WOW- Bill Brangiforte 2012 World Championships

12/23/2022 6:29 pm

Bill Brangiforte WOW: From the 2012 World Championship

 

Posted November 01, 2012

Thoughts from the 2012 Sunfish World Championships in St. Petersburg

With light winds and sometimes strong current, the 2012 Sunfish Worlds was not the most exciting series I have ever been in, but it was one of the most interesting! Never have I seen so many penalties, flags, and people walking around reading rule books. However, the yacht club and city were quite nice, and after the regatta, there was much to talk about. The most important thing to take away from an event like this is that it should be used as a learning experience. Let’s take a look at some lessons learned.

 

I have said this before, and I certainly learned it again; before going to a big event, brush up on race committee procedures. I don’t think I have ever been to a major event where something confusing didn’t happen. This time , there were Z flag and OCS penalties that carried over into the next race after an abandonment , lots of yellow flag penalties, and a confusing finish, at the gate, after shortening the course at the second weather mark. (You are supposed to finish between the gate marks). After Tuesday’s races, people were trying, and failing at getting redress and everyone’s head was spinning. This leads to lesson two!

 

Tuesday night, when we got back to the house Chris Williams, Eric and I were renting, we were all annoyed. We spent most of the night angrily discussing the day’s events. We all had foul trouble- Chris had a Z flag penalty (20%) and his first yellow flag penalty, Eric had an OCS and Z flag penalty (40%), and I had my second Yellow flag( one more and I would basically be out of the regatta). So, here is the second lesson- Once these penalties occur, you need to move on! As I get older, I see more and more similarities between racing sailboats and other parts of life! I see it all the time running a business. Crazy things happen, but you still need to focus on the tasks at hand! To some people, this comes naturally, while others struggle with it. I am somewhere in the middle. The main tasks for the next day’s race didn’t change- We still needed to focus on the basics- getting a good start, playing shifts and going fast! Actually, anytime things are not going well, or you are having a bad series, stop and think about the important basic things necessary to sail well. When doing this, I find it helpful to think about things that have worked well in the past and try to do the same things again.

 

Speaking of doing things that have worked in the past, there is a new rig that the Southern group is using. It is basically a Forrester Jens rig that is used in light air. It allows the rig to sit farther aft. This moves the center of effort back and allows for tighter sheeting, without bending the boom. I used it the first day and had good results (I don’t think it had anything to do with the rig) and felt slow the second day, so I took it out and did not think about for the rest of the week. I just don’t think a World Championship is a good place to test a new rig. This set-up does deserve some further thought however. Amanda used it all week and was fast. She said that she had to move her gooseneck back to 16’’ to balance the boat. This makes sense, since bringing the center of effort aft increases helm. Tom Whitehurst used it all week and was one of the fastest on the course. Had he not had starting penalties, he would have been in the top 3. On the other hand, the winner, Alex Zimmermann, was clearly the fastest guy on the course and he did not use it. Perhaps, we could do some speed testing with it this winter if we get some good Southerly’s and thus some fairly long beats.

 

One thing I noticed about Whitehurst, was that he sails the boat very flat! This would be particularly important with that rig, in order to balance the helm. In the last race, I was having trouble holding off a group of fast South American Kids, until I started sailing the boat flatter. Once I did this, I was able to match their speed and effectively cover them. Zimmermann sails with some heel, but I think he flattens the boat once he feels he is moving ok. He also sails with the tiller extension behind him (frying eggs style) and is crazy fast upwind!

 

There was definitely a good strategy for sailing the first beat in this regatta. It is basically the same strategy used anytime the fleet is large and the wind is light. The trick is to analyze which side looks better before the start, then start and initially work toward that side. Once you are out towards your chosen side, start watching the fleet! Once boats to windward, on the same tack as you, start falling bow down to you, tack back towards the center to consolidate your gain. You want to play a side (there is less breeze in the middle of the course), but you need to keep using your gains to work back towards the middle. Now here is the tricky part – once you start working back in, if boats to leeward (on the same Tack) are also heading in- go with them. Don’t tack until they do! This requires patience. There is no reason to tack out, if the leeward boats are more towards the middle, since you will still get the puffs first, but are not risking being hung out to dry if the breeze goes hard the other way. While heading back to the middle, if you have a good lane, it is a great time to put the bow and foot. Stuart Walker calls this- “Moving out, then digging in!” Now, unless you are near the top of the fleet, you must move back to a side as you approach the weather mark. The area, to leeward, between the weather mark and the offset mark becomes a “cone of death” as the lead boats begin to round and head downwind. Between the light air, chop and large number of boats, that area becomes almost unsailable (not sure if that is a word). So, the drill is –Move out-move in- move out. In my 5 good races, I followed that strategy and was in good shape at the first mark. In two of my bad races, I simply did not dig back in when an opportunity presented itself. I was greedy, waiting for a bigger shift, then got out of faze and finally got clobbered when the breeze went the other way. Had I tacked back in when I got a small gain (there were opportunities) I would have been back in the fight!

 

Remember, anytime the wind is shifty upwind (as it was in St. Pete) it will be equally shifty downwind. This presents great opportunities for gains. I made some decent comebacks, by simply paying attention downwind. There seemed to be pack mentalities downwind. Many times, boats would be sailing dead downwind, on each other’s breeze, while sailing away from the gate. Since there was sometimes a strong opposing tide, (as it is on the Warren River) it was extremely important to keep the boat moving fast by 1. Keeping the boat heated up (broad reaching or sailing by the lee) 2. Keeping as clear a lane as possible behind you and 3. Staying in the strongest pressure you can get to. Whenever things got tense, or I felt slow downwind, I simply watched the angle of my mast head fly and headed towards the best pressure. I also found it best to avoid the “cone of death” downwind as well. This generally meant that you would have to stay high initially when starting the run.

 

My sister jokingly tells me not to give out all of my tricks in these Words of wisdom, because “someday, in some important race, it will come back to haunt you”. Well, apparently, someone printed one of my old WOWs from Barrington Frostbite, on how to sail in current, in the Sunfish worlds.org website during the regatta. The article says “when the committee boat is pointing down the line, due to current, start at the boat. Well, the next day, that was happening. On top of that, the boat was favored and the right side of the course had more pressure. Seemed like a no brainer. However, as I sat at the boat, in the biggest logjam I have ever been in, I thought – Maybe Rene was right! I think it was 45 seconds after the start, before I even crossed the starting line! The lesson here, like everything else in life, is-if it is too good to be true-think twice about! The right move here would have been to sit on port tack, near the boat, and watch how the fleet is setting up. If there looks like the fleet is going to pile up at the boat, tack and work your way down the line a bit. However, if it doesn’t look too crowded there, and the tide is pushing the boats away from the committee boat, get up there. If it is not too crowded, you can even try a barging start.

 

Speaking of starts, an interesting situation occurred in the last race. With about 4 minutes to go before the gun, the wind went hard left. It was so far left that it was hard to cross the line on Starboard tack. Many of the competitors were complaining that the committee should postpone. What they should have been doing was paying attention! All day, the breeze tended right and by simply looking upwind, you could see the same thing was happening again. The lefty was a temporary oscillation. The left looked really weak and light, yet the fleet was piling up at the pin. I started at the boat and immediately tacked. This accomplished two things- First, it put me on the favored (long) tack, and second it got me into the new, stronger pressure coming from the right. Once I got into this pressure, I tacked immediately (trying not to be greedy this time), put the bow down hard, and footed back towards the middle of the beat. This ended up working out really well.

 

A couple of final thoughts-

Alex Zimmermann sailed a fantastic series, and clearly deserved the win!

The Sunfish worlds.org website was awesome! Even some of my non-sailing friends thought it was cool. It would be great for the class to have a site like that!

I certainly wish Len Ruby was here so I could tell him all about the Regatta, as I have done so many times over the last several years! I would also love his input on the new rig!
Ok- now let’s get everyone out on the river this winter for some good practices

 

Bill Brangiforte

 

WOW - Andy David Fall 2012 Season

12/23/2022 6:27 pm

Posted November 01, 2012

The Fall 2012 season was characterized by light, shifty breezes and as always in the Warren River, there was a strong current. As would be expected with light conditions, nobody dominated every week, with Scott winning 3 of the weeks, and Bill and I each taking 2. In the end, it was “not having a bad race” that was the key. Scott and I ended virtually tied, with the math going in my favor. Here are some of what I think were keys to success.

 

*The start. The start is very important, especially in the short courses that we sail in Frostbite, much like what college sailors spend 6 days a week perfecting over 4 years. Though it has been a long time since those days for me, there are still some key rules that I follow that some really great coaches and sailors taught me.

 

1. Never gybe before the start. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that it is the move that has the most risk of a capsize or crash, or snagging your mainsheet on something, especially if it is windy. It also moves you away from the line quickly, which with the short starting sequence is usually not good. I have to admit that I occasionally break this rule if it is light wind, and the tide is against the wind.

 

2. Stay within the triangle. When sailing back and forth along the line before the start, never go outside the laylines to the boat and the pin. I actually rarely go outside a box perpendicular to the ends. The idea is not to win every start, it is just to be in the front row with speed. Going outside the box can put you in high risk places, depending on how other boats setup. It also leaves you less options if there is a windshift. 

 

3. Never setup for a barging start. This is related to staying within the triangle. Though occasionally someone barging ends up with a hole, and then can tack off to the right (when that is clearly favored due to current) and be first to the windward mark. That won’t happen every time. Others will figure it out and cause congestion there. And remember, the best series is the one with the least bad races.


 

4. Once the gun goes off, stick the bow up and go. If you are thinking that you are close to the line before the start with your bow down, don’t keep it there as the gun goes off. Steer up hard and sheet in. Remember it only matters where your bow is at go, so don’t hold off after the gun or your close-to-the-line start could be wasted.

 

5. For the minute after the start, you should have full concentration on boatspeed and hiking. If you have a decent start, this is what will put you in the front row, and allow you to make your own decisions. The only time that I break this rule is if there is a big left shift, and I can tack and cross.



*In a shifty breeze, do not bang a corner…even if you are behind. One may think that in a shifty breeze, the most gain can be made by banging a corner. However, what we typically see is an oscillating breeze that has shifts less than every 3 minutes. So, that means that you want to take advantage of every shift, and you can’t do that if you are in a corner. Now, many times the winner of the first leg does come out of a corner with the last shift, but consistency is the key, and the next few boats are usually those that played each shift/puff. This brings up an interesting starting situation. As long as the starting line is square to the average shift, then I would say that you can start anywhere on the line, even if there happens to be a left or right shift at the start.

 

*New rig setup. Eric, Bill and Amanda came back from the Worlds with information on a new rig setup that some were using. Considering that my boatspeed has been quite variable in recent years, I was quick to give it a try. It is actually simple to do if you are already setup with an adjustable jens rig. You basically put in a jens, and then just snug the upper halyard. As I understand it, this pivots the rig back and allows for tighter sheeting without bending the boom. Therefore allowing for higher pointing. The other thing that it does is shift the whole rig back. So, you then need to move the rig a bit forward by sliding the gooseneck back. I sailed in the light stuff with the gooseneck at 15.5”, where I would normally have it at 14”. I found that the boat was really balanced in the light stuff without having to heel the boat, which seemed fast.

 

*Downwind can be more important than upwind! This fall we had multiple weeks when the current was moving against the wind. This caused there to be a longer time sailing downwind than upwind. The fleet would get to the windward mark quickly, and then all come to a big slow down and crunch together as they rounded the windward mark. Being first around the windward mark was always precarious, and it was very difficult to hold that place. So, there is no relaxing downwind. You need to search the puffs, and also understand the tidal flows. It can be a long way downwind. A few years ago Bill gave be some really good advice on sailing in a big fleet. When you round the windward mark, you need to escape. Ensure that you catch the first puff or wave, and just get out of there. The situation quickly changes at a windward mark, where the boats ahead go from having clear air to very dirty air. I find when the wind and current are against each other, even in a small fleet, this advice is very beneficial.

 

*Keep a notebook. This fall, I started keeping a digital notebook, writing down the conditions and happenings each week. I use Evernote, so when I am thinking about any situation that came up, I can update that via my laptop, iPad or any via any other device on the web. Just writing things down really enforces lessons. 

 

Happy New Year! See you in March!

WOW - Andy David: Bolton Lake Regatta 2013

12/23/2022 6:26 pm

Words of Wisdom: Andy David on Bolton Lake Regatta 2013

Posted May 28, 2013

Bolton Lake - May 19, 2013 - Andy David

 

Having only sailed on Bolton Lake (a small lake in Connecticut) once, 10 years ago, I was not sure what to expect.  Though, as I was rigging up, everyone told me that this place is known for some crazy shifts, and to never think that you have won or lost until you cross the finish line.  Though I did take this to heart all the way until I finished the last race, I actually never saw the craziness play out this year.  The shifty southerly was predictable from my perspective, and never went too hard in either direction, and never stayed to one side for too long.  So, here is what I think were key to my day.

 

Protect the Middle - I really learned this frostbiting this year in many shifty northerlies.  With breezes that are shifting multiple times on a leg, it is important to stay towards the middle so that you can take advantage of as many shifts as possible.  If you go out to a corner seeing a big puff over there, you may actually get to it and get a big advantage half-way up the beat, only to see your leverage slowly disappear as those in the middle do multiple extra tacks and stay lifted for the remainder of the beat.  I sailed up the middle every beat, except in the last race, but I will get to that later.

 

Don't Hesitate to Tack - The puffs coming down the course in general moved straight down and did not fan out.  I realized early that you did not have to sail into the puff too much before getting the benefit.  So, I would work my way to the puff, and just as I got there, tack and take the puff back to the middle.  It was always important for me to know what was going on just on my hip, so I would know what it would look like when I tacked.

 

Sunglasses - Though it was cloudy out, I left my sunglasses on.  I usually take them off, but I was actually wearing a pair that brightened things up.  I took them off a few times between races, and I could not see the puffs as well.

 

Sail Heavy When Lifted - When you are on the lifted tack, there is a tendency to take it up as high as possible to get the biggest advantage.  However, in a situation like we had, it should be expected that the next puff/shift will go the other direction.  So I find that I sail heavy in a lift, and really look for speed to the next puff.

 

The Last Race - Going into Race 6, Bill and I were tied with a throwout.  My throwout was a 4 and Bill's was a 7.  So, to win, I needed to either beat Bill and/or ensure that he finished worst than 4th.  There was nobody else that could win based on the math.  Bill and I came off of the line about even, with him about 3 boats above me.  The first shift went to the left, and I tacked and crossed him.  I go back to my first point above, Protect the Middle.  I set myself up so that I had a cover on Bill, but was closer to the middle than him, always wanting to move him to a corner.  We did a whole bunch of tacks up the left side and rounded the windward mark 1, 2, with Drew Staniar right there with us.  Drew got by Bill before the leeward mark, and going back upwind it was a similar story. I followed Bill to the left, always staying to the right of him.  We gradually moved back in the fleet.  Once I was confident that he was far enough to the corner, without any moves left.  I moved back to the middle with enough boats in between us to feel safe for the rest of the race.

WOW - Brangiforte: Wequaquet Lake Regional

12/23/2022 6:25 pm

WOW from Wequaquet Lake Regional (Brangiforte)

Posted August 10, 2013

Word of Wisdom
Bill Brangiforte
Aug. 2013

 

I wanted to express a couple of quick thoughts about the Wequaquet Regionals while they are still fresh in my head. I will briefly discus some tactical stuff and expand on it in later WOWS. More importantly, I want to talk about some of the things that went on off the water.

While Driving to The Cape, for the clinic, on the Friday, I began to think about an overall strategy for the regatta.  We knew the fleet was going to be very strong and the breeze was going to be decent and from the Northeast, a direction I had not seen before on the lake. My plan was to try to do three things- Be patient, be observant, and let others make mistakes. I will try to explain these.
I think I have lost this regatta in the first race, more times than I can count. It always happens the same way- I round the last leeward mark close behind someone ( maybe 3rd or 4th) and try to pass them by doing something stupid, like tacking off the favored tack, and end up losing the two boats behind me. Of course, in the final standings, I end up 2 points behind the winner! This time, I rounded the leeward mark right behind Drew Buttner. He stayed on the lifted tack and sailed towards an incoming righty. Although it took patience to follow Drew, it was the right thing to do, as Amanda, Ken and Eric were close behind. It actually felt good to follow the plan and it put me into the right frame of mind for the rest of the regatta.

