Mark Roundings - by Brooke Thompson

Here are a few pull-out's from Brooke's article on SailGroove.

1. Mark Roundings are about boat handling and not boat speed
2. The crew has to steer the boat around the mark. It's all about weight placement and jib trim.
3. Three critical things to remember: (A) watch the skipper's shoulders and move in the same direction, (B) Anytime the crew moves up and trims jib, the bow will turn down, (C) Anytime the crew moves down and eases jib, the bow will turn up.
4. The last 1/3rd of the windward leg, start thinking about rounding the mark. Look for are other boats, the lay line, and any major wind shifts that could change your angle to the mark.
5. Don't hit other boats. Luff to stop if you have to.
6. Make sure you can accelerate after the rounding. That's when the focus really shifts back to boat speed.
7. Be aware of the angles of the boats around you.
   

Getting Stable

What did you learn from practice yesterday? Take a look at this video from SailGroove about converting to stable combinations. Thoughts on what they try?

Watch more video of Technique Tuesdays on sailgroove.org

Observations from the Week

I think we've gotten quite a bit accomplished this week when on the water, but we still have a very long way to go. A few of you have sent me questions. Every one can benefit.

1. I'm having trouble with tacks. I think my biggest issue is getting across the boat.

• Both skippers and crews are trying to roll too much on your backs. You need to think about shifting your hips back; or, as Hilary calls it, do the one-cheek-sneak.
• There are some differences of opinion as to how crews should cross the boat. I prefer the bunny-hop, but not everyone can do this. For completely different, yet very effective styles, watch Anna and Julia. Either way is fine, as long as you can flatten well.
  

2. I can't get the jib in fast enough out of the tacks.

• In breeze, as you hit the hiking straps on the windward side to flatten out the boat, punch your arm over your head to get the jib all the way in.
• If you aren't strong enough to pull the jib all the way in once it is loaded up, you can use your legs, ask your skipper for help, or do the monkey-leg thing (I'll show you and Claire probably can too since it's a Tufts thing).
  

3. When you're heeling the boat through the wing-on-wing gybe, what should the crew hike off of, or is simply sitting on the rail enough of a heel?

• You do not hike hard to roll a wing-to-wing gybe. Think of it more as a carve than a roll. The key is to weight the rail early. Your weight should drive the boat down through the gybe.
• It's also just as important to maintain weather heel as you go into the gybe. A lot of our crews let the boats start to flatten, or even heel to leeward, when getting the board down and such. This causes the boat to head-up and the skipper to have to over-steer the gybe.
• Make sure, too, that you are flying the jib all the way through the gybe.

4. When going from a wing to a reach does the crew pop the jib through the lead then hold it outside the shroud?

• When going wing to reach, it depends on the wind conditions. If it's nuking, then everything stays through the lead. If you can trim outside of the shrouds, then just dive to leeward and immediately go for the windward sheet. Then, take the slack out of the leeward sheet.
• Both skippers and crews need to work on these wing to reach transitions (and back). This is a whole conversation...

5. Transitions! We have noticed that all of you are not transitioning well. There are a few things that you can all be doing:

• Skippers need to play the vang in puffy conditions. It was nuking at times and no one had reached into the boat.
• Crews need to start telling skippers about puffs and lulls. It's just as important to prepare for a lull as for a puff.
• Look before you tack! If you are tacking in a puff, don't over-roll the boat. Similarly, if you are tacking in a lull, make sure you are ready to accelerate out of the tack.

Any more??? Feel free to either comment on the post or send me your questions.

Pre-Start Homework

As we discussed yesterday, you should always do your homework before the start. At the bare minimum, the skipper and crew need to:

1. Check all ring-dings
2. Check your hiking straps
3. Check your tiller extension and universal
4. Check your rudder bolt
5. Get a line sight
6. Get a lay-line to boat (critical if you are starting boat or middle)
   
7. Get a lay-line to pin (critical if you are starting pin)
8. Get the time down the line
9. Get the time around the boat
10. Look up the course

Here is a link to the full article that Roy mentioned on SailGroove about what crews should do before the start. (http://www.sailgroove.org/articles/view/877-for-starters)

Ducking - This Week's Technique Tuesday

Soooo, what do you think?? I have my opinions. How do WE execute a good duck?

