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Windward boat/proper course

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JimC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Windward boat/proper course
    Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 9:45am
This is all pretty normal stuff. Could equally have been an RS600 sailing with a bit of heat and a Laser running by the lee.

Fast boat comes up to leeward and faster sailing higher. Has the option of luffing round the slow boats stern and passing aggressively close to windward, or soaking down a bit and going thro to leeward, which will often work. Decides to take the gentlemanly approach, but stalls in the dirty air and doesn't get through. Now has no choice but to go back up to proper course to get the speed back on.
Slow boat, seeing someone attempting a lee side pass, might well benefit from pointing up a tad for a couple of secs and letting them through: after all you probably want to encourage the fast boats to take the leeward side option.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Steve411 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 8:30am
Originally posted by JimC

Originally posted by andymck

If I was on the protest committee I would have asked the 29er what had changed in the prevailing conditions to make their "proper course" change so much.

I didn't think there was anything in the OP suggesting it had...
My interpretation of the original post is this

29er green, rs300 red

Yes, that's pretty much as it was. We reverted to the original course, or close to it, when a big gust came through and the 29er picked it up and bore off towards the mark (she had poked her bow ahead of mine when we both headed up and that allowed he to get out of my wind shadow and get the gust).
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Post Options Post Options   Quote andymck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 8:15am
That's a very interesting interpretation of two boats on a broad reach with one coming from clear astern and choosing to go below.
"After falling into my wind shadow several times" suggests this had a big influence on the 29ers decision making.
Had the agreed tracks been as in your diagram, there is a good case to say that green was forced to sail below his proper course by red not going up soon enough, (point of view of green, not red). Of course there is no indication of relative positions.
I interpreted the description as both on a broad reach ie parallel course and green chose to go below, which is the normal point where I have seen these sorts of conflicts arise. Otherwise we would could have expected the 29er to gybe.
If we do assume it was more of a parallel course, and now instead of a 29er vs rs300. We have say an RS300 vs Solo, same situation, where first rs300 tries to go below and does not get through, the next rs300 goes high to get over the top, can the first one now luff to join the high boats? Or has he just made a bad tactical decision and has to sort himself out?

I have been struggling with this since the late 90's, and feel the slower boat needs some protection. On a run I think these situations only really become an issue, where both boats tend anticipate better near the mark.

Andy

Edited by andymck - 18 Dec 13 at 8:18am
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 7:33pm
Originally posted by andymck

If I was on the protest committee I would have asked the 29er what had changed in the prevailing conditions to make their "proper course" change so much.

I didn't think there was anything in the OP suggesting it had...
My interpretation of the original post is this

29er green, rs300 red
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Steve411 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 7:31pm
No, it had nothing to do with the wind shadow. They tried to go below me but in so doing were really sailing way below their fastest course. My wind shadow merely meant they couldn't pull through my lee. They realised that going low and below was not going to work and then came up to a faster course which is what they should have done to start with.

Agree that gybing away and back again would have been a good move, but I think they were getting agitated a bit as a few other 29ers were screaming past to windward and they wanted to get up there. They did eventually (and politely!).
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Post Options Post Options   Quote andymck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 6:48pm
If I was on the protest committee I would have asked the 29er what had changed in the prevailing conditions to make their "proper course" change so much. The usual answer is because I am an asymmetric. I really do feel this is a scenario the law makers should look at. Again the wind shadow was the main reason they decided to sail higher, but it does seem they did this the right way, ie gently. The problem we all have, and I have been on both sides of this argument is it is very difficult to define the proper course for a high powered asymmetric boat. Quite often there are at least two points of sail, high or low on 2 different tacks, which then change as soon as the apparent wind picks up or drops. I must admit to being a much more polite sailor using the if you go below you stay low mantra. It's not just an issue with asymmetrics, happens all the time in lasers trying to stay in the gust flipping between high and by the lee mode as well.

The speed differential is obviously less though.

Just realised we never even got into the effect of apparent wind on the proper course debate before, only the prevailing conditions.