Eric had a really good day on Sat. He said he was seeing the shifts coming clearly and using one shift to get to the next. This is the key to sailing in a shifty breeze. Great Chess players are able to see many moves in advance; Grandmasters sometimes see 7-8 moves ahead. We are more fortunate. We only need to be able to see two moves ahead. While it is fairly easy to see a shift or puff coming, it is the one following it that we must set up for. For example, if you are on port tack and the second shift looks like it is coming from the left, you probably should tack as soon as the first header hits you, thus positioning yourself for the second one. However, if the pressure looks stronger to the right (behind the first shift) sail deeper into the shift, or if it is a fan puff, put the bow down a little and sail up the right side of the shift. Combining this with proper fleet positioning leads to consistently good results!

Patience again played a big role in race 3. I tacked shortly after rounding the leeward mark and found myself on a big lift. The problem was that the wind kept going right and the boats to windward were lifting over me. The lift seemed to last forever, but we were less than half way to the weather mark. Some of the sailors around me felt the breeze was persistently shifting to the right and tacked to get into it. This was mistake, as there was no reason to think it was persistent. It was not the sea breeze direction, nor was there any indication of a weather change. I remember thinking- Be patient, there is a long way to go! While the breeze kept going right, it was definitely getting lighter and the boats above us were starting to have less pressure; another sign it was not persistent. Finally, as I neared the Port layline, the breeze died. Now is the time to be really observant! A new wind line appeared from the left and I used the old Stuart Walker tactic of sailing past the layline (in this situation) to get to the new breeze first. I reached into the mark ahead of the boats previously to windward and was able to hold them off to the finish.

We were really lucky to have sailing legend Dave Dellenbaugh race with us over the weekend. Dave writes a great sailing magazine called “Speed and Smarts”. It is always great to sail against someone like this, because you can learn so much from them. The biggest thing I learned from him is that he practices what he preaches! Every sailing tactics book tells you to check the starting line, get line sights, etc. The truth is, most of us are not that diligent about doing so; maybe because we get lazy or nervous. Not Dave; he constantly checks the line, gets and verifies his line sights and vigilantly looks upwind for clues. For this reason, he is an excellent starter and always jumped out into the front row. I am definitely going to try to work harder at this in the future. He also put a great move on me downwind, but I will talk about this, and more in-depth tactical stuff, at a later time.

What I really want to talk about is what a great weekend it was! WLYC did an awesome job of organizing the event. Besides great racing and hospitality, they had special events for the kids and the adults. This is exactly what the class, and all of sailing for that matter, needs. It seems like people prefer venues that do not require long sails out to the race course, have shorter course races and have shore side get-togethers. Other venues, such as Massapoag YC have used this formula and they have become very popular over the last few years. These events make it nice for families and thus, are well attended.

It seems like we need to show others what this class is all about! I am sure that with the state of the economy, people are looking to sail without spending lots of money, and time working on their boats. Events like this should encourage others to come out and sail Sunfish. As far as racing sailors go, we need to show how competitive this class is. Even at the local level, this class is strong. When people like Alan Beckwith and Brian McGuiness don’t even make the top ten at a regional event, you know we have a good fleet.  We also need to encourage juniors and less experienced sailors to show up and sail, by being helpful and perhaps having a separate score for them. All of this can be shown, with pictures and stories on our awesome new website!

Finally, I want to thank WLYC for dedicating the 50th anniversary of the event to Len Ruby! I also want to send out a huge thank you to Drew Staniar, Eric and the Sunfish class for the wedding toast to Gisele and I at the awards ceremony! It meant a lot to both of us, and Gisele could not wait to tell her family in Rio all about it.

Bill

WOW - Andy David: Fall 2012 Season

12/23/2022 6:23 pm

Andy David’s Words of Wisdom from Fall Frosbiting, 2013

Posted November 01, 2012

The Fall 2012 season was characterized by light, shifty breezes and as always in the Warren River, there was a strong current. As would be expected with light conditions, nobody dominated every week, with Scott winning 3 of the weeks, and Bill and I each taking 2. In the end, it was “not having a bad race” that was the key. Scott and I ended virtually tied, with the math going in my favor. Here are some of what I think were keys to success.

 

*The start. The start is very important, especially in the short courses that we sail in Frostbite, much like what college sailors spend 6 days a week perfecting over 4 years. Though it has been a long time since those days for me, there are still some key rules that I follow that some really great coaches and sailors taught me.

 

1. Never gybe before the start. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that it is the move that has the most risk of a capsize or crash, or snagging your mainsheet on something, especially if it is windy. It also moves you away from the line quickly, which with the short starting sequence is usually not good. I have to admit that I occasionally break this rule if it is light wind, and the tide is against the wind.

 

2. Stay within the triangle. When sailing back and forth along the line before the start, never go outside the laylines to the boat and the pin. I actually rarely go outside a box perpendicular to the ends. The idea is not to win every start, it is just to be in the front row with speed. Going outside the box can put you in high risk places, depending on how other boats setup. It also leaves you less options if there is a windshift. 

 

3. Never setup for a barging start. This is related to staying within the triangle. Though occasionally someone barging ends up with a hole, and then can tack off to the right (when that is clearly favored due to current) and be first to the windward mark. That won’t happen every time. Others will figure it out and cause congestion there. And remember, the best series is the one with the least bad races.



4. Once the gun goes off, stick the bow up and go. If you are thinking that you are close to the line before the start with your bow down, don’t keep it there as the gun goes off. Steer up hard and sheet in. Remember it only matters where your bow is at go, so don’t hold off after the gun or your close-to-the-line start could be wasted.

 

5. For the minute after the start, you should have full concentration on boatspeed and hiking. If you have a decent start, this is what will put you in the front row, and allow you to make your own decisions. The only time that I break this rule is if there is a big left shift, and I can tack and cross.



*In a shifty breeze, do not bang a corner…even if you are behind. One may think that in a shifty breeze, the most gain can be made by banging a corner. However, what we typically see is an oscillating breeze that has shifts less than every 3 minutes. So, that means that you want to take advantage of every shift, and you can’t do that if you are in a corner. Now, many times the winner of the first leg does come out of a corner with the last shift, but consistency is the key, and the next few boats are usually those that played each shift/puff. This brings up an interesting starting situation. As long as the starting line is square to the average shift, then I would say that you can start anywhere on the line, even if there happens to be a left or right shift at the start.

 

*New rig setup. Eric, Bill and Amanda came back from the Worlds with information on a new rig setup that some were using. Considering that my boatspeed has been quite variable in recent years, I was quick to give it a try. It is actually simple to do if you are already setup with an adjustable jens rig. You basically put in a jens, and then just snug the upper halyard. As I understand it, this pivots the rig back and allows for tighter sheeting without bending the boom. Therefore allowing for higher pointing. The other thing that it does is shift the whole rig back. So, you then need to move the rig a bit forward by sliding the gooseneck back. I sailed in the light stuff with the gooseneck at 15.5”, where I would normally have it at 14”. I found that the boat was really balanced in the light stuff without having to heel the boat, which seemed fast.

 

*Downwind can be more important than upwind! This fall we had multiple weeks when the current was moving against the wind. This caused there to be a longer time sailing downwind than upwind. The fleet would get to the windward mark quickly, and then all come to a big slow down and crunch together as they rounded the windward mark. Being first around the windward mark was always precarious, and it was very difficult to hold that place. So, there is no relaxing downwind. You need to search the puffs, and also understand the tidal flows. It can be a long way downwind. A few years ago Bill gave be some really good advice on sailing in a big fleet. When you round the windward mark, you need to escape. Ensure that you catch the first puff or wave, and just get out of there. The situation quickly changes at a windward mark, where the boats ahead go from having clear air to very dirty air. I find when the wind and current are against each other, even in a small fleet, this advice is very beneficial.

 

*Keep a notebook. This fall, I started keeping a digital notebook, writing down the conditions and happenings each week. I use Evernote, so when I am thinking about any situation that came up, I can update that via my laptop, iPad or any via any other device on the web. Just writing things down really enforces lessons. 