Watch more video of Technique Tuesdays on sailgroove.org

Here are some hints:

• Which way do you heel the boat in order to bear away?
• Which way do you heel the boat in order to head up?
• What did we review yesterday about lateral distance?

Maybe we will work on this today or tomorrow and then add more notes.

New Season, New Things to Think About

Well, we're back from another spring break trip to Stuart. The boats will get rigged next week, and we'll be on the water shortly. One thing that's new this year is the availability of good video for boat handling, thanks to SailGroove.

The first one to look at is about wing-to-wing gybes. Crews, take a look at the timing of the wing, the stability of the boat, and the flick around the mast. Some of you are ready to move to this level. Oh, just food for thought to get the season started.

Watch more video of Technique Tuesdays on sailgroove.org

Dean's Downwind Notes

REMEMBER this is all very situational and the diagram and below words are for you to have in your head to use when the situation seems to fit.


As you approach the weather mark:

• If you were Lifted on stbd tack, upwind, and in a puff, then just bear away and ride it out downwind.
  


• If you were Knocked on stbd tack, upwind, in a puff, then consider jibing around the mark.

STEADY BREEZE

• Always keep your downwind lane clear. The best way to do this is to make sure that no one is on your breeze. If you have tell-tales, look at the direction that they are flowing and then trace that behind you to see if the other boat is on your breeze. A quick luff of your jib can also tell you this.


• Rule of thumb - I would keep the boat behind just off of my port corner if on stbd jibe, and the other corner if on port jibe.


• As you approach the leeward mark, make sure that you are on the inside. This means that you need to work towards the inside, and think about over-laps the entire way down the course. Don't be afraid to hit the brakes at the 2-boat-length circle so that you don't get caught outside of boats. It's better to slow early and get a good rounding, than to sail around the outside of several boats.
  
  NOTE: this strategy does not apply to busting mark traps.

PUFFS FROM THE LEFT

• If you are already in the puff, then jibe onto port to ride it out, and then jibe back to connect with the next puff.


• As you approach the leeward mark, stbd jibe is the faster jibe and gives you inside advantage. This is because the stbd jibe will be a reach with left puffs.

PUFFS FROM THE RIGHT

• If in the puff, stay on stbd and ride it out then jibe to connect with the next puff.


• As you approach the leeward mark, there are potential gains on port jibe because it is the faster jibe in the puff. This is because the others are sailing dead downwind on stbd into mark. However, this is a little more risky because as you move down the course you have to assess the line up (ladder rungs).

**The right puff is what you took advantage of on Monday practice near the leeward mark.

THE DIAGRAM
The black line shows the course in the different puffs. When the line bends, that is a jibe to connect back to the puff

Lots of Little Things

There are lots of things that have been happening lately that really don't fall into any particular category or post. Here we go:

1. Sit forward - a lot of you are still too far back in the boat (skippers and crews), particularly when it gets light


2. Press - yesterday, I saw a lot of skippers with their bums on the rails while the crews were to leeward. Get your weight together and press the boat flat.


3. Talk - crews need to talk to skippers and vice versa. However, crews may need a little prompting. Skippers remember to ask: where's the wind, how's my height and speed, where's the mark, what combo are we in, etc.


4. Jib Trim - on reaches, crews are over-trimmed. Make sure you are playing the tell tales the entire time. If you are on a deep reach, and both tell tales are hanging straight down, then you need to talk about pressure. If there is no pressure in the jib and it's stalled, then the skipper needs to either head up or go to a wing.


5. Up-Wind Trim - most of you are not playing the main enough up wind. I see the rudders making adjustments that could be more effectively handled with weight and sails. Think about it before you move the tiller. Skippers, also don't forget to tell your crew what you're doing with the sails. They have to play the jib too.


6. Flat is Fast - boats are not flat. This is up and down wind. Crews and skippers aren't smooth enough with the press, and skippers need to talk to crews more on the reaches about keeping the boats flat. Remember, on a reach, even a little weather heel is good. This means that the boat goes to flat when the puff hits.


