This Saturday did not bring the typically steady seabreeze, instead we were sailing in the lee of Goat Island with some major puffs coming down the course. While we may all like the consistent breeze in Newport, these conditions are much more common in college sailing venues like Navy, The Charles River, St. Mary's, Hobart, Conn, and just about every where else. While most of our races were in the 15 knot range with some bigger gusts, we also a light race around 10 knots. There are a few really simple tricks to keep your speed up which you have probably heard before.
1. Anticipate puffs - This will make or break you off the line (yes you Susie). If you see a big puff coming make sure skipper and crew communicate and keep the boat flat by hiking hard and easing the main when it hits, you will probably also want to sneak in and add some vang tension before the puff. Boats that don't do this (Susie) will slip 1/2 - 1 boatlength to leeward and open up your hole.
2. Pointy end toward the mark - Make sure you are sailing in the lifts and towards pressure. If you are in the front early on stay between the mark and your competition.
3. Transitions - It sounds like most people did a pretty good job of this, in the light air take the 5 seconds to ease up your Cunningham, outhaul, and rig tension. It is always best to be setup for the lulls.
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