Charlotte Rose, a ­two-time youth world champion and US Sailing Team athlete, has boathandling skills that are off the charts, which gives her the ability to quickly shift left or right on the starting line to get into an optimal position. While observing her at a recent clinic, I learned that she has four key starting moves: high build, double-­tack, half-tack and reverse. After watching her execute these moves with ease, I wondered how effective they’d be in boats other than ILCAs, so I brought them to the 2023 J/70 Worlds. My teammates and I spent a few days practicing them, and discovered that they worked well, even in a J/70. These four approaches can be used in almost any small boat—and in bigger boats, to a degree.

The High-Build Start

The high-build approach is powerful in medium to strong winds, when you’re on your final approach and you want to crowd the boat above you to create space to leeward. The setup starts by positioning your boat close to the boat above you and, with sails fully trimmed, steering just above ­closehauled. Be careful to keep the boat moving slowly through the water to prevent stalling. After sailing high and slow and creating space to leeward, just before the start, rotate the bow down and leave the sails fully trimmed. The boat instantly heels over and feels powerful. Then bear away 5 degrees or so, and ease the sails a bit to go for full acceleration. If it’s windy, you need only to turn down to a closehauled course. The boat will get up to speed quickly because there’s plenty of power in the sails. Because you’ve maintained flow across your blades and sails throughout, acceleration will happen fast and require less of a bear away. If you bear away less than those around you, the space to leeward will be bigger and the boats to windward will be unable to bear away to full speed.  

There are a few ­important subtleties. Keep both sails trimmed, and use the jib as your guide. Head up until the front of the jib starts to backwind—usually one-third to halfway back—and the boat will flatten. The key is to keep the boat flat. To maintain the high and slow sailing, trim the sails in and out. For example, if the skipper is having to push too hard on the tiller because the boat wants to bear away, ease the jib and trim the main. This helps the boat continue to track forward. If the boat wants to head up, trim the jib and ease the main. 

At the J/70 Worlds, the wind was mostly 12 to 18 knots—perfect conditions for high-build starts. It doesn’t work well in light air, because in these conditions, you need to keep the speed on and also bear away a fair amount to properly accelerate. Also, if you try to sail too high and slow in light air, the boat nearly stops, and it takes forever to get moving again. But in 8 to 9 knots or more, the high-build is a ­must-have in your tool box.   

Double-Tack Reset

The double-tack is another powerful move that’s underutilized. It allows you to create a ­massive amount of space to your left while filling space to your right. Basically, it’s two quick tacks, first to port and then to starboard, but there’s more to it than that. International 470 gold medalists Matthew Belcher and Will Ryan were masters of the double tack. They got it down so well that they could do it in the final 10 seconds and, in their second tack, would come out racing. Doing it in the final few seconds and with perfect timing also meant that if the boat to their left tried to match them, that boat would be late to start.

Use a double-tack whenever there’s space to your right and someone comes from behind and hooks or overlaps their bow just to leeward of you, or if a boat comes in on port tack and sets up in a lee-bow position. It’s a quick way to get separation and reclaim a hole on the line. On the J/70 or the Etchells, my teammate, Erik Shampain, audibles if the double-tack is an option. Whenever things are getting tight and we need an escape route, Shampain says to me, “Double-tack open,” and we roll into a tack, sail for as long as we need to, and then tack back. 

Most people feel as if they have to have a lot of space to do a double-tack without fouling the boat to their right, the windward boat. In the clinic, however, Rose could double-tack in the tightest space I’d ever seen. When I asked her how she did so, she said that the key is a normal first tack, such as a roll tack in a Laser, and then an instant tack back onto port with no roll. Doing the second tack as a roll tack is OK if you are feeling late, but a flat tack allows you to turn in a tighter space, and you don’t advance on the starting line.  

You need a bit of speed to begin a double-tack. Don’t try it from a stopped position. If you have room and want to sail for a length or two before tacking to starboard, you can. A subtlety to the double-tack is that when you complete that first tack, come out deep, aiming behind the boat to your right, which might make them think that you’re going to go behind them. Then, when you tack back, you’ll end up overlapped with them, with bows even. They’re now “locked” so that their bow is not free to hook you, and you’ve secured a nice hole to your left. 

Another basic rule of thumb is that if the boat to your right double-tacks, match them. When they tack back, lee-bow them. You’ll have created a huge hole, and they won’t have one. 

There are other purposes for a double-tack and considerations, other than just closing the gap between yourself and the boat to your right or separating from the boat to your left. If you sense that you’re early, tack, dip really deep to burn off time, and then tack back. If you’re late, tack and sail upwind, then tack back again, fully racing upwind. If the pin is favored and you need to close distance on the line, for example in a last-minute left shift, the port-tack part of the double-­tack will help you close distance on the line because that tack is more than 90 degrees to the line. If the boat is favored, when many general recalls happen as closing speeds are high, and you need to kill time, spend more time on port tack when doubling because it’s closer to paralleling the line, and you will kill time. For those scenarios, it comes down to being confident with your time on distance and your closing speed on the line.  

Half-Tack Reset

A half-tack is used when there’s not enough space to your right to do a double-tack. It works best in light and medium winds when you have speed.

Let’s say there’s a port-tack boat coming your way, and they’re likely to lee-bow you, and there’s a boat just to windward of you. Rotate your bow down, aiming just above the port tacker’s bow, and sail at them, which increases your speed. As you anticipated, they tack just to leeward of you. If you do nothing, they’ve stolen any space you’ve created to leeward, and you’ll be out of luck for this start. But, with your increased speed, do a half-tack, heading up and trimming your sails in, and sail about head to wind or maybe a touch past. Leave the jib in to the point where it backwinds. On an ILCA, the skipper can put their hand or left shoulder against the boom, pushing out a foot or so to backwind the main for just a few seconds. The backwinded sail pushes your bow to the right, opening up space between you and the boat that just tacked to leeward of you and sliding you closer to the boat to your right. Again, be sure you have speed going into this. In small boats like ILCAs, it helps to pull up the daggerboard to help the boat slide. In keelboats, we obviously leave the keel alone, but backing the jib really pulls the boat to the right, helping it slide or track toward the boat to your right. Be careful with this move, however, because you are considered a “tacking” boat. As long as you do not hit the boat to your right, you are fine. Once you’re close to the boat to the right, cut/release the jib, and rotate the boat back down to starboard closehauled to avoid a rules infringement.