7. Break it Down and Make it Plane - we used to talk about this in college. You are all missing key planing opportunities down wind. If you could time a pump and shift your weight correctly on the waves, you would be planing. Remember, too, that the board needs to be up and you have to be trimmed as well.


8. Don't Get Caught on the Quarter Wake - this happened yesterday. When boats are reaching, you cannot pass the boat ahead if you are on their wake. You have to find a way to punch through it.

Is Your Boat Set-Up Properly?

I'm noticing that most of you are not adjusting your rig tension on the water. My question is this: do you know what you're looking for?

With a 420, to know if the boat is set-up properly, you have to get the boat sailing up-wind and then let go of the tiller. The goal is to have a little bit of weather-helm. If the boat crash tacks, then you have too little jib halyard tension. If it falls off, then you have too much. The boat should just slightly edge up-wind when the boat has the correct rig tension.

There are a zillion myths about rig set up. People talk about twisting, pulling, whatever the fore stay. Others say that it has to do with the amount of sag in the leeward shroud. Basically, just get the boat upwind and check it.

Zen and the Art of Roll Tacking

I know. It's plagiarism. Unless, that is, you haven't read the original. (You should all read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).

Anyways, this is mostly for skippers. You should all try the Zen Tack. If your boat is set up properly, then it should tack itself. If you don't know how to know if your boat is set up properly, read the next post.

Here's how it works, just hold the tiller loosely cradled in your hand. Let the boat naturally move through the tack, while you just focus on trimming your main. One good hard roll, and you have a perfectly neutral-helmed tack. If you never move the tiller, then you can't over-steer. See what I mean?

To make this work, it takes patience. The boat moves up through the tack slowly (obviously, this is not a move to throw in a critical situation). Once you feel how the boat naturally wants to tack, you can start to add a little tiller to speed it up.

Are you being passed back?

Another great question from earlier today:

How do I recognize a passback while its happening on the water?

This is a bit tricky, try asking yourself these questions:

1. Am I in a 2 on 1 situation? Or is my team-mate being double-teamed? Remember the "piggy in the middle"?


2. Are you, or your team-mate, tacking a ton, with someone to weather of you? This could be a sucker drill where someone is trying to get you to go slow by tacking frequently to draw you down the course.


3. Are you, or your team-mate, sailing the headed tack? Do you realize that you are sailing away from the mark and that someone is forcing you?

Those are three big signs that you, or your team-mate, are in a passback. Remember, too, that if you are not winning, or don't have pairs, then the other team is going to be trying something.

Puffy Conditions

These questions were emailed to me earlier this morning. I thought you all may be interested. As always, feel free to comment.

When I'm calling puffs, should I be able to tell whether its a header or a lift, or does that just come with experience?

Start by just getting the timing down, You should be able to say that there is a puff in 5 seconds and then count it down. Once you get the timing, since you will have been paying attention, you will start to understand direction.

To keep it really simple, the axis of the header will be pointed such that it makes the boat want to bear away when the puff hits. The axis of a lift will allow the boat to head up to meet it,

In breezy conditions is it just as important to be playing the jib as in lighter conditions, or should I be more focused on keeping the boat flat?

It is just as important, just harder to do because of the load on the sheets. You still need to adjust with your skipper, regardless of the wind velocity. When it really nukes, that's when it pays to be able to ease with the skipper in the puffs.

When judging how to play the jib, is it based more on skipper communicating what they're doing with the main, or just anticipating the puffs?

Both. First off, your skipper should be talking to you about what they are doing with the main. Since you have your head out of the boat and are looking around, you should start to recognize what your skipper is doing when, and then start to anticipate

Rigging Checklist

Once again, you should do this EVERY time before you hit the water and between races.

