What should our tactics be?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Banter
Forum Discription: For all those non-sailing related discussions
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5862
Printed Date: 13 Aug 25 at 1:54am
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Topic: What should our tactics be?
Posted By: ellistine
Subject: What should our tactics be?
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 11:37am
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Monday night is the final race in a five race series. We're leading and would love to clinch the series (it's our first season of racing). Below are the current standings of the top three boats. On handicap we're pretty much the same as the 2nd boat so what should are tactics be? I'm planning on just following him to which ever side of the coarse he goes. Is this sound? It makes me nervous just thinking about it!
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Replies:
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 11:42am
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Just sail your own race and relax would be my advice. Play it safe and don;t take any risks or get tangled up with others. It is easy to out pysche yourself and throw it all away! Look at it this way they needs to win the race to beat you anything 4th or better will do for you. The pressure is on them.... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 1:50pm
Loose cover from the front ... lead don't follow ------------- |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 2:50pm
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As long as you find yourself in front of course..... If not dont panic just concentrate on sailing your own race...and relax and enjoy it. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Jon711
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 3:21pm
You could be really mercinery and hole the other boat on the start line - you get disquallified, they sink - simples
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Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 3:53pm
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And the PC slaps you with a non discardable DNC and reports you to the RYA for blatant unsportsmanlike conduct....not so simples! (I know he only meant it tongue in cheek) Better to win it fair and square don;t you think? ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: ellistine
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 3:54pm
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Our last few races (Sunday series) have been pants. I'm
just hoping to hold onto this series. Hopefully the foiling Moth that usually wins all the races will be out. That'll take 1st place out of the equation! ------------- |
Posted By: Jon711
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 3:58pm
| Thank God that someone is starting to understand my humour!!!!! |
Posted By: bert
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 7:25pm
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Bear in mind that you are already doing the right things ( otherwise you wouldn`t be first ) so carry on in the same vein !!. If you sail your own race making your own choices then you should win,based on the past results. Have faith in yourself. ------------- Phantom 1181 AC-227 IC 304 blaze / halo 586 |
Posted By: Roy Race
Date Posted: 22 Aug 09 at 9:12pm
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Your worst possible series score is 14. 1089's best possible score is 16, so they can't catch you. 1059's best score is 13 if they win the last race. If they win, you need to come 4th or better to win. If they come 3rd or worse, you've won. It's looking pretty good. There's no need to do anything special, just don't allow them too much seperation. Make sure you're always in the same bit of water as them and see what pans out. You'll be fine. Good luck, and let us know what happens. edit: Oh, and can people stop saying "simples". Thanks. |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 24 Aug 09 at 12:53pm
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So how did you get on then Ellistine...... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: ellistine
Date Posted: 24 Aug 09 at 11:00pm
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Bugger!
I just went to edit the message and managed to delete it! Just to recap - We came 1st in the last race and so took the series title. Dead chuffed. Thanks all for the advice. ------------- |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 11:16am
Well done, it is a nice feeling the first time you win a club series  ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 4:31pm
Well done guys! 
------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: Merlinboy
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 5:43pm
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Ellistine, thats fantastic news well done.
Its been great reading your posts over the last year, from buying your boat, to learning to race and askiing for tips on here. Keep us posted on further progress, you are a great success story of our sport at grass roots level! ------------- |
Posted By: Roy Race
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 6:04pm
| Well done! |
Posted By: G.R.F.
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 9:55pm
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Excellent news, no blow by blow account?
I love reading stuff like that, what you did at the start and why, that sort of thing.. Don't you just love this sport? ------------- https://www.ease-distribution.com/" rel="nofollow - https://www.ease-distribution.com/ |
Posted By: Contender 541
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 10:13pm
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It was there - and then it was not ------------- When you find a big kettle of crazy it's probably best not to stir it - Pointy Haired Boss Crew on 505 8780 |
Posted By: ellistine
Date Posted: 25 Aug 09 at 11:14pm
I did a write up last night and then managed to wipe it earlier today during an edit 
Just for you Grumpf I'll have another go; Basically it was a bit blowy. At 24kts gusting 27 it was aptly Y&Y Forum "Championship Wind" strength. We had been talking in the car on the way to the club about having a go at doing a 'safe' gybe where you let the kite back onto the jib during the turn. With this in mind we headed out early for a bit of practice. Immediately we were screaming from the shore on one of them beam reaches where there's so much spray you wished you brought a snorkel. After clearing the mored yachts we raised the kite, shot off, decided it was now or never to throw in a gybe and promptly turtled the damn thing. At that point the decision was made "Good news dear, we wont be gybing this evening". After circling a couple of lads trying to right an upside down Laser 2K that had ejected it's boom we made our way to the start line. As always the hardest bit of the race when it's windy is staying upright in that bloomin back and forth stuff while you wait for the OD to find the right flags. I was convinced they were going to abort but eventually the Asymmetric class flag was raised. 4 and a bit minutes later we were approaching the line. The previous day the asymm class captain had 'enlightened' me on starting tactics by pushing us OCS. This time we started mid line away from everybody else. I wasn't going to fall for it again. I had fully planned to choose the same side of the course as the second place boat but once the hooter went and the red mist descended all plans were forgotten and we charged off on whatever course required the fewest maneuvers. Our first shock was when the class captain came blasting past us in his 2K. Our immediate thought was "we're screwed" but then we realised we were sailing a good 10 degree higher so we stuck with it. Once we eventually found the top mark, and discovered we had overshot it, we cracked off and steamed in on the mark (on port) and was the first to arrive! We had planned to wait and see if the other boats raised their kites before raising ours. When a RS400 came steaming past the order was sent to her up front to unleash the fury. At the gybe point we met the RS400 again but they were struggling to maintain the same sort of speed with their boat upside down. We dropped our kite and did a very orderly tack around before hoisting again and making of for the bottom mark. The second windward leg was a good'n and with wifey fully flat on the wire we were first to the top mark again. This time at the gybe point things started to go a little bit bad. We ran over the kite during the drop and whilst yelling at the crew to keep pulling (how heavy can a kite full of seawater be?) we somehow managed to gybe. I think our 'sea anchor' actually helped our cause at the point. Somehow the kite eventually popped up but at the same time the jib sheets came untied and were now flapping a long way forward of the forestay. We were now motoring along on just the main with the crew stood on the bow trying to grab the jib sheets. On her return to the cockpit I got her to pass one to me so she could recleat the other. Predictably I dropped it so off to the bow she went again. By the time we got the jib operational again we had reached the bottom mark and amazingly only the RS400 had got past us. Not so good was the fact that the kite halyard was now the wrong side of the jib sheets so we wouldn't be able to hoist it for the last downhill run. At the top mark for the final time we were neck and neck with the RS400 and all the boats that mattered were well behind. We started our two sail run to the bottom mark which initially felt awful. Then I recalled grumpfs advice on trimming to get yourself on a wave and then ride the sucker. After a lot of shouting "forwards", "backwards" we got into a rythm and had a right hoot surfing the waves (Cheers Grumpf). We rounded the bottom mark for the last time and headed for the line. The RS400 got there 30 seconds before we did but importantly the RS200 that was second to us in the series was a good couple of minutes back! We won the race on handicap and very nearly on the water too! On the way back in it was decided unanimously to dump the car in the carpark and have a few celebratory ciders. Job done! Our first series win in our first season of racing. Unfortunately we now can't take part in the clubs Novice Race on Saturday. Ah well
Rotomoulding. It's the future you know! ------------- |
Posted By: G.R.F.
Date Posted: 26 Aug 09 at 9:53am
Thanks for that El, most enjoyable - it could have been us.. 
Except for the washing up bowl of course..
What I find particularly heroic, you did it all with the breadknife in tow. And survived. I trust you didn't permit her to raise her voice when you dropped the jib sheet for the 2nd time? ------------- https://www.ease-distribution.com/" rel="nofollow - https://www.ease-distribution.com/ |