To prevent tacking, the skipper must fight the helm, pulling the tiller toward them, keeping the boat gliding at either head to wind or slightly past head to wind. A more common move in the start is to shoot head to wind to get space to leeward. That’s fine, but this backing of the sails adds the slide to the right. While doing a half-tack, or as the ILCA sailors call it, a “slide,” keep the boat flat. The crew might even have to hike on the port side, the jib side, while the jib is backing, especially in medium winds. As the boat slides to windward, you can open up about a half-boatlength on the boat that just tacked beneath you. Now you have a hole to accelerate into. As your speed diminishes, uncleat the jib. We use the command “Cut!” The jib luffs, the skipper rotates the bow down to closehauled or slightly below, and we’re off. 

The half-tack doesn’t work well in big breeze, because it’s so windy, you might not be able to keep the boat from tacking with a backed jib. And if it’s really choppy, you risk losing your speed if you smash into a wave during your slide.    

Drop it into Reverse

Let’s say you have boats close to leeward of you, and you realize that they’re going to prevent you from accelerating because there’s no hole for you to drive off into. Nor is there room for a double-tack or half-tack. The solution is to reverse out of there, backing up until your bow can clear the transoms of the boats around you, and then reach off and find a better place to start. It’s a great move when you really have no other options. Because the leeward boat is probably luffing you, you’re pretty much head to wind anyway, so you’re in a good position to start the reverse.

The most important part of this is to recognize early enough that you’re in a tough spot and need to get out of it. Otherwise, you won’t have enough time for the reverse. In a J/70, it might be with 60 to 90 seconds left; in an ILCA, it’s probably around 45 seconds. The technique starts with pushing the boom out just until the boat starts to reverse, then release the boom and let the sail luff. This point is where a lot of people run into trouble. Rose taught me not to hold the boom out very long. If you hold it out too long, it might cause the boat to tack, and you could lose control of the bow. Also, briefly holding the boom out keeps the boat from going too fast in reverse, which will make it difficult to stop. Again, your goal is to start the reverse to get your bow free, then sail somewhere else.

Steering backward takes time to learn. The tiller loads up, wanting to slam to one side or the other, and the boat will be more responsive to helm movements, so keep the tiller as close to centered as possible, and keep weight adjustments subtle. It will help to hold the tiller or hiking stick firmly in both hands. Once your bow becomes free of the boats to leeward of you, turn the boat down, away from the wind, and you’re now free to reach to the next open spot on the line. Remember, the whole line is open to you; you can exit to starboard or port.  

The “bail out and sail somewhere else” technique works well because it’s better to be going fast in the final minute than to have no good option for accelerating because someone’s close to leeward. That’s death. If you bail and start reaching, you have a much better chance of pulling off a good start than if you just sit there in a tough situation with 40 seconds left. Typically, everyone else is bow up, going half-speed, while you can be reaching down the line with pace, searching for your next spot. And when you do find your opening, you can shoot into it with more pace than the boats around you.

We did a couple of scramble starts like this at the 2023 J/70 European Championships, which we won. Both times, we found a gap in the final 20 seconds, sailed into it with pace, and were able to tack and cross the fleet within 30 seconds after the start because the pin was so favored. You might call that lucky, but we were following a basic rule: When you feel like you’re in trouble, bail and go as fast as you can.

The beautiful thing about these four moves is that they not only help you create a gap, but they also give you more of a lateral game that you might not have otherwise. Practice these moves so that you’re  good at them, and make sure you have the mindset of trying to find open space. A good practice drill is to try to sail a full lap around a stationary mark ­without tacking. We tried it in an Etchells once, and we actually pulled it off. Start by sailing by a mark on starboard tack, leaving it to port, with speed. Shoot head to wind, and do a half-tack. Let the half-tack glide you above and to the right of the mark. Then release the jib, let the boat slow down, and go into a reverse. Once you’ve reversed past the mark, kick the stern out so that you’re now on a starboard reach, and sail back around to the port side of the mark. You’ve now done a full lap around the mark without tacking. It’s also a great drill to practice slow-speed maneuvers. Try it first in 5 to 12 knots. 

With these four starting-line moves, the next time you’re in a crowded spot in the final minute and half and don’t feel like you’re going to get a good start, you now have the option of positioning your boat somewhere else. As my high school students say, “Make your momma proud; don’t start in a crowd.”

As a multiple class champion and longtime coach, Steve Hunt has now expanded his ­coaching services to include virtual coaching at stevehuntsailing.com, a site created for the racing sailor to take their skills to the next level. With video tutorials and in-depth insight, Hunt and other top-level sailors aim to help ­sailors improve their speed, sail smarter, and improve regatta results—one race at a time.

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What makes a great tack? It’s simple: whatever technique allows you to maintain the optimal combination of the best VMG during the tack and the fastest acceleration out of the tack. That’s easy to say but tough to do well. In my Interclub dinghy days, in light air, we often looked for opportunities to start a tacking duel with nearby competitors. It didn’t matter which way each boat was going; all we wanted to do was grind them down—keep tacking, gaining on every tack. Eventually, someone prevailed. That’s the power of being able to tack really well, and although you may seldom be in that type of tacking combat, tacking better than nearby boats can give you that extra couple of boat lengths that make the difference between rounding just ahead of a pack or rounding in the middle of it.

There always needs to be a reason to tack. It can be for a windshift, to find more wind, to head toward an advantaged side of the racecourse, to avoid a starboard tacker, being at or near the layline, for a navigational hazard such as a shoreline, shoal or oncoming freighter, to cover the fleet, to consolidate on a gain or minimize a loss, and even to take a flyer if in poor position. When in doubt, don’t tack. Many racers, including myself, tack too much—it’s a fatal flaw.

A few of my rules: Don’t tack in lulls or anytime tacking will put you into bad air. It’s better to tack in puffs, unless in heavy air and you’re worried about wiping out. When the windspeed is variable with gusts and lulls, you will lose much less by tacking in a gust rather than trying to accelerate in the light air of a lull after the tack. In oscillating winds, with several shifts per beat, generally tack anytime you are headed below your mean (average) compass heading for the tack you are on. There will be times when you should “eat a header” to get a bit deeper into the new shift, and there will be other times when you may tack off a small lift to find a larger shift or more wind.

For any given beat, study and ­understand the optimal number of tacks that leg requires to be sailed perfectly in the absence of other boats. Only one person should decide exactly where to tack—either the helmsperson or the tactician. And once that decision has been made, ­communication with the crew and the selection of the time and place to tack is critical, especially in a seaway. A well-trained crew is always ready to tack, which means sheets are always cleared, winches loaded, etc. I train the crew not to move until the countdown commences, “3, 2, 1, helm’s over.”