1. Drain your tanks
2. Do you have a bow line?
3. Check and tape forestay ring-ding
4. Check and tape jib tack pin ring-ding (this means you have tape on you)
5. Check and tape shroud pins
6. Check shrouds, forestay, and halyards for frays
7. Use pliers to tighten twist shackle(s) on vang
8. Check jib cleats
9. Check and tape ring-ding on vang shackle (if not a twist shackle)
10. Check and tape ring-dings on mainsheet blocks (2 on the boom + the ratchet block)
11. Check mainsheet for frays
12. Check jib sheets for frays
13. Make sure you have an outhaul and cunningham
14. Check centerboard up-haul and down-haul lines (do not leave the dock without them)
15. Check knots in the vang, mainsheet, and jibsheets (if you are rotating into a boat, check halyard cleats and main halyard at the head)
16. Check hiking straps to make sure they are tied up to the traveler bar
17. Check hiking strap tie-down line (check the knot and the condition of the line). Do you really want your weight on that piece of rope?
18. Check tiller universal for cracks
19. Check and tighten your rudder bolt
20. Do you have 2 bailers secured with tie-down line

HINT: Every person should have on them, at all times, a knife (preferably a multi-tool like a Leatherman or Gerber – ask Roy or Beth for opinions on these two) a foot of thin line, a few pins & ring-dings, and a roll of electrical tape.

Roll Tacks

Roy and I just finished talking about Florida. The two best boat-handlers out there were the 2 most athletic, strong, and in-shape teams. (Hint: those of you who do NOT play a winter sport need to think about how to stay in shape next year...) Anyways, I just found a few videos that you should consider. Remember that a 420 is a physical boat - FJs are a different story.

Clip #1
The big issue here is timing. Notice how late the roll is - probably too late. Also watch how the skipper and crew are NOT together.



Clip #2
With this one, the timing is better but there is NO ROLL. The reason is that the skipper does not slide her hips back and roll out on the main sheet. The crew also does not get out far enough away from the boat. She's really vertical. On a positive note, the skipper does get a fairly big ease on the main.



Clip #3
The skipper and crew have great timing, but still not enough roll or flatten. What do you think they should do?



Clip #4
This is part of the Harken/North U boathandling videos. Roy has the full video on Dragon, but this is a decent over-view. There is some good info in here and a few decent tacks to watch. (Some not-so-decent ones as well)

Welcome to the 2008 Season

Well, guys, it's time to get going again. We've already had a few days on the water in Newport, plus a week of practice in Florida. So far, what have you learned?

A few things from Florida and the first few practices that you should all keep in mind.

1. Boatspeed Kills - you have to be focused, 100% of the time, on going fast. This is for both the skippers and crews. With regard to boatspeed, you have to think about sail trim, weight, rudder, shifts, pressure, timing.... It's more than thinking that you are just going in a straight line.


2. Boat-handling - it has to be perfect 100% of the time. Every second that you are on the water, you should be working on your boathandling. Try new things. Remember that the flatten is twice as important than the roll. Timing is everything. Go back to Dragon and review Roy's videos. You all have a lot of work to do.


3. Intensity - If you think that everything will magically come together in a clutch moment, then you are fooling yourself. In order to achieve the level that we are all striving for, then you have to be focused, at the highest level, any time you are on the water or in a practice situation. In Florida, there was at least an hour of practice time that was not utilized because people were not working independently. If you want to be the best, you have to work for it.

Dean had some more concrete observations from his first day on the water:

Remember sailing is a very unique sport, the athlete has to be mentally
and physically prepared for the elements because as sailors you have to
adapt to the changing conditions (wind, water, and weather). Part of
this is to be properly geared up as well so that your mind focuses on
sailing and not how cold your hands are etc. So below I have listed
some things that might or might not help you in getting prepared to sail
from what I saw today.

Things to think about as the week rolls on:

Crews:

-foot work is very important. I strongly encourage all of
you crews to practice going from one side of the boat to the other in
your room. YES I said in your room. Visualize the centerboard trunk and
your feet on either side and stand on the balls of your feet. Practice
shifting your weight from one side to the other. One way to make it
more realistic is to take two chairs and space them apart from one
another so that you can sit on one, goto the balls of your feet
(straddling the centerboard trunk) then sit down on the other. Yes it
sounds corny but trust me it works!

