mixed fleet racing
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7818
Printed Date: 26 Jun 25 at 7:16am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: mixed fleet racing
Posted By: asterix
Subject: mixed fleet racing
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 3:58pm
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a question:
if I'm sailing 'round the cans' in a mixed fleet and on a tight reach (as tight as I can manage with my asymetric) how should I approach trying to pass a symetric boat that is a bit slower? Last night I tried to sail past a 505 that was to leeward of me, but (because I was taking his wind and slowing him down) he luffed me almost to the point where my only option was to capsize on top of him. Now as windward boat I realise that I have to keep clear, but at the time the overlap started there was loads of room and once we are side by side it is too late for me as the assy to duck behind and go below him. What should I/he do?
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Replies:
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 4:13pm
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Be polite and go to leeward, or ensure you are far enough to windward that you are clear of any luffing possibility.
------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: G.R.F.
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 4:24pm
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Shame that "Mast Abeam" call is no longer an option... Mind you, it's a 505, he's probably old school, so maybe worth a shout anyway  Now don't all start about unfair tactics, it was a nod and a wink, would I even dream of doing it for real? I'd love to know why it was dropped though. ------------- https://www.ease-distribution.com/" rel="nofollow - https://www.ease-distribution.com/ |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 4:31pm
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If he luffs you do remind him that he needs to give you time to react and keep clear, that also involves dropping your kite if required.....
I believe you need to be more than 2 boat lengths to windward to be free of him luffing you...probably worth asking this in the rules section to be sure.
Tactically the fastest way is to avoid getting in this situation in the first place and look at getting an inside overlap at the next mark if you cannot manage to get clear ahead before you reach 'the zone'... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Foiling_Toff
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 6:10pm
| Considering that dropping your kite is not going to help either parties involved, probably best just to pass to leeward. |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 6:27pm
Or for the boat being passed to minimise the pain and choose their route to the next mark accordingly.... but the rules are the rules and there is nothing stopping them stuffing themselves over 
Personally I like to see a nice luffing match in front of me, especially between 2 boats that I need to be close to if i want to get them on Handicap!....
Now luffing in class Racing...that is a different story.... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 06 May 11 at 6:33pm
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Gentlemen pass to leeward...
and if you let some SOB sit on your wind once he'll do it every damn week, but if you luff him to mongolia once he'll never do it again... |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 07 May 11 at 8:16am
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Pass far enough to windward so it interferes as little as possible or dive to leeward at the last minute and hope your speed / bigger sail area carries you through. At the end of the day you both loose in handicap racing if you have a luffing match. Must assume you have a lot of sail as normally asymmetrics can hold the kite higher than a symmetric, and if that's the case you need room to leeward just in case a gust comes in otherwise you're going swimming. Also from your description you probably need your head out of the boat a bit more so you see situations developing before only one tactical option exists. If you were that close nearly every boat would have luffed you just to keep clear wind. If the reach is tight and you're faster boat with lots to pass consider going high (or low) early to give you room, in this case possibly a quarter of the leg high then pop kite and sail over everyone to the mark... ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: asterix
Date Posted: 07 May 11 at 11:21am
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OK, thanks for all for the advice. I shall resolve to be more gentlemanly in future (hadn't realised I was being otherwise!). I had thought I had enough room to windward, but was a bit mistaken on that. I didn't want to go lower from a racing point of view because I could only make the next mark with the genny if I stayed as high as possible all the way. Also, I didn't have that much of a speed advantage over the 505. But actually from a sailing perspective I would have preferred to have had the option to bear away to deal with gusts etc (although the wind was fairly light and constant).
Getting head out of the boat - yes, I do need to do that more - I am just regaining that ability, having spent some months with head firmly inside the boat getting to grips with it.
I am finding that with the RS100 it can quite often be better to sail individual legs of the course in parts, i.e. part with and part without the genny, all depending on the angles.
In fact thinking about it, on the next leg of the race I described, the 505 went higher than me but I initially sailed faster lower with the genny for about 2/3 rd of the leg and then dropped it so that I beat (well close reached) up to the mark and got room on him. He had the wind and rolled me though. |
Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 07 May 11 at 12:54pm
Because it was held to encourage hard luffing and contact which was deemed a Bad Thing. |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 10 May 11 at 10:21pm
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I'm forced to race my V3000 against flying 15s of a Wednesday evening and finally realised that the way to beat them is to sail a totally different course. They work best dead down wind, I work best on a beam reach (to apparent wind); so just head up early, gybe out in clear air and hit the leeward mark ahead of them. 505s (with the big new kite) have trouble heading high so it might work with them too .... RS100 seems a little reach shy too though.
------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |