Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

I want to tell you a short story to give you background, then ask for
your advice about entering a race series.

I have rearranged my schedule so that I can sail next June-October in
a Wednesday night "Beer-Can" race series. I'll be sailing a Catalina
250 or 27 in the "Cruiser" class. (No spinnakers)

I would like to implement a plan that does the following:

1. Put together a crew. (Or if I can put together two crews, we can
practice/race together to keep an edge on and learn together until
June.)

2. Begin practicing and learning on Wednesdays until June.

3. Compete and do well in the series.

My background/experience:
a. Completed beginner, intermediate and advanced U.S. Navy classes
(qualified to rent Cat 250's and Cat 27's.)
b. Crewed in a few races.
c. 100+ hours local sailing experience.

I have several books on racing and rules. I understand the basics of
rules, but right now, lose most rules in the heat of the moment. I've
ordered a bunch of sailing books.

I'm getting a feel for rigging and getting in a groove upwind, but
have no clue what I'm doing downwind. (If the strategy is anything but
head for the downwind mark, I'm not sure what course(s) to steer and
why.) I'm starting to build checklists for what to do at the dock, in
the hour before the race, etc. so I can get into a structure routine.

So..... My questions...

How do you like my plan?
What is your advice on things to do, include or avoid?
What can I do when there are no other boats around to find out how I'm
doing?

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

Practice, Practice, PRACTICE!





"Richard" wrote in message
ps.com...
I want to tell you a short story to give you background, then ask for
your advice about entering a race series.

I have rearranged my schedule so that I can sail next June-October in
a Wednesday night "Beer-Can" race series. I'll be sailing a Catalina
250 or 27 in the "Cruiser" class. (No spinnakers)

I would like to implement a plan that does the following:

1. Put together a crew. (Or if I can put together two crews, we can
practice/race together to keep an edge on and learn together until
June.)

2. Begin practicing and learning on Wednesdays until June.

3. Compete and do well in the series.

My background/experience:
a. Completed beginner, intermediate and advanced U.S. Navy classes
(qualified to rent Cat 250's and Cat 27's.)
b. Crewed in a few races.
c. 100+ hours local sailing experience.

I have several books on racing and rules. I understand the basics of
rules, but right now, lose most rules in the heat of the moment. I've
ordered a bunch of sailing books.

I'm getting a feel for rigging and getting in a groove upwind, but
have no clue what I'm doing downwind. (If the strategy is anything but
head for the downwind mark, I'm not sure what course(s) to steer and
why.) I'm starting to build checklists for what to do at the dock, in
the hour before the race, etc. so I can get into a structure routine.

So..... My questions...

How do you like my plan?
What is your advice on things to do, include or avoid?
What can I do when there are no other boats around to find out how I'm
doing?

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

Richard wrote:
I want to tell you a short story to give you background, then ask for
your advice about entering a race series.

I have rearranged my schedule so that I can sail next June-October in
a Wednesday night "Beer-Can" race series. I'll be sailing a Catalina
250 or 27 in the "Cruiser" class. (No spinnakers)


Which is it? Since you say "Cruiser Class" I'm guessing that you are
racing handicap rather than one-design. The Catalina 27 has a one-
design fleet in many areas.


I would like to implement a plan that does the following:

1. Put together a crew. (Or if I can put together two crews, we can
practice/race together to keep an edge on and learn together until
June.)


That can be a challenge all by itself. Even experienced skippers with
more enticing rides can take time to pull together a good crew.


2. Begin practicing and learning on Wednesdays until June.

3. Compete and do well in the series.


Check.

My background/experience:
a. Completed beginner, intermediate and advanced U.S. Navy classes
(qualified to rent Cat 250's and Cat 27's.)
b. Crewed in a few races.
c. 100+ hours local sailing experience.


You sound like a well organized & rational person... problem is, this
is not a rational sport!

I think you would learn a LOT more, a lot faster, by racing in a 1 or
2 person unballasted one-design boats. There are far less
uncontrollable or difficult to explain (let alone fix) factors.


I have several books on racing and rules. I understand the basics of
rules, but right now, lose most rules in the heat of the moment.

As long as you have a grasp of the 4 basic situations:
port/starboard
windward/leeward
ahead/astern
overlapped at a mark or obstruction

and can keep control of the boat & your temper, you'll do fine with
rules until you are going to higher level races.


I've
ordered a bunch of sailing books.


Forget "a bunch" of books.
Get and read this one
"Start To Win" by Eric Twiname.
http://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Eric...1362016&sr=8-1

It is by far the clearest, best-organized, and readable book on how to
do well in sailboat races. If you grasp the material in this book, you
will be schooling most any local fleet and getting silver in most
national fleets.


I'm getting a feel for rigging and getting in a groove upwind

Pointing versus footing? Shifting gears for lulls, waves, traffic?
Depowering when it's gusty?

Not ot mention boat-related issues which are all very exaggerated with
larger heavier less-uniform boats. You could put Paul Elvstrom in a
clapped-out Catalina 27 with a few barnacles and he'll lose to Joe
Sixpack with a well tuned C27. Then there's the issue of
handicapping..... :(

but
have no clue what I'm doing downwind. (If the strategy is anything but
head for the downwind mark, I'm not sure what course(s) to steer and
why.)

Again, a complex subject. Basically you maximize VMG according to what
options the apparent wind gives you. It's the opposite of sailing
upwind (duh) in that you *want* to go into a header. You go up in the
lulls, down in the gusts. When the is powered up just aim at the mark.

This is one reason why my advice is, if you're serious about learning
to race, start off in smaller, simpler, more evenly-matched boats. One
reason why most PHRF fleets are such cluster-f*xx is that few of them
know how to sail very well, much less untangle a complex set of wind/
boat trim/navigating priorities on the fly.



How do you like my plan?

Well, for lack of anything better, you'll meet new people and probably
have a lot of fun.


What can I do when there are no other boats around to find out how I'm
doing?

Routine drills to learn how to SAIL your boat. For example, pick a
mark like a channel bouy (when there's no traffic going by) and
practice 1 minute starts. When you can get you bow slicing a few feet
from the bouy, close hauled, right at GO, then you will be prepared to
get a good start in a racing fleet... provided you can then prioritize
getting a spot in a jumbled fleet, something you can't practice
alone.... but you stand NO chance of getting a good start until you
can get the boat ON the spot, At the second, and MOVING.

Tacking should be second nature. By which I mean, bringing the boat
around smoothly, getting up to speed & point on the new tack
efficiently. Gybing ditto, but that is actually easier at the basic
level & with low-powered boats.

Practice some man-overboard & reefing drills too. Give the crew
something fun to do and let them feel that they have an important part
to play (because they DO) in successfully getting the boat thru any
potential problems. Build confidence, too.

The guy whose advice you really want is Oz1 but he might not be
checking in here these days.

Fresh BReezes- Doug King

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

Richard,

I raced in the Cruising Class for years, finishing as high as third BUT
I never had as much fun as when I had a novice female crew. They didn't
give a **** where we finished as long as they where sailing and
relaxing. There were times when the Tender had to wait for us to turn a
mark so that they could pick up the buoy.

My advice, for what's it worth is; ENJOY YOURSELF, train your crew but
be a easy captain to sail with.

Some Downwind tips. In light air, set your Jib & Main wing on wing; set
preventer/downhaul on main and Barber downhaul the Jib.(Whisker pole)
Sail the Jib enough by the lee to get boat speed.(I use to give my crew
cookies and coffee so they'd sit still in the cockpit after they got the
sails set) Keep boat speed up until you're in a position to fetch the
Lee Mark on a decent Broad Reach.

As the wind increases Broad Reaches with a gybe. When you get close to
boat speed set course for mark. Downhaul Sails until you're not
comfortable with the wind strength. Remember that with increase wind
strength you get increase wave size, which can give you a chance to
surf.


Good luck and in the Cruising Class ENJOYMENT should be your goal as
well as low point total.

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

Isn't that what the New Yorker responded to the tourist who asked:
"How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" [grin]

On Oct 2, 2:57 pm, "Big Jon" wrote:
Practice, Practice, PRACTICE!

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

WOW! That's a lot of info. Let me take several points...

I have rearranged my schedule so that I can sail next June-October in
a Wednesday night "Beer-Can" race series. I'll be sailing a Catalina
250 or 27 in the "Cruiser" class. (No spinnakers)

Which is it? Since you say "Cruiser Class" I'm guessing that you are
racing handicap rather than one-design. The Catalina 27 has a one-
design fleet in many areas.

It's a handicap race. I remember our skipper working hard to cross the
finish less than 3-1/2 mins behind the guy in front. We were about 3
mins behind, so beat him.

1. Put together a crew. (Or if I can put together two crews, we can
practice/race together to keep an edge on and learn together until
June.)

That can be a challenge all by itself. Even experienced skippers with
more enticing rides can take time to pull together a good crew.

I can see that without that, nothing else will follow, so I need a
plan there. I do have access to two different marinas with weekly
classes at several levels, so a flyer or ad on their bulletin bords
seems a good idea.

I have several books on racing and rules. I understand the basics of
rules, but right now, lose most rules in the heat of the moment.

As long as you have a grasp of the 4 basic situations:
port/starboard
windward/leeward
ahead/astern
overlapped at a mark or obstruction


Got these in my head, but realize in a crowd, I'll have trouble coping
until I get more experience/confidence.

I've
ordered a bunch of sailing books.

Forget "a bunch" of books.
Get and read this one
"Start To Win" by Eric Twiname.http://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Eric...884/ref=sr_1_1...

It is by far the clearest, best-organized, and readable book on how to
do well in sailboat races. If you grasp the material in this book, you
will be schooling most any local fleet and getting silver in most
national fleets.


I'll get it right away. Thanks!

I'm getting a feel for rigging and getting in a groove upwind

Pointing versus footing? Shifting gears for lulls, waves, traffic?
Depowering when it's gusty?

Let me rephrase: On a beginner *Sailing 101* level, I've got the idea.
But in this area, I'm nowhere near ready for the big time.

but
have no clue what I'm doing downwind. (If the strategy is anything but
head for the downwind mark, I'm not sure what course(s) to steer and
why.)

Again, a complex subject. Basically you maximize VMG according to what
options the apparent wind gives you. It's the opposite of sailing
upwind (duh) in that you *want* to go into a header. You go up in the
lulls, down in the gusts. When the is powered up just aim at the mark.


And I've read this, but know that I don't "feel" it yet. Working on
this.

What can I do when there are no other boats around to find out how I'm
doing?

Routine drills to learn how to SAIL your boat. For example, pick a
mark like a channel bouy (when there's no traffic going by) and
practice 1 minute starts. When you can get you bow slicing a few feet
from the bouy, close hauled, right at GO, then you will be prepared to
get a good start in a racing fleet... provided you can then prioritize
getting a spot in a jumbled fleet, something you can't practice
alone.... but you stand NO chance of getting a good start until you
can get the boat ON the spot, At the second, and MOVING.

THANKS! The best practical tip I've gotten so far. I can do this! I'll
work on this this weekend.

Again, thanks for your time and insights!

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

You read the rules. That's more than most people do before they show
up the first time. Like Doug said you sound like an organized
person. Remember it will probably take you an entire season to get
the boat up to speed. Don't get frustrated. Don't motor back to the
dock ****ed off. Have fun.

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Richard,

I raced in the Cruising Class for years, finishing as high
as third BUT
I never had as much fun as when I had a novice female
crew. They didn't
give a **** where we finished as long as they where
sailing and
relaxing. There were times when the Tender had to wait for
us to turn a
mark so that they could pick up the buoy.

My advice, for what's it worth is; ENJOY YOURSELF, train
your crew but
be a easy captain to sail with.

Some Downwind tips. In light air, set your Jib & Main wing
on wing; set
preventer/downhaul on main and Barber downhaul the
Jib.(Whisker pole)
Sail the Jib enough by the lee to get boat speed.(I use to
give my crew
cookies and coffee so they'd sit still in the cockpit
after they got the
sails set) Keep boat speed up until you're in a position
to fetch the
Lee Mark on a decent Broad Reach.

As the wind increases Broad Reaches with a gybe. When you
get close to
boat speed set course for mark. Downhaul Sails until
you're not
comfortable with the wind strength. Remember that with
increase wind
strength you get increase wave size, which can give you a
chance to
surf.


Good luck and in the Cruising Class ENJOYMENT should be
your goal as
well as low point total.




------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------








JML Sigs

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Richard,

I raced in the Cruising Class for years, finishing as high
as third BUT
I never had as much fun as when I had a novice female
crew. They didn't
give a **** where we finished as long as they where
sailing and
relaxing. There were times when the Tender had to wait for
us to turn a
mark so that they could pick up the buoy.

My advice, for what's it worth is; ENJOY YOURSELF, train
your crew but
be a easy captain to sail with.

Some Downwind tips. In light air, set your Jib & Main wing
on wing;


Isn't W-W the slowest sail set one can make?




Scotty

Requesting advice on my sailboat racing plan
 

"Scotty" wrote:
Isn't W-W the slowest sail set one can make?


Depends on the boat, depends in the conditions.

Generally, high-powered boats will benefit from using the sails as
foils.... reaching back & forth to get downwind... for example,
catamarans get downwind fastest by starting from nearly a beam reach,
pulling in the sails enough to fly a hull, then as they accelerate and
the wind shift ahead, they bear away gradually until the windward hull
is "almost" dropping back in. Iceboats are an even more extreme
example.

The opposite of a catamaran, say Columbus' Santa Maria, will benefit
from spreading out as much square footage of sail as she can and
heading straight downwind.

A corollary is that the harder the wind blows, the less need there is
to reach for power. In 30 knot winds, even the America's Cup guys are
happy to just aim the boat straight downwind.... never seen one go
wing-and-wing but they probably would

DSK