In a seaway, the tack must be done in harmony with the wave pattern. Choose an area or sequence of smaller waves. Done right, the wave pattern will assist the tack. Get the bow of the boat past head to wind as the next wave approaches so that the new wave helps push the bow down to course, requiring less rudder movement. When Tucker Edmondson and I were learning to sail 505s in our first big event—the 1979 World Championships in Durban, South Africa—we developed a technique for tacking in huge ocean waves that worked well: We’d finish the tack and accelerate on the top of the wave crest, filling the sails there instead of in the trough of the wave, where there was less wind.

Steering well through a tack is a bit like the Goldilocks story—you need to turn not too quickly, not too slowly, but just right. Of course, the million-dollar question is, what’s just right? The speed of the turn differs with every type of boat, every wind velocity and, as was the case for us at the 505 Worlds, every sea condition. Those are a lot of variables.

A great tack involves picking up as much VMG as possible during the first segment of the tack, and landing on the ideal exit angle for maximum acceleration as the tack is completed. This all requires good steering, crew coordination and sail trim. Broadly stated, a large, heavy keelboat should be tacked slower, and a light, planing dinghy should be tacked quickly. The fastest turn should be made in medium air and choppy seas, while the slower turn is good for flat water, lighter winds, and when overpowered in heavy winds. In overpowered conditions, the boat’s exit from the turn must be done slowly so as not to end up heeling excessively once on the new tack. No matter what, be sure not to overturn and end up on a course too low of your desired exit angle.

RELATED: Sailboat Racing Tips: Rules at the Start

Because most boats carry some windward helm or rudder angle, begin the tack by slowly moving the tiller or wheel to centerline and gliding the boat up toward head to wind. It’s through this first segment of the tack that you gain maximum VMG, so the longer you can maintain the boat’s momentum, the more VMG you’ll gain. However, that VMG gain comes with an associated loss of speed, which can be measured by the minimum boatspeed reached at the end of the tack as the acceleration segment begins. Have your crew watch the speedo or use a recording instrument, and you’ll get a good sense for that. How do you know when to end the glide and turn the boat through head to wind? Practice, experience, measurement and analysis, of course. I use an increasing rate of turn until just past head to wind and as the sails begin to fill on the new tack.

How you steer the next ­segment of the tack, from just past head to wind until you get to your acceleration angle, a few degrees below close-hauled, is critical. Just after passing head to wind, the speed of the tack, and therefore the degree of rudder angle, gradually increases—more ­rudder angle and a faster turn. From there, the next step is to land right on the exit angle. The location of that angle varies depending on the type of boat. You’re looking for the point where you most rapidly accelerate to the speed you were sailing before tacking. Finding the exit angle for your boat will take a lot of practice tacks. As you do them, note your target and actual speeds, the bottom (or slowest speed) during the tack, and how long it takes to accelerate back to full speed once on the new tack. As you approach the exit angle, the speed of the tack should slow, which means you’ll gradually reduce rudder angle. With an overlapping genoa, you might even want to pause the tack once the genoa is past the leeward shrouds. That allows the crew to trim on the genoa before it really loads up.

Trimming nonoverlapping jibs through a tack requires more finesse, and I’ve found that only the best trimmers do it right. As the boat turns up into the wind, the old leeward sheet is readied to ease. That might involve reducing the number of wraps on the winch, or uncleating the sheet so it is ready to ease freely. Don’t allow the old sheet to ease. During the tack, the jib is backed just a tiny amount, which accomplishes two things. First, it helps turn the boat through the wind and down onto the new tack. And second, it helps blow the jib around. Without backing, the tack will be slow. However, too much backing and the jib will reduce the forward speed of the boat like a brake. The moment it backs, immediately let the old sheet go. There are exceptions to this, such as when approaching the windward mark on the port tack layline. Then, allowing the jib to back for a couple of seconds helps pull the bow down to the new reaching course to the offset mark, requiring less ­rudder angle.

Next—and this is super-important—the trimmer of the new sheet must ­overtrim the new sheet as quickly as possible so that the jib fills on the new tack before the boat reaches its optimal course on the new tack. Once filled on the new tack, the jib provides acceleration and adds lee helm, thus reducing the amount of rudder angle needed to steer the boat down to the exit angle. The overtrim should be as hard as possible. That’s followed by an immediate ease until the boat reaches the exit angle. That ease must be done in harmony with the helms­person. So, as the boat ­continues its turn down to the exit angle, the trimmer eases the jib sheet until, as the boat accelerates to its optimal VMG angle and speed, the jib is then trimmed back in to its optimal tension and shape. A big indicator is the telltales will all be flowing. The process sounds easy, but it takes a lot of coordination between the offside trimmer, who eases the old sheet and backs the sail, the new trimmer and the helms­person. When done correctly, the jib fills on the new tack and literally pulls the bow of the boat down to the desired course, thereby reducing the amount of helm required to turn the boat. Less rudder means less braking, less drag—and greater speed. And that’s what we’re always after.

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Most sailors know that the bowman’s position requires preparation and organizational skills, but it also tests your physical strength and agility as you are suspended at great heights, or when making a headsail change with walls of water throwing you in different directions. It’s a complicated, mentally demanding job that can be made a lot easier by seeing the job in a purely mechanical perspective. Break down and categorize each maneuver encountered in a race, and have a formula for each one. Think these maneuvers through over and over in your head while sitting on the rail approaching the next weather mark, or while folding the headsail on the way to the leeward mark, and plug in each type of maneuver the next rounding may require. Prepare yourself so that when the tactician makes a call you can act quickly. Good preparation and fast action are most important just before and at the leeward mark, where quickly changing tactical situations will determine the exact maneuver you perform and will help get your boat around the mark efficiently.

Communication

Part of this preparation depends on communication between you and the rest of the boat. Be sure to have a talk with your helmsman and tactician before the season starts (or before the race if you’re on a new boat), and make sure the terminology for each takedown procedure is understood, and decide who will call for the halyards to be hoisted or blown. Touch base with your jib and spinnaker trimmers, and discuss the positioning and timing of the halyards and spinnaker pole during the takedowns. Talk to the pitman and mastman about cleanup after the leeward mark, so they can help you with the spinnaker sheets, halyards, and topping lift.

Good communication between the bowman and the tactician can make the difference between a well-managed boat and a real winner. A race can be won or lost approaching the last leeward mark rounding when a quick decision has to be made by the tactician and carried out by the bowman.

