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Racing boat speed.. |
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
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Topic: Racing boat speed.. Posted: 10 Jul 16 at 7:44pm |
It would help to know what the boat is, but here's why you're dropping back, happened to me the other night for an entirely different reason (Trying to sail my boat with half it's daggerboard missing).
So here it is start 101. At the start you have the potential to lose places big time, 1 sec can cost you dozens of places, 1 second mistake at the windward mark you might lose one place 1 second at the start and you lose places at the rate number of competitors /3 times each lost second., Basically the line up even if they are all exactly equal and start simultaneously only one third can get away clean, then that third will divide by three again, then again until one goes round the top mark first. That's if they were all identical in speed and in a constant wind. So what happens to you, the boat immediately below you if you allow him to get even 1 foot ahead will immediately by virtue of another 'lee bow effect, the none tidal one' which bends the airflow between you and forces you to sail a kind of header making it difficult to point as high, and of course the boat above you then immediately covers your windward air supply and it's game over, you are now in the rear third, those two boats then go forward and the same will happen to them as they close on each other. Try and start either slightly ahead or up at the pin end and get out the back door in clear air. Starts are a very important part of racing if you want to be anywhere near the top half of the fleet, there are lots of books and stuff on start lines, get reading them, it's more to do with tactics on the start line than boat tuning, but everyone blames boat tuning as it is an easy cop out. Edited by iGRF - 10 Jul 16 at 7:47pm |
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elzorillo
Groupie Joined: 04 Apr 13 Online Status: Offline Posts: 58 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 11 Jul 16 at 2:42pm |
Thanks for all the advice.. once my neck, back and knees recover from this weekends sailing I'll be straight on it. |
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