-Jib trimming from one side to the other.. Don't forget to
uncleat the jib and in return once it is uncleated pull the other one in
as the boat tacks. This too can be practiced in your room, once all
your roommates think you are crazy jumping from one chair to another
imagine holding a jib sheet (now they will really think you have lost
it!). While sitting on the one chair pretend to pop the jib out of the
cleat move to the balls of your feet then as you sit down (on the other
chair) in one motion pull the other jib sheet in.

-Down wind you crews are the life support of the boat.
Standing up is important with your knees slightly bent. You control the
boat and its stability. One foot at the base of the mast and the other
angled back. (this position will get you ready for college when you can
add the ooch downwind)


Skippers:

-In todays conditions, remember to have your mains up all
the way, outhaul on, and the big thing I noticed was the skipper and
crew hop!

THE SKIPPER and CREW HOP was being preformed exceptionally well however
it will not win you any points come competition time. What I am talking
about is as puffs and lulls roll through both skipper and crew jump in
and out to keep the boat balanced. I would like to see this happen a
little more gracefully. One reason for the hop is because the vang is
too loose so when the puff comes and the main is eased too much sail
power is lost forcing the crew and skipper to jump in, as the skipper
trims the main back in both skipper and crew jump out (very unbalanced).
Pulling on a little more vang and easing the main in and out a little
less both skipper and crew can remain locked in a hiking position and
keeping the boat flat allowing the foils to really work and the boat
just jumps to weather.


-Let your new crews have the rush of hanging off the side of
the boat feeling nothing but their ankles holding them in. The reason I
say this in today most experienced skippers worked really hard at hiking
and keeping the boats flat while the crews did a half hike (because they
did not have to hike) I would like to see the crews hiking harder and
the skippers half hiking until their services are needed. This frees up
the skipper to concentrate a little more on boat speed and the
environment of which they are sailing.

So, what did you learn?

More FJ Notes

These came from Matt Knowles:

1-the only time rig tension *needs* to be really tight is if you're
sailing in big waves. in big breeze and flat water people can be very
fast with either a medium or a very tight setting. in light air,
pretty much everything except super tight can work. i think the
deciding factors are these: 1) your sailing style; the groove is a
lot bigger with a loose rig, but you might loose a little in terms of
pointing. i think in team racing this is a good tradeoff. 2) mast
step position: look where the host has the mast step set; if it is
waaayyy back, then you really can't set the right that tight or
everything is going to be funky. MIT has their masts all the way
back, and consequently it seems like it is best to go very light on
the tension. If the step is in the middle or in the front, seems like
you've got a bit more freedom.

2-i would advocate having people try doing the wild thing when it is
windy (crew wings the jib, sitting on the windward rail, skipper sits
on the leeward rail and pumps the main.) i do this if either it is
marginal planning or surfing conditions, or if it is big breeze and I
am sailing with a less-experienced crew. the advantages are you can
get much bigger and better timed pumps on the main while winging, and
also (assuming the skipper is bigger, anyway) it is much easier to
prevent the death roll this way if you get pushed by the lee in a big
puff ( in FJs in huge breeze, i've had a few times (when sailing with
my heavy) that we've both found ourselves hiking to leeward for a
second or two in a huge puff to keep from death-rolling... and the
side effect is you go really fast.)

3-i agree with garth that bungee-ing up the straps is much less
important, since that huge thwart is great to roll off for both
skipper and crew (and the crew doesn't need to two foot the rolls in
FJs anyway. in FJs we tend to flatten on the thwart and pick up the
straps only once we're flat again.

Intro to FJs

The biggest thing to remember about FJs is that they are NOT 420s. An FJ has smaller blades, a bigger jib, and a narrower hull. it does NOT want to plane in breeze, yet loses nothing on a good tack. That said, there are lots of things to think about.

Boat Set-Up
When you go down to rig an FJ, there are a few things to remember.

1. Bowline - Tie the bowline to the mast, under the jib sheets. You want it tight enough so that the jib sheets can wrap around the halyard cleats during tacks. Just make sure that you don't put load on the line as it will then bend the mast.


2. Hiking Straps - Tie the hiking straps up for the cleat. On a lot of new boats, there is bungee holding the straps up to the bale for the vang. On older boats, you can jury-rig this with the end of the jib halyard or take some bungee with you. If you do not tie the straps up, then there is no guarantee that the crew can find them.
   