It is very important for a bowman to be able to estimate exactly how long it takes to carry out each type of maneuver. Your judgments, calculated by observing boatspeed and distance to the mark, are crucial, and will improve with experience. Experience will also enable you to wait until the last possible moment before committing to one maneuver or another, and still leave enough time to get the job done. Knowing these time limits will help you communicate with your tactician. He may, for example, request a different headsail after observing wind conditions closer to the mark. Most experienced tacticians will ask the bowman first if a quick change is possible, knowing that the bowman should be best able to make the judgment call. If the time allowed is marginal, it should be the bowman’s responsibility to determine whether a last-minute maneuver is feasible. Your tactician will also be watching the competition, and waiting until the last possible moment before committing the boat to a maneuver— just remember that it’s the bowman’s responsibility to get the jib up and the spinnaker down in time.

Headsails & Halyards

After rounding the windward mark, try to have the headsail folded and in its sausage bag as soon as it’s convenient. This eliminates clutter on the bow and also prepares you for a quick sail change if a different headsail is required for the next weather leg. Leave the jib halyard at the bow near the headstay so it can be used for a staysail if needed, and won’t be trapped on the wrong side of the topping lift and pole after jibing. The same goes for an extra spinnaker halyard if a spinnaker change is possible during the leg.

Well before the leeward mark, the first thing to prepare for is the headsail selection. Ask your tactician: If he’s not sure if the sail on deck is the right one, get the other sail being considered up on deck and ready, especially if you’ re near the mark. If you’ re leaning toward one sail more than the other, bring that sail’s tack near the headstay, but don’t break open the zipper or connect the halyard until you’re ready to hoist. This keeps your options open longer. If there’s a windshift, the tactician may request a different type of takedown, and you’ll have to move the sail to the other side of the foreguy.

Pole, Lift, and Sheets

Most boats over 40 feet use a dip-pole jibing system, where the pole is fixed on the mast and dipped inside the foretriangle during a jibe. The topping lift and foreguy are both connected to the pole with a single line, top and bottom, usually led to winches. This setup makes life simple for the bowman when compared to the end-for-end system used on smaller boats, where the wire bridles on the topping lift and foreguy make it harder to position the headsail and sheets off the wind.

With the dip-pole system, you can fold the headsail after the weather mark, disconnect the sheets from the sail, and connect them together, leaving them hanging over the inboard end of the pole, close to the mast, for the duration of the leg. After the proper headsail is picked and the type of takedown is determined, pull the connected sheets over the pole to the side of the boat on which the headsail will be hoisted. Have your mastman connect the sheets to the clew, but not until the sail is ready to be hoisted.

In general, you should not have to worry about the topping lift when you round the mark, as long as the pole is lowered inside the lifelines, and there is plenty of slack in the line. After gathering the spinnaker as the boat rounds the mark, the pole should be lowered to the deck, and the pit man should make sure the topping lift is out of the cleat and off the winch, especially if a quick tack is necessary. If time permits, attach the top­ping lift to the base of the mast – but if it’s more important to have weight on the rail at first, then that should take priority and the lift can be moved later.

Next month we’ll cover techniques for getting the spinnaker into the boat efficiently, and the different type of spinnaker takedown maneuvers you can choose from as you ap­proach the leeward mark.

A s we discussed last month, a good bowman has to be ready to perform a number of different types of spinnaker takedowns at the leeward mark, and he frequently won’t know for sure which one it will be until the tactician makes the call at the last minute. However, an experienced bow hand should be thinking ahead and anticipating which call the tactician will make, and be ready for any number of maneuvers close to the leeward mark.

Dousing the Spinnaker

The accompanying diagram has four examples that show the most common situations you’ll encounter, each showing the headsail on the side of the boat where it will be hoisted before dousing the spinnaker. In most takedown situations, the boat is preparing to round the mark while broad reaching when the spinnaker halyard is blown, as with Example 2. Two exceptions to this are when the boat is running deep, say during a floater takedown (1), or when close reaching at the end of a reach or if the boat has overstood the leeward mark at the end of a run (3). The key to dousing the spinnaker in all three of these standard takedown situations is the timing of the halyard release in relationship to the mark, and using the headsail to blanket the spinnaker. In light air, the spinnaker halyard can be blown at the last possible moment when the boat turns from a broad reach to a beam reach while rounding the mark. Make sure the spinnaker is kept well forward, and gathered underneath the headsail, which creates a void of air directly behind it and helps keep the spinnaker contained. Ease the spinnaker pole forward to the headstay just before the halyard is blown to get the clews closer together and the spinnaker directly behind the headsail.

When preparing to gather the spinnaker, grab the lazy after-guy first. This enables you to position yourself well forward, underneath the headsail, and near the forward hatch. Have someone down below pulling the chute down through the hatch to speed up the gathering process—he [or she] can also disconnect the sheet and guy, and hook them together for you. The bowman is then free to secure the halyard and hit the windward rail.

When dropping the halyard, the first two-thirds should be blown all at once. This collapses and spills wind from the sail quickly, keeping it close to the headsail. The spinnaker usually hovers just over the water, and can be gathered right away before it has ·a chance to fill with wind below the mainsail and blow behind the boat. In heavy air, the spinnaker should be at least 80-percent contained inside the boat before you round the mark. This may require blowing the halyard well before entering the two-boatlength circle, depending of course on the wind strength and the speed of the boat. In windy conditions, easing the pole forward to the headstay when the halyard is blown can cut the gathering time in half, especially when sailing a broad angle.

A variation on this maneuver is tripping the spinnaker off the pole almost simultaneously with the release of the halyard. The method can work beautifully when done correctly, especially when running deep on your approach to the mark. But it does make it more difficult to keep the spinnaker forward behind the headsail. If the sail is not contained well, it can easily fly behind the boat like a flag after rounding the mark. If you are approaching the mark on a close reach, this technique should not be attempted, especially in heavy air.

When dousing the spinnaker on a close reach leave yourself more time before the mark. The spinnaker will be harder to control, and will try to make its way back to the jib trimmer’s winch. Easing the topping lift and dropping the pole to the deck shortly after the halyard is blown will help stop the wind from getting underneath the sail, and prevent it from lifting while the crew is gathering the sail.

Approaches and Takedowns

There are a few variables to consider when deciding on a particular takedown, including the position of your closest competitors and your wind angle as you approach the mark. Despite the endless number of leeward-mark scenarios, most takedown maneuvers are based on a variation of either a standard take­down or a floater takedown.

Example 1 shows a situation where a floater takedown would work well. This takedown gets its name because the spinnaker is actually floating without a pole just before it is doused. Use this takedown when you need to jibe close to a mark in order to get around it. The headsail is set up on the leeward side of the boat prior to jibing (port side in this example) with the lazy jib sheet led over the pole. The headsail is hoisted, and when the boat jibes the pole is tripped and lowered to the deck. The topping lift can be left on the end of the pole (as long as you’re not using a bridle system) – just be sure it’s uncleated and off the winch. The spinnaker is then flown without a pole until the halyard is blown, and gathered underneath the headsail on the new leeward side. If the competition is close, it might pay to gather the spinnaker on the windward side to avoid contact with a leeward boat.

