Light wind sailing tips

Does any one have any tips for lightwind Laser standard sailing?

I Always seem to be overtaken on the upwind leg  I'm well able to roll tack but any help with relation to kicker/ outhaul would help alot!

thanks!

don't oversheet the main and close the leech off - that is slow

No idea if it works on a laser, probably does, but sail slightly heeled, let gravity put some shape in the sail and heeling points the boat up a bit, I never sail anything flat in light airs, keep the stern out, no 'noise' off the back, don't have the sail to full, nor the leech too tight and concentrate, 'feel' the air around you and focus on the shortest distance to the mark and watch the water for puffs. When it's light, lots of folk just switch off, when in fact there's often so much going on to help.

 

Originally posted by G.R.F. When it's light, lots of folk just switch off, when in fact there's often so much going on to help.

Aye, people take the (good) advice of "try not to move around much, keep everything smooth" as "don't move. At all. Sleep."

Think, from what I've seen, a slight heel does help in Laser, but then there's many here know much better.

On a one-design, it's the sort of thing that two-boat tuning can really help with- get a friend of similar ability, and go out practicing (not racing). Change one thing at a time, on one boat only, and see what relative difference that makes to speed.

Concentrate far harder than you do when there is wind. Pick out every lift & header, even though you can barely feel them. Learn to tack the boat really smoothly on those headers. Being heeled helps in the lifts, allowing the boat to drift up into them, but you'll need to flatten her down a bit to bear away in the headers, if you don't tack, or you'll use too much rudder. You might want the outhaul tighter than in medium winds (personally, I don't, and I seem to go OK, but I'm not a Laser sailor) but no way do you want it tight enough to start creasing the foot.