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Martin's Racing Tips
About the Tips :
The tips are really short handy pointers to common problem areas encountered in everyday racing situations. They are not really a how to race course !.
Tip 2 : Know your Port and Starboard Rules !
About Martin Searle :
I have been racing for the last 25 years and I am a RYA Club Racing Coach for Seasalter Sailing Club. I sail a Dart 15, Laser and Pacer at the club and have been nominated as overall club champion for the following years 1998,1999,2000 and 2002.
Martin runs SSC's Race Training sessions for members wishing to improve or learn to race.
Definitions :
Heavy Wind\Air : A wind of between force 5 and force 6
Light Wind\Air : A wind of between force 0 and a low force 3
Medium Wind\Air : A wind of between mid force 3 and force 4
Penalties : The usual penalty for a breach of the rules is a 720 degree turn but usually SSC modifies this rule to a 360 degree turn. This is to take into account the longer tacking speed of a multihull.
TIPS :
Tip 1: Do not capsize !
If you find yourself capsized for any length of time in a race it means that you are out of the top places, so its best too avoid swimming if at all possible, here's my advice (for a Dart but it applies to dinghies equally).
In a heavy wind you must lean out fully or if you have them use the trapeze wires. You should get the crew too look for the gusts on the water (these are usually seen as dark patches on the water). Prior too hitting a gust I tend to ease the main by a couple of inches too lessen the impact of the gust, but be ready to let out some more or ease the traveller.
If you feel the boat heeling over too much you should let off the traveller to see if that can level out the boat. If that fails and a capsize is imminent then dump the main !.
If the bow of the leeward hull buries on a run or reach then dump the jib, this usually is enough to prevent a capsize.
Tip 2: Know your Port and Starboard Rules !
The Port and Starboard rules are probably the most important rules to remember whilst racing. A port tack boat MUST GIVE WAY to a Starboard tack boat. In the picture above the RED boat is the port tack boat and he should have avoided the now inevitable collision !.
To avoid a collision the RED boat should have either tacked onto starboard or passed behind the BLUE boat.
Tip 3: Starting
The start is probably the single most important part of a race, it can be worth upto 70% of your result ! (assuming of course that you don't make any other mistakes). There is a checklist that you can use to help you start, here's what I use :
- Sail out to the line in plenty of time, whilst doing so check what the wind is doing, e.g is the wind gusty ?, is it shifty ?.
- On reaching the line identify where it actually is. At SSC the line is usually set between the Club Pole and the pole by the race office so this should be quite simple.
- You now need to determine where to start. I find that the easiest way to do this is to sail to the middle of the line and then stop head to wind. The mark at which your bows are pointing towards is the favored end of the line, if the bows are not favoring a particular mark then there is no bias and you can start anywhere.
- If you are a newcomer to racing then you should make a Starboard tack start (see Tip2) since this will give you rights over anyone starting on Port.
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