Example 4 shows how a lifting windshift or a competitor making a move to the inside might change your plan for a floater take­down into a standard takedown after a jibe. This will require moving the headsail and the sheets across to the windward side of the boat before jibing so it is clear to hoist right after the jibe. This procedure can be done quickly if the sail is kept in the sausage bag, and the halyard is secured at the headstay until the sail is ready to be hoisted— move the luff of the sail aft and around to the weather side of the foreguy before connecting the jib tack and halyard. Pull the sheets over the pole before connecting them on the correct side. Having J-lock-type shackles on the sheets can really help you and your mastman get the sheets un-hooked, pulled over the pole and hooked back up quickly if this approach is called for at the last moment. Right after the jibe is completed the headsail can be hoisted and the spinnaker gathered in a standard takedown.

If your approach is on a tight reach, as shown in Example 3, this should be treated like a standard takedown. The only difference is jibing the headsail over the spinnaker pole when rounding the mark. The spinnaker should be gathered and contained on the leeward side of the boat as the pole is lowered to the deck at the same time. Don’t attempt a floater drop in this situation. You’ll have little or no time to gather the spinnaker during or after the jibe. The boat has to make a turn greater than 180 degrees to go back upwind, so attempting to keep the spinnaker up during the rounding will result in a wider turn and a loss of valuable distance to the next windward mark. Most likely there’ll be traffic at the mark, so getting the spinnaker down early will help maneuverability, and give you more time for gathering, which you’ll need given the wind angle. An early drop while close reaching won’t hurt your boatspeed as much as it would while sailing a broader angle.

Original bio: Dan Schiff has worked the bow on a number of long-distance races from California to Mexico, and is a veteran of the last four Transpac races. In around-the-buoys competition he has won several national titles (Schock 35, Soverel 33, and Olson 30 Nationals), and regularly races in ULDB 70 events on the West Coast.

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2018 WORLD CUP SERIES MIAMI

Want to be able to hold your position on the line with the best of them? In dinghy sailing and skiff sailing, down-speed boathandling will get you well on your way. That’s because some boats, such as skiffs, often set up as early as 3 minutes from the start and have to hold their position on the line by doing tiny circles right up until the start. To do those, the goal is to always be in one of three modes—going forward, backward, or sideways—and never lose flow over the blades. A lot of people end up sitting on the line with no flow, and as a result have no control over their boats. But if you always have some form of flow, you have control. The goal of this drill is to maintain that flow and get really good at transitioning from one mode to the other. All you need is an inflatable mark, one you can hit without damaging the boat. In a nutshell, here’s the drill: Sail to the mark on the starboard tack layline, passing the mark to starboard. When the transom clears the mark, shoot head to wind, then backwind both sails and use the rudder to crab, or slide, the boat sideways to windward. Once on the other side of the mark, sail backward until the mark is off the port bow, and then repeat the drill. The most challenging part is moving the boat sideways after you first clear the mark. You must learn to balance the foils and the sails so you can put the bow just barely through head to wind, not yet on port tack, and get the boat to move sideways without spinning out to the left or right. Back the main on the port side with the bow slightly through head to wind. Then pull the tiller to windward—to starboard. The sails will push the boat up to the starboard side of the mark and rudder will push the stern up. When you first try this, you’ll likely have to scull to keep the boat under control, which of course is illegal. But the better you get at balancing the sails and foils, the less sculling you’ll need and eventually, if you balance the sails correctly, you won’t need to scull at all. The goal is to slide without having to use any rudder. It’s almost like you’re doing a really quick double tack. Done well, you’ll slide to windward of the mark without ever falling onto port tack.

Any time you’re doing the sliding part of this drill, you’re at risk of fouling a boat that’s sitting on starboard to windward of you. Get yourself as closely tucked in next to the boat to windward as possible without getting so close that they can touch you if they put the bow down. To do that, you have to know how far the boat’s going to slide. Also, you’re essentially tacking, as you’ve gone beyond head to wind, and you don’t get any rights until your bow is returns to a closehauled course.

The final segment is reverse mode, backing down past the mark. Site over the tiller, and the direction the tiller points to is the direction the back of the boat is going to go. For instance, if the tiller points to port, the stern is going to go to port. You now have reverse flow over the blades, meaning you still have steerage and thus control of the boat. Once your bow is to leeward of the mark, transition back to the starboard-tack mode.

If you can hold your position on the line, the more starting will become a tactical battle. If you’re the leeward boat, your goal is to be in sync with the windward boat. When the windward boat goes forward, you go forward. When the windward boat goes sideways to windward, you go sideways to windward. When the windward boat goes backwards, you go backwards. You’re doing that with the expectation that each time they make a small mistake, they fall into you a little bit more. A few mistakes on their part, and all of a sudden you’re in control of the windward boat.

If you’re windward boat, stay out of synch with the boat to leeward of you. When the leeward boat slides to windward, go forward and call starboard. That’s going to stop them from going sideways, and their next move will be to sail backward. When they do that, you should slide to windward. If you can get out of sync with the leeward boat, you control them.

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Achluophobia, the fear of the dark, is the third most common phobia in the world, with nearly 75 percent of adults reporting some level of fear when the lights go out. According to researchers at the University of Toronto, the fear of darkness is directly tied to the fear of the unexpected. To truly enjoy the peacefulness and beauty of nighttime sailing, the only thing needed is proper planning and preparation to reduce the anxiety that the unexpected can bring.

PLANNING

Weather and Course

All good sailors know that planning is essential to a successful trip, but when sailing at night it is paramount. Check multiple weather sources frequently and especially in the hours leading up to sunset. Make sure you have studied your charts and know your nighttime route thoroughly. Know which areas could be problematic, the estimated time you will arrive in those locations, and who will be on watch during that time. Put your most experienced sailors or those familiar with the area on shift when entering your identified “danger zones.” Click here for a review of forecast sevices and apps to help.

Emergency Exit

While you are examining your charts, identify a few key locations (if applicable) you can divert to in the event that you face unexpected inclement weather. The lee of an island, a protected bay, or an alternative harbor facility are all options. Always have a backup plan for wind shifts and emergency situations such as injury or mechanical failure.

Timing

Plan the arrival at your destination during daylight hours, especially if you are unfamiliar with the passage or harbor. Arriving during the day gives you better visibility for unlit markers, natural hazards, and the advantage of knowledgeable harbormasters and dockhands to assist you. This may mean you need to purposefully slow down, turn off course, or speed up by motoring to arrive at your destination during the day.