I would like to see a go below you stay low rule for this sort of racing. The asymmetric could always gybe out and back again if needed.

Andy


Edited by andymck - 17 Dec 13 at 6:50pm
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Steve411 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 5:38pm
Originally posted by catmandoo

Jeese the poor ole assymetric did the gentlemanly thing and went through your lee , sailing below his proper course as you say and consequently slowing himself down , rather than blasting over and taking your wind ,albeit for a short time , praps you have a reputation of slowing yourself down by luffing passing assymetric boats and that's why he went below , some assy metrics grind to a halt when sailing too low and cannot even do this , sounds like the poor fellow was going to upset you whatever way he went , short of gybing before he got to you , personally I would have had to sail over the top of you if that was the side of the course i favoured.

It's always a big prob when dissimilar boats are passing each other , course of least conflict is fastest .for both concerned .

The assymetric did exactly the wrong thing actually. By trying to go past me to leeward on a broad reach they slowed themselves up initially and then me as well as I had to go up with them until I could bear away across their transom. What they should have done is gone past quickly to windward. There is absolutely no point luffing something a lot quicker - I much prefer to go low whenever I can on reaches.

So to be clear - the 29er can luff to her proper course and I have to keep clear, even though I have to sail above my proper course? That's OK - I thought that was probably the case - that's why I didn't say anything and kept clear.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote iansmithofotley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 1:10pm
Originally posted by JimC

And just to add the detail: there can be more than one proper course, and the leeward and right of way boat gets to sail her proper course, and the windward and give way boat just has to put up with it.

IMHO the best thing for the windward boat to do is to luff up hard, let the sail flap and then duck behind leewards transom.

Hi Jim,

 

Yes, I agree – it happens all the time at my club particularly on windward/leeward courses.

 

The single sail boats such as Lasers, Finns, Contenders and Phantoms round the windward mark on to the run, which in the prevailing wind conditions, is usually on starboard tack and often they are confronted with a rash of asymmetric boats such as 49ers, Mustos, 800’s, Vortices, 400’s, 200’s and 100’s sailing from the leeward side on the same tack, all coming across at different speeds and angles.  Some are on the same lap or the faster boats may be lapping.

 

It is often very difficult to decide what to do in order to prevent being luffed off the reservoir.  With even the best ‘forward planning’ it can still be very difficult to keep clear or get through a gap behind them.

 

Under the present rules, I don’t think that there is an answer to the problem other than as I have described.  It never used to be a problem with the symmetric spinnaker boats (we don’t have many at our club nowadays other than the odd Fireball).

 

It’s a lot easier when they have to gybe and have to cross on port tack, at least they have to keep out of your way until you reach the zone.

 

I know that they don’t have to do it, but there never seems to be any consideration from the asymmetric sailors for the single sail boats that are trying to sail the rhum line. You never know whether they are doing it deliberately or they just haven’t seen you because they are concentrating on what they are doing or they are only looking out for other asymmetric boats on the same tack.

 

But ‘hey’ that’s sailing.

 

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales SC)

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Post Options Post Options   Quote catmandoo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 12:41pm
Jeese the poor ole assymetric did the gentlemanly thing and went through your lee , sailing below his proper course as you say and consequently slowing himself down , rather than blasting over and taking your wind ,albeit for a short time , praps you have a reputation of slowing yourself down by luffing passing assymetric boats and that's why he went below , some assy metrics grind to a halt when sailing too low and cannot even do this , sounds like the poor fellow was going to upset you whatever way he went , short of gybing before he got to you , personally I would have had to sail over the top of you if that was the side of the course i favoured.

It's always a big prob when dissimilar boats are passing each other , course of least conflict is fastest .for both concerned .
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 13 at 11:46am
And just to add the detail: there can be more than one proper course, and the leeward and right of way boat gets to sail her proper course, and the windward and give way boat just has to put up with it.

IMHO the best thing for the windward boat to do is to luff up hard, let the sail flap and then duck behind leewards transom.
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