   To jury-rig with the jib halyard, (1) after you finish off your cleat, take a turn back around the horn. (2) Run the halyard through the eye on the port strap and make a knot - I use a bowline. (3) Go up through the bale of the vang and down to the eye on the starboard strap. (4) Tie it off to the starboard strap at the correct height - usually another bowline. Just make sure that you aren't loading up the bale on the vang with the strap. You want it still tied in to the bottom of the boat.


3. Jib Halyard Tension - Max it out in flat water. At the Mallory a few years ago, the California teams had their jib halyard cranked as tight as possible. The breeze was up and down, but the water really flat.


4. Main Halyard Tension - Just get the sail all the way up. A few speed wrinkles aren't always bad if they are running vertically down the sail.

Jib Trim
In an FJ, whatever you do, do NOT over-trim the jib upwind.

• Light Air - You have to make sure that you keep checking the slot. As soon as it closes off, you will start going sideways. Also, skippers, you cannot steer with the puffs. If you need to head up into a puff, tell your crew to ease out a click (ratchet blocks make trimming easy). To bear the boat off, just give a tiny trim in. It is also extremely critical to NOT over-trim the jib off the line or out of tacks. Again, it's a big sail with a small board so you'll just go sideways.
  
  In light air, that jib should never really stop moving. The whole way up-wind, the crew should be looking to see that all of the tell-tales are streaming evenly up the sail. As the pressure builds, the sail can come in. As it drops, you will have to ease.


• Medium Air - An FJ wants the rails weighted early. This means that you want to bring the crew up on the rail as soon as possible (even if you are both just pressing your backs to the tank). Once you are at this point, the jib can start to come in all the way, but still be ready to ease in a big lull. Crews, make sure you have a good grip on the jib sheet. As you move in and out of the boat, the sail has to stay trimmed. You don't really want to strap the foot of the sail in moderate conditions, but you should be able to point.


• Heavy Air - Once the skipper is easy-hike-trimming, so should the crew. Timing is everything in pulling this off, so you have to talk. In big puffs, the crew is going to have to ease the jib off about an inch to an inch+ as the skipper eases and then bring it back in at the same time. Be careful not to have the jib over-trimmed, this will cause the main to back and you will slide sideways.

Downwind, when sailing on a reach, the crews really need to trim the jib more like a spinnaker. Make sure that you have pressure in the sail, and that you are holding it way out. Again, you don't want it over-trimmed. If it starts to blow, make sure to keep playing the jib through the ratchet blocks on the rail.

You can wing the jib in an FJ. The only exception is that when it nukes, the crew has to play the wing from the leeward rail. Get in time with the skipper and pump the jib as they pump the main. Skippers, remember that one good pump off the main can keep you from Death Rolling.

Jib Cars
It's hard to explain, but your jib cars need to be adjusted so that the leech of the sail hooks in evenly. Imagine that there was a batten at the top seam of the jib. (Much like the top batten of a main). You want the top seam to be parallel to the clew, much like the top batten should be parallel to the boom.

If you move your cars forward, then you start trimming the top of the sail first. In light air, you will move the cars forward.

If you move the cars back, then you trim the foot first, bringing the sail in tighter at the bottom. This will allow the top of the sail to twist off and flatten the bottom. This is the goal when it gets heavy.

Main Trim
Upwind, once your crew is on the rail, it's hard to over-trim the main. You almost want to hear the mast break back. (It makes a kuh-kunk sound.) If it's light, same rules as a 420 applies. Once it nukes, your focus is on keeping the boat flat by easing WITH your crew.

Boat Handling
Once the crew is on the rail, then tack backwards. That's something that you have to work out for your self. However, the biggest issue is upwind sailing. Whatever happens, DON'T LET THE MAST MOVE. In an FJ, this is critical. You have to anticipate both the puffs and the lulls to just keep the boat flat.

The other thing to remember is to be SMOOTH and GENTLE. Any massive movements - particularly downwind - and the boat will capsize. Do not over-roll your jibes. This has to be smooth. You won't get the big loopy jibe like in a 420, no matter what you do, because the board is so small.