WATCHKEEPING

Schedule

Unless you are sailing solo, it is a good idea to put in place a structured schedule to dictate watchkeeping duties while sailing at night. A clear schedule gives all crew members accountability during the passage and prevents individuals from getting overly fatigued and making potentially critical mistakes.

Rotations

Standard watchkeeping is set in four-hour rotations which is the amount of time needed for a full cycle of REM sleep. If there are two people aboard and you are traveling only for one night, the recommendation is to establish a four-hour solo shift, followed by a one-hour shift with both people on watch, followed by a four-hour solo shift. The hour shared shift gives the two crewmates an opportunity to make any sail changes; do a perimeter check of the boat to look for anything unusual; and check the weather, charts, and course together and make any necessary deviations from the plan. This schedule allows the person coming on shift a bit of time to thoroughly wake up before being left alone on deck. If you are keeping a watch schedule for more than one night, stick to the four hour increments so that you can continue the watch schedule for a 24-hour period.

If there are more than two people on the boat, set up a rotation with a primary, secondary, and off-shift person. The secondary person is “on call” for assistance that the primary watch keeper may need while the off-shift person gets uninterrupted sleep.

PERSONAL SAFETY & COMFORT

Safety is always the most important factor to consider when sailing, and there are several safety rules that should always be observed when sailing at night.

Lifejacket

The first and most important rule is to always wear a lifejacket…and wear it correctly. It’s a hotly debated topic whether you should choose an automatically inflating vest or a manual one (read about The Great Inflatable PFD Debate and get the lowdown on the different styles from an expert). It’s important you do your own research, assess the pros and cons of each type, and pick the system that is best for you and your adventure. Regarless which way you go, wearing a lifejacke is really is a no-brainer: It’s the single most important piece of safety gear a sailor has and is worthy of the investment needed to get one that is as comfortable as possible and includes features such as a strobe light, built-in harness, and a whistle (or someplace to store one). This is your first line of defense against a potential disaster. They may not always be fashionable or comfortable, but they are absolutely necessary while on deck – especailly at night.

Buddy System

In addition to having your PFD on at all times, it is paramount that no one ever leave the cockpit of the boat at night to check a potential issue without observing the buddy system. If the issue is minor and can wait until the next person is on deck, try your best to delay waking up your crewmates. If the problem requires immediate attention, wake up the secondary person and explain the issue. Once that person is on deck, attach yourself to the boat using a tether and proceed with the necessary repairs or sail changes. Never leave the cockpit without alerting another crew member and waiting until they are on deck.

Stay Fueled + Warm

Food, hydration, and proper attire are important considerations for nighttime crew that are easily overlooked. Having snacks, water, warm beverages, and plenty of layers within reach can make your night shift more enjoyable. Try starting with more layers than you think you will need, including a hat, socks, and gloves (even in tropical climates). It’s much easier to remove layers as you become warm than to search for the clothes you need once you become chilled. This takes energy you need to conserve for staying alert during your watch.

Think Ahead

Lastly, think of all the other things you may need to have on deck with you during your shift and have them ready when the time comes. A good kit might include a headlamp, spotlight, smart phone, headphones, Chapstick, Kindle, logbook, and writing utensil. This helps you to be considerate of your crewmates by limiting your movement on deck or going below and turning on lights to look for something you forgot. Your night-shift experience and your crewmates’ attitudes will be more positive if you spend a few minutes preparing for your watch before the sun goes down.

VESSEL CONSIDERATIONS

Conserve Energy

Keep in mind the needs and capabilities of your vessel while sailing at night. It is likely that you will use more power than you are making. Running your navigation lights, autopilot, radar, refrigeration, heat, air conditioning, water pumps, and other electronics will suck your batteries dry if you are not careful. Unless you have a wind turbine, running a generator may be the only option to keeping your battery bank from getting dangerously low. If you have to run a generator, be considerate again of your crew mates and try to run it while you are both awake or for an equal portion over two shifts. Be mindful of how much power your vessel draws and try to reduce your consumption as much as possible by using headlamps or flashlights instead of overhead lighting and hand steering for the first hour or two of your shift. Stock up on unrefrigerated snacks and beverages so you can eliminate opening and running the refrigeration systems. A significant amount of power can also be used if your vessel is set up with electric winches and roller furling systems. If possible, use the opportunity to practice trimming sails by hand. Your boat and your crewmates below will thank you for conserving power and keeping noise to a minimum.

Be Ready for Changes

If your vessel is not equipped with roller furlings, make sure that you have prepared before dark for potential sail changes, reefing, and wind shifts. If you think the wind is going to lighten up halfway through the night, have a larger geneoa rigged and ready at the bow for a quick and easy change between shifts. If the wind is going to build, make sure you know how to reef the sails and do a take-down if necessary. Always be more conservative with your sail area when traveling at night. Reef and reduce early to give yourself a wide safety margin.

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We reached out to a mix of successful sailors to find out what they want the other crew members to keep in mind to help them execute their job the best they can. Here’s what they had to say:

Bow:

“The race is not over until the spinnaker comes down. It is easy to switch to recovery mode right after crossing the finish line, but this can be costly with a messy takedown, ripped or wet sail. To go along with this, after races finish send the jib bag up before the food bag! It’s frustrating for the bow when I’m are ready to flake the jib and everybody is eating.

I am happy to see the tactician’s general awareness of the bow team. We understand tacking mid jib-flake can’t always be avoided, but a quick cleanup with everyone cooperating makes life much easier. Lastly, my lifeline is the pit position, I like when this person is attentive and stays by their position until the bow team finishes cleaning up between races!”

Mast:

“The mast is a lot easier when trimmers have patience on the set. They can pop the spinnaker open by sheeting too early and make the mast and foredeck look terrible! My key teammates are sewer and pit: a spinnaker set never works well if the trimmers, mast, sewer and pit are working independently, but when we hit on all cylinders, the set will be a thing of beauty. The other critical players to a happy mast are the tactician and helmsman. If the boat isn’t in proper orientation to the wind when it is time to take the spinnaker down disaster can strike. A great bow/mast team will make it work, but a little waggle to help collapse the spinnaker goes a long way for a clean drop.”
– Andrew Spaulding

Pit:

“Be mindful of where things are thrown. For example: a jib change on the run, I may not be the one putting the old jib or bag down below, so I ask teammates to be mindful of the flaked kite halyard. I flake it once and then spend the rest of my run focusing on weight placement, pole position, finding the leeward marks and it becomes time consuming to have my head in the boat for longer than necessary.