 

Happy New Year! See you in March!

WOW - Brangiforte: Lewes NAs from 2010 NA Champ

12/23/2022 6:17 pm

Lewes NAs Words of Wisdom from 2010 NA Champ, Bill Brangiforte

Posted August 21, 2016

 

Six years after his NAs win, Bill Brangiforte has written up some insightful thoughts about the 2016 NAs, including tips on sailing in the current and dealing with offshore v onshore winds.

 

Download the PDF now.

WOW: 18 minutes of Sunfish Smarts!

12/23/2022 6:16 pm

18 MINUTES OF SUNFISH SMARTS!

 

Posted April 25, 2019

 

After the 2019 Sunfish National Championship at the Midwinters, Alex Dean asked four of the top five finishers for their take on the regatta and what allowed them to excel. Take the time to hear all they have to say and sail faster in your next Sunfish regatta. BTW, thanks Alex!

 

Bill Q’s School: Sunfish perfect budget boat

12/23/2022 6:15 pm

Bill Q’s School: Sunfish perfect budget boat

WOW - Conner Blouin: Downwind Sunfish Sailing

12/23/2022 6:13 pm

Conner Blouin WOW: Downwind Sunfish Sailing

Posted December 23, 2020

 

The first step to sailing a Sunfish well off-wind is getting the proper heel and pitch. The chines and rocker on a Sunfish make the boat much more forgiving in these areas as opposed to a laser. Chine refers to the sharp edges on the bottom of the boat, and the rocker refers to the curve in the boat from bow to stern. The chines make the Sunfish less likely to tip over when heeled over in any direction, and the rocker makes the boat less likely to drag the bow or stern through the water if you sit too far forward or aft.

 

Any time you sail downwind, a boat will want to sail in a straight line, when the Center of Effort (COE) is aligned with the Center of Lateral Resistance (CLR). The COE refers to the deepest strongest point of the sail, and the CLR is more or less your daggerboard. When the two are not in alignment, the boat will want to turn into the wind or away from the wind, and you will need to correct with the tiller, creating drag. More specifically, when you heel too far to windward, the boat will want to sail down. When you sail too flat, the boat will want to sail up into the wind. When you round the top mark in a Sunfish, and ease the sail, the COE and CLR spread really far apart. This is rectified when you heel the boat to windward, until your tiller feels no resistance sailing in a straight line. If you ever want to check yourself on how much heel you need, simply look backwards and see if your tiller is centered.

Sailing dead downwind in any boat is typically inefficient. Preferably, you would like wind to flow across the sail, as opposed to simply pushing into it. If wind simply pushes into the sail instead of flowing, the wind stalls on the sail, and you slow down. When you sail downwind in a Sunfish, you have two angles of sailing, your reach angle and your by the lee angle. The reach angle is defined as when the wind flows from luff to leach on your sail. By the lee is the inverse, when the wind flows from the leech to your luff, ostensibly reversing the roles of each edge of your sail. The issue with sailing at the reach angle in the Sunfish is that you don’t have a working vang to adjust your leach (as you would in a Laser). This creates the need to either have your vang set up appropriately for this angle, or to steer to the angle to get your leech shape correct. For example, when sailing with not enough vang, the gooseneck will go up the mast, and spill the wind at the top of the sail. In certain wind conditions, it is a challenge to have your vang set up properly with no need for adjustment. Thus, all things equal, this is not ideal on most single handed boats, as you must increase your vang as wind increases to maintain the appropriate sail shape. It is important to note that due to the Sunfish not having an adjustable vang, you have to make these changes by steering to the appropriate angle to achieve the proper sail shape. 

 

With by the lee sailing, the luff of the sail ostensibly turns into your leech. On this end of your sail, the upper boom keeps the sail firm as wind exits, so minimal vang is required to achieve the proper sail shape. Thus, all things equal, by the lee sailing is more efficient. However, both are necessary in almost all wind conditions, and having both in your arsenal will make you a stronger downwind sailor.

