Speed Off the Line

Also looks like the other boat either has more rake running or more kicker on as your boom angles are different.

I've seen this time and time again and the only answer is practice I'm afraid. As others have said, the ability to "park" a boat is vital, We used to practice this for hours at a time back in the day on Jim Saltonstalls training camps. He also used to make us race dozens of short (50 metre??) races a day, so we got to do start after start after start, all videoed for later analysis.

Originally posted by fab100 Originally posted by iGRF That start video URL https://www.facebook.com/RedoubtSailingClub/videos/1331781413533049/ I'm 399 2nd boat away. Pull the sail in and get your ar$e over the side How deep is the water? Looks like you could have got out and held her on station

Yes you probably could that marker is a shallow spot it's normally under water but we've been light on rainfall this autumn so the other issue was running aground. Jack knew all that and probably guessed rightly there was no way above him, my plate kicked back a bit as the gun went.

it's difficult to assess the line originally my plan was to try a starboard approach blocking then tack onto port last minute but a sudden shift and wind drop put paid to that idea and pretty much everyone had to shuffle to line up for a port end run, I was lucky to get ahead, got a lucky puff, that bit is right next to some reeds that cause a windshadow, he was just far enough out to hike, I'd have gone in to weather if I'd sat out to hard at that point, he was lucky a bit as well I guess but he did set himself up nicely.

They've all been chastising me for insufficient kicker, you'd think by now there would be guages for kicker tension with numbers on them, then all you old boys and bloody youf practising for hours on end wouldn't have that advantage now would you? I can't believe I'm going to have to go and practise this sh*t all over again, I'm far too important to be learning beginner stuff..

Edited by iGRF - 13 Dec 16 at 5:58pm

Gauges for kickers ... I have three indelible marks on the kicker multi purchase to check the final purchase block against, these are about 2" to 3" apart, the middle setting was set following some buddy training, the other settings are, lots of kicker, for breeze and pointing (in a Solo) and not a lot of kicker, mainly used in dead boat situations.

If you look at your boat about 3 lengths from the line, you can see about 3-4 inches of the turn of the bow out of the water. Definitely not quick but easy to correct by sitting further forward. I've always buried the bow in upwind and get the transom out when its light winds.