The pit is in the middle of two groups. When it comes to maneuvers, the bow and brain trust may not always be on the same page, and I often have to decide which one to follow. If the back of the boat is calling for something that the bow is not ready to do; I can’t force the issue. I can facilitate it, convey the sense of urgency, but I can’t take the spinnaker down or jibe it by myself. This communication becomes easier if I receive clear and timely information from either end of the boat.”
–Scott Murin

Headsail Trimmer:

“Acknowledgment of communication. If I ask a teammate to do something, they should either act on it immediately or answer ‘copy’. If there is no acknowledgment, the person making the request often asks two or three times getting louder each time. I often see this situation and, my ultimate pet peeve is when the teammate finally answers and says ‘I HEARD YOU!’ When people say “copy” I can leave the task with them and move on. My other suggestion is to make habit of saying the person’s name before making a request so their attention is grabbed and time is not wasted by repeating what they didn’t hear before their name was called (this could be the difference between a collision and a race win).” Morgan Trubovich

“A briefing with the days goals. There should be a morning discussion describing the weather, potential courses, and anything else important. After the team is on the same page, people can break into groups depending on who they need to interact with throughout the day. I talk to my offside trimmer and grinders about what situations may come up and then I talk to the main trimmer about possible sails and boat settings.

It is also important to have quiet and calm maneuvers. I like to have ongoing discussions about what’s to come so when the boat is actually turning everyone has already anticipated their weight placement and I can focus on feeling the sheet run through my hands.”
– Dave Gerber

Main Trimmer:

“The most important thing is pressure calls and relatives. A main trimmer is ‘head in the boat’ which only gives them so much feel, so consistent and accurate information are crucial for boat speed. I am happy with simple dialogue with the tactician to know what modes are expected. If we develop standard steps, it becomes easy to be on same page.

The jib and main must also cooperate, they are constantly working together to make the boat do what the tactician wants. As a main trimmer, I let the jib do what they want and communicate when they are hitting the main or when they can be tighter. It’s good to develop concise key words and terminologies for any maneuver where the main has to be fine-tuned; some examples: high build, high kill, half tack, speed build, or racing.”
– Luke Lawrence

Driver:

“I love it when new crew get onboard, listen to the race conversation and offer input where it might be lacking or where he/she can contribute value. For example, if no one is calling breeze on the rail, it’s great to have a crew take the initiative to make very concise and valuable breeze calls (Puff on in 3, 2, 1….). It’s also great when new crew take a few minutes to observe, listen and see what info or help might be needed instead of diving right in without first watching or thinking. It’s valuable when a crew member offers input and “finishes the sentence.” How many times have you heard someone say “…the right has a lot of pressure….” AND what??? Inquiring minds want to know. Finish the sentence: “… and they look strong/are headed/etc.” Completing the sentence and picture for the tactician, driver and speed team is extremely helpful. A positive attitude and imploring the “5 second rule” (does what I’m about to say make sense and is it valuable? Am I finishing the sentence with my comment? ) make any crew a welcome addition to my boat.”

Tactician:

“Come with a game face on. There is always time for bar talk, but it shouldn’t be before racing. I appreciate team members who get to the boat and prepare their position for racing. When people scatter and aren’t responsible for their area it takes away from what I need to be doing as a tactician and the performance suffers.”
– Geoff Ewenson

“Clear and short communication. I am happy when the trimmers and I are in sync with what steps we will take as conditions change. It is helpful for me to understand which way the trimmer is likely to move the leads, etc. as the breeze changes. For me, tactical input and observations are certainly invited before situations happen, especially 10 minutes before a start.”
– George Szabo

Boat Captain:

“Ask questions at the right time. I love when people want to learn and be involved with how the boat comes together, but choose a time when not much else is going on, probably not when I’ve just sat down to service a winch. I love it when each crew member takes responsibility for their station and addresses problems early, and to take it one step further if they are part of the solution whether it be a short term regatta fix or the long term ultimate fix, it’s fun to bounce ideas off others.

My life becomes easier when teammates self-delegate. I think of tasks as skilled and unskilled; if you are unsure how to help with the skilled boat work, there are always unskilled items that can be taken care of. Examples: filling water bottles, organizing down below, grabbing food and clean up. And if you still don’t know what to do, ask yourself, ‘If I were running this boat, what would I want done right now?'”
– Kyle Kant

– – –

This article is brought to you by Quantum Sails.

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Distance sailboat racing is a growing segment of our beloved sport. Offering new and different challenges, distance races around the world have attracted sailors with various degrees of offshore experience.

Part one digs into four simple onboard optimizations you can make to help ready your boat for distance racing. Here are the key takeaways to remember.

1) Weight Distribution

• Store weight in a low, centralized location and remind your crew of this.
• Remove all non-essential gear and items.
• Check cupboards and drawers for hidden items.
• Don’t skimp on safety equipment to save on weight!

2) Repeatable Settings

• Useful locations to mark repeatable settings:
• backstay
• halyards and blocks
• jib leads
• ​Use tape and deck stickers to mark and record successful settings.
• Write down settings and conditions and experiment until you find the best mix for your boat.

3) Bow Lacing

• Lacing material can be as simple as closeline from the hardware store.
• If you don’t have eyes or a rail already along the base, tie bungie cording between the bottom of your stantions for the base of the lacing. This avoids the need to drill holes for anchor points.
• “V” and Diamond lacing patterns are most common – if you run straight lines, space them 12-18 inches apart.

4) Setting an offboard lead

• Use an extra winch to control the new sheet after it’s attached before you release the old sheet.
• Make a tweaker line with a snap shackle and a snatch block to control the leech of the sail.

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 to get a step-by-step look at reefing your mainsail and performing headsail changes.

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A big piece of the “speed loop” that’s often overlooked, especially in smaller boats, is rudder angle. I was recently chatting with main trimmer Warwick Fleury about_ Alinghi 100_, the winning boat in the 32nd America’s Cup. They sailed this boat when it was new for some time thinking it was perhaps not a step forward. Then one day, they put up a jib that was built for a different rake than the normal rake. All of a sudden, the boat started winning speed tests and eventually won the Cup. We had a similar situation at Luna Rossa with an older boat. Everything possible had been tested, from rudders to keels and masts to structures. It was not a very fast boat. Then we moved the mast forward a few inches, and the boat came alive. The gain from getting the balance correct was bigger than anything else we tested.

