away from the action and sheet in and go, working up on the wind.

In a series you want to maintain a good average in, then safe starts are better.

A balsy stat is reaching in, gybing round , diping a stern or two on STB , ragging and avoiding others boats, maybe taking a double tack up.

RULE OF THUMB: tide or light winds, double tack to spill time and save height to fall off from. With tide or stronger wind, gibe so as to loose time and height and allow yourself choice.

In the new rules you can squeeze in on the line IF there is a gap when you overlap BOTH the leeward (attacker) and windward (defender) the latter of whom you can luff as well to maintain a gap.

In terms of set up and gears, it is good to have ribbons on the shrouds so wind is in your field of vision , and then it is important to know the final 'gear change'

Likely to be

1) kicker tighter
2) trim on main and harden up
3) trim on jib
4) outhaul

The races I have done well in were such that everything went very smoothly once the last gear change was done. So on the helm or the rail the boat was in the groove and if we got our nose out then we would consolidate our lead, while it being the other boats wondering what they were doing wrong and jumping around the decks and waggling the tiller!

Be it in the island garden here or on a top olympic course, it is good to sail up the beat , along the line, time any shifts and see if there is a wave (or tide) gear change needed.

If you don't do the prep on boat speed, set up and aren't out in time for course prep then just accept that about fourth place is as good as it can get.

IN a dinghy start or an otherwise orderly line up, it is best to just rag and take up the blade, while you also close the door aggressively on law breakers and bargers. So if you are high up on the line, but a little back and there comes a pile of port boats higher on a reach then, take a tack and come back at them from further right, or just move up and close their door- right on the transom of the next stb boat in front of you. Then take a double tack to get over them

so one scenario to replicate last weeks

a) lining up from the steamboat dock, working out on stb
b) move up and close the door and rag the sails as the port boats crash across, forcing them behind you. WATCH BEHIND
c) choose to either double tack up or fall off to further assert your authority.
d) avoid gaining too much speed WATCH BEHIND and to lee.
e) pick your final line or strategy at 30 seconds. Hold the boat BACK, but as part of a rack of STB boats, just a little higher and right of you
f) sheet in a little at 15 secds to get just the bow forward, fall off a little if you have space
g) at 10seconds, check the line and either sheet right in or - play to the bow of the next guy above you if you are unsure of the line and your speed.