Once your heel and sailing angles are dialed in, getting your pitch right will help you jump to the next level. If you sit too far forward or backward in any boat, you will drag either the bow or the stern through the water, adding a good deal of resistance and slowing you down. In light winds and flat water, sitting forward and just aft of the daggerboard is ideal. As wind and waves increase, you will want to scoot further aft to keep the bow of the boat from pushing water, and to either allow the boat to get on a plane, or expose more surface area of the hull to waves for surfing.

 

Once you have all of these fundamentals added into your downwind arsenal, it’s time to think about managing or surfing waves downwind. There are three modes that involve waves downwind. These include wave hopping, full surfing, and partial surfing. Wave hopping in a Sunfish is rare, and occurs when the waves are small to medium in size, and there is enough wind to get the boat up and over a wave. This generally means you have enough wind to get the boat onto a plane. Good examples of this will include the second day of Sunfish Worlds 2014 and the last race of 2020 Sunfish Nationals in Mississippi. Wave hopping will work the best on starboard (as the sail is more full), and on a reach angle with your weight back a bit. Your angle downwind should be high enough to get on a plane. This is easier on a reach angle than sailing by the lee. As you are planing and hopping over waves, it is important to occasionally invoke some partial surfing technique (discussed later), and head lower as long as you maintain the boat on a plane. This will keep you more centered on the course.

 

Full surfing is possible in medium to large waves and swells, and medium to heavy wind speeds. In this surfing condition, your goal is to stay on the wave as long as possible. (1) In most cases, get the boat going as fast as you can at an aggressive and hot reach angle. It will feel like you are sailing well away from the bottom mark. Your goal here is to generate as much speed as possible to lock into the wave. As a boat surfs waves for extended periods of time, the changes in apparent wind (wind your boatspeed creates) make it nearly impossible to stay on waves at a reach angle. Thus, starting on a reach angle is a must, and will help you stay centered on the course. (2) As a surfable wave approaches, lean or move back and heal the boat gently to windward with a small ease in the sail to steer down the wave (easy part). This will enable the boat to turn down with minimal rudder usage, while keeping the bow from pushing water and exposing the stern to as much of the wave as possible. This is where things get complicated. (3) At this point, if you have caught the wave, you will want to steer further down to surf the wave at a diagonal angle, traveling across it horizontally (much like any surfboard video you’ve ever seen). If you do not, you will either rapidly surf forward and fall off the wave, or run into the wave in front of you (or both). In doing so, you may heel the boat over slightly more, switching from a reach angle to by the lee. At this point the wind is moving across your sail in the opposite direction. You may need to trim the sail slightly. (4) Before the wave moves past you, turn the boat back to windward slightly by flattening it out and trimming in the sail. This will cause you to surf forward, further downwind. Take care that you do not fully sail into the trough in front of you, and instead, repeat step 3. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you lose the wave. Err on the side of outrunning the wave as opposed to it outrunning you, so you may more easily return to your reach angle and repeat the process. This process is most commonly known as an S-Curve.

 

The final downwind surfing mode is partial surfing. You can employ this mode in almost any wind condition or wave state, but is most common in light to medium winds and small to medium waves. The technique is more or less the same as in full surfing, but without switching from reaching to by the lee, or vice versa. Instead, your goal is to use the waves to help push you forward incrementally, while keeping your apparent wind as far forward as possible over extended time periods. (1) To start, get the boat sailing quickly at your reach or by the lee angle. Pick whichever angle gets you onto waves most easily. (2) As a wave approaches, heel the boat gently and turn up or down the wave. Make certain that you do not turn too far, and switch the direction the wind is flowing across the sail. Heel and steer back to your original position to get ready for the next wave. Rock your shoulders aft in light to medium airs to expose more wetted surface to the wave. The most common mistake made is turning onto a wave and trying to hold the new angle for too long. This will cause your speed to drop and you will have to sail a very aggressive angle to start the process over. If you head back up or down, while you still have residual speed from the wave, the decreases in your apparent wind are more mild, and will not require as much change in your angle to regenerate.

 

Downwind sailing in any boat can seem overwhelming at times, but there is no substitute for a little practice and chatting about it with your friends!

 

WOW - Greg Gust: Heeling to windward upwind and other tactical situations.

12/23/2022 6:11 pm