So amid such talk about optimum rake for various boats, how can you tell when you’ve really nailed it—that it’s just right? The answer can often be found in the amount of helm you’re carrying. In very general terms, you want to sail upwind with an angle of attack of about 5 to 7 degrees. The angle of attack is the sum of your rudder angle and the amount of leeway you’re making (see diagram). The more leeway your boat makes, the less rudder angle you need. Conversely, the less leeway your boat makes, the more rudder angle you need. Regardless, the combination of those numbers should be around 5 to 7 degrees. For example, if your boat slides through the water with 5 degrees of leeway, you should be carrying about 2 degrees of rudder angle. Boats such as Melges 32s, Farr 40s, and J/24s make a lot of leeway, so they’ll carry minimum rudder angle. At the other end of the spectrum, an Etchells, with its skeg, or a Star, with its hard chines, make very little leeway and, as a result, will carry at least 5 degrees of rudder angle.

How much leeway does your boat make? It can be tough to figure this out; you can measure forever and still not account for things such as current, waves, boatspeed, and angle of heel. Since you’ll probably never come up with the exact number, the best you can do is work in general terms—does your boat make a lot of leeway or just a little? A good starting point is to note how you have to approach the windward mark. Can you tack right on the layline, point the boat at the mark and make it, or do you have to sail on the layline with your bow pointed above the mark to fetch it? If there is no current, use a GPS and make some runs at a mark. Checking your COG (course over the ground) versus your heading will also give you an idea about your boat’s leeway.

Once you have a sense for the amount of leeway your boat makes, the next step is to find out where the tiller is, relative to the boat’s centerline, when the rudder is lined up with the keel or centerboard. Just because the tiller is centered, don’t assume the rudder is, too. I’ve found that the tiller will almost always be off to one side or another. With a Star or an Etchells, you can pull the boat out of the water and put a straight edge along each side of the skeg and aft over the rudder. Then measure the distance from the trailing edge to the straight edge on each side of the rudder. If your boat is in the water or does not have a skeg, find a day with smooth water and no wind. Motor the boat to full speed, shut the motor off, raise the motor shaft out of the water, and just drift. With the crew in the middle of the boat, the boat should track straight when the rudder is straight. If the boat doesn’t have a motor, you can tow it quickly, keeping the boat out of the towing vessel’s prop wash. Then release the towline and drift to achieve the same results.

Once you know where the tiller is when the rudder is centered, you can create some benchmarks. With the tiller locked in the rudder-centered position, rotate the tiller extension so that it is 90 degrees from the tiller. Put a mark on the tiller extension (if its length is not adjustable, use the end of it) and then put a corresponding mark on the side of the deck, directly under it (see diagram inset). Using some basic geometry, you can put marks indicating 0 to 7 degrees of rudder angle. To determine the distance between each degree mark, multiply 0.017 by the horizontal distance from the center of the rudder pivot point to the center of the mount for the tiller extension—aka the effective length of the tiller. For a 36-inch tiller, each mark will be 0.63 inches apart. Now you have some reference points for determining whether or not your boat is balanced, and you can make adjustments to your rig setup from there.

It’s helpful to know your rudder angle in situations other than when sailing upwind. Whenever you’re accelerating out of a tack or accelerating on the starting line, you need to have your rudder on, or close to, centerline. You can use the marks you put on the deck to confirm its location. Often on the starting line, you’re head to wind, and you bear away by pulling the tiller toward you, which is fine; you have to do that. You end up at a broad angle—this is where the mistake is commonly made—and, as the boat accelerates, you start turning the boat up to closehauled with the rudder. When your rudder is pushed to leeward, its angle of attack is 0 degrees, so it’s basically just sliding through the water, not generating any side force or lift. All the lift is coming from your keel. If your competition next to you is able to keep their rudder generating more lift than yours, they will accelerate faster than you. The same is true when coming out of a tack. You’re making a similar turn up to your new course and want both the keel and rudder to generate lift.

Even downwind you want some positive helm, especially if you’re not sailing dead downwind. Any time you’re hiking or planing on boats with asymmetric spinnakers, you’re generating side force. So you need to generate lift to counteract that and transform that side pressure into forward speed. Watch where your tiller extension lines up with the deck marks to quantify the amount of positive helm you’re using.

This article originally appeared under Boatspeed in the November/December 2012 issue of Sailing World.

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While engineering championship-winning sails starts with sitting at a computer playing with state-of-the-art software, it also involves hours on the water watching, observing, and testing. Already this year, I’ve been to Davis Island for the J/70 Winter Series and at Quantum Key West Race Week to look at J/70s and C&C 30s to get real-life knowledge and feedback, and I made some interesting observations. While my intent was to look at sail shapes and set-ups, something else caught my attention, and it may have a bigger impact in terms of speed around the race course!

Moving Weight

Many J/70 sailors – and possibly anybody with an attraction to small, planing boats – spent their early days in dinghies. For me, it was Lasers. I remember how much my weight moved fore-and-aft and side-to-side depending on sea state and wind velocity. In light air, I sat on the board with my legs to leeward, sheet between my legs, heeling the boat so maybe only a third of it was actually in the water. In heavy air, I was butt-back, hiking as hard as I could, moving weight as-needed to get the boat over the top of a wave. Once I was on the wave, it was back again, hoping the bow did not dig.

In the J/70 class at both Davis Island and Key West, we saw wind speeds from 6-25 knots, with moderate chop up to bigger waves. The polished teams at the front of the fleet moved their weight like I used to on a Laser. I am not talking about ooching or sudden weight movements – these were slow, controlled movements depending on heel angle or fore and aft trim. No doubt they had practiced and discussed their movements, as everybody on the boat worked the boat.

Big Gains Downwind

In these conditions, where the boats would come on and off a plane, there was too much weight aft for extended periods. This is also where I saw the biggest gains and the biggest losses occur. While the goal is to keep the rudder in the water, do not get stuck stern-down, bow-up waiting for the next puff. It’s a delicate dance in medium-to-heavy air as you certainly don’t want to end up bow-down and stern-up (or the next conversation will be how far to ease the asymmetrical halyard!).

Remember that the big gains are made downwind, especially in asymmetrical boats sailing at different angles. Going around the top mark is no time to relax.

In downwind mode in light air, the focus must be on heel angle, reducing wetted surface the best you can. Try to keep a consistent heel angle along with a fore and aft placement that gets the stern out of the water. To do this, practice getting the same people in the same places. In heavy air, the focus should be keeping the boat on a plane, so sail flat with an eye towards fore and aft trim.

In non-planing conditions, where you can go wing-on-wing, the focus should be reducing wetted surface, but with a twist – let gravity help fill the sail. Work on heeling the boat to weather (same side as the asymmetrical) and keep the heel consistent so the sail doesn’t bounce around.

Always be Racing

While the tendency is to breathe once around the top mark, you want to work harder on your downwind legs. Move the weight as needed and work together as a team. The payoff will be a lot greater than any gains that could be made upwind!

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