Types of course

Get your RO to look at these

Originally posted by gbr22114 Obviously I need to pay more attention to how asymmetrics perform on different legs (aside from constantly taking my wind) - I don't understand why they wouldn't do reaching well.

Its complicated between different classes, but very high performance boats (asymmettric or otherwise) only sail at one downwind angle in any given wind strength, which gives them both the best vmg and greatest speed thro' the water. So if the reach is tighter than the magic angle then they'll either have to go high and hoist late, or else struggle to make the mark (usually very slow). If on the other hand its broader than the magic angle then they'll have to gybe down to the mark just as if it were a run. But on a run they are hitting max speed and can pick their moment to gybe etc, whilst the slower boats are stuck bobbling down on the slowest point of sailing.

When you get to slower asymmettrics esp in light winds, where max vmg and max speed do not coincide, then its a bit more complicated.

There's nothing different about the physics between pole kite and asymmetric kite boats, its just that most pole kite rigs are so inefficient with short poles and small balloon shaped sails that they don't really have a magic angle to the extent something like a 49er does.

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons This just goes to reinforce what a thankless task RO can be   and I've just volunteered for an extra Wednesday night duty in July (my first as RO at L&LSC). Whatever you do you'll leave somebody dissatisfied, W/L course? The assy's will be delighted but the Solos and Enterprises will be baying for blood, all beats and reaches you'll have a posse of 400's waiting behind the boat shed for you........ You just can't win.......

This just goes to reinforce what a thankless task RO can be   and I've just volunteered for an extra Wednesday night duty in July (my first as RO at L&LSC).

I remember sitting down and carefully watching a Solo Open at our club. While there weren't that many passing moves on the reaches, they had an immense effect on the results. The fast reaching boat would clear a space behind her, and only needed to keep a loose cover on the boats behind while she went hunting for the next place gain. By contrast the slow reaching boat had a pack snapping at their heels at the start of the beat and had to defend frantically rather than think about what was ahead.

Plus of course the gybe between two reaches tends to be forced, rather than being able to pick the right moment as on a run, which has a definite sorting out effect in a breeze...

And frankly what ever the latest fad for courses is amongst the pros at the Olympics should have not the slightest influence on what makes for an amusing afternoon at Lower Whatsitford Sailing Club. The other thing is that really with things like picking courses one should listen to the back of the fleet, not the front. The tail end of the fleet is where growth will come from. If you ignore them and only listen to what the top ten want, before long you'll only have the top ten left.

Edited by JimC - 17 Jun 19 at 7:53pm