Heavy Air Sailing

Just a review of things to do when it starts to blow.

1. Rig Tension - as it starts to build, check your jib halyard tension. Remember that as it builds, add more. To check your tension, get the boat sailing flat and upwind. Let go of the tiller. If you crash-tack, add more halyard. If you have lee-helm, let it off.


2. Outhaul, Cunningham, Vang - You want to pull on more in this order. Flatten out the foot first, then move the draft forward in the main with cunningham. Finally, crank down the vang. Remember, even in moderate breeze you need some vang - enough that when you ease the main in the puffs, the boom should go out parallel to the boat and not up.


3. Hiking Straps - As it builds, you are going to need to loosen these up so that you can hike farther. This is something that we usually ignore.


4. Center Board - This becomes critical on reaches. You can have more up than you think. If you are planing into a jibe, leave it up! Otherwise, the boat trips over the board and capsizes.

Boat Handling Questions

Here's a list of things that a lot of crews should be asking about, but only one of you did.

I'm having trouble with executing my tacks and gybes well. I was wondering if you had any tips for improving upon a few things that I need to work the most on:

1. The "bunny hop" over the traveler bar


2. The correct form/how to hike when gybing


3. When exactly to trim in and let out the jib (on both tacks and gybes)

The Bunny Hop
You have to keep your feet together and under you. Also, you're trying to roll too much on your back and not enough on
your side - this helps with balance. Once your timing improves, the motion of the boat actually helps you pop right up. Kinda' like a see-saw.

Form/Hiking on Gybes
On the gybes, it depends on if you're going reach-to-reach or wing-to-wing. They are very different. Just remember, it's not a true roll. More of a carve. You can't roll too early in a gybe. Remember, as your weight comes to windward, the boat bears off. That's the goal.

Jib Trim on Tacks
The jib needs to go from full to full - no luffing. Personally, I release the jib as I roll, and then punch my arm through the boat to get it in on the other side. This gets all but the last inch or so. Then, as my skipper trims in the last bit out of the tack, I bring the jib in the rest of the way.

Jib Trim on Gybes
Jib Trim on the Gybes: Basically, think about flying the jib through the entire turn. You never want to force it at any point. This means that on a reach-to-reach gybe, you want to wing the jib just before the gybe and then be ready to have it flying on your new course as the skipper flattens. On wing-to-wing gybes, the trick is to NOT try to wing on the new side too early. This is why you have to have the sheet in two places before the gybe. If the skipper over rotates the boat, then you can fly the reach until the boat bears off and then wing it. With down-wind jib trim, it's all about the pressure that you feel in your hand. If the jib gets soft, then you need to either go to a wing or have the skipper head up.

Tactical Tip #4

Yesterday, the breeze was up-and-down, and swung about 30-degrees to the right during practice. Roy shifted the entire course around. That said, here are 3 observations:

DO NOT LET BOATS GET TO THE RIGHT OF YOU ON THE LAST LEG!

In the 2-3-6 drill, the team had converted to a 2-3-4. However, the 2 boat sailed out to the left of the course while the entire fleet went right. At the top, 2 had gone to 6. The 2-3-4 needed to have been balanced to the right of the fleet in order to stay in control.

DO NOT SAIL DOWN THE COURSE

Off the line, a number of you sailed a parallel course, away from the mark, to the left. While this seemed to be the lifted tack, you were actually on the wrong side of the shift. As soon as the boats on the right tacked (yes, they were headed a bit off the line), they all had you. Crews, this is why you have to watch the boats on your weather hip. As soon as the pack to the right tacked, you had to try to get over as many as you could.

Also, crews let skippers sail well past lay-lines yesterday. You need to literally point at the mark with your up-wind hand and make sure that you are still sailing at it.

LIGHT AIR SAILING ISSUES

Top reasons why some of you were dog-slow:

1. Skippers were trying to sail too high. Foot off a bit for speed and then come back up when you have power in the sails.


2. Crews, do NOT strap the jibs. You should have never had the jibs cleated yesterday. When your skipper says that they need power, you should have been able to ease about 1/4". When they feel up to speed, bring it back in a hair.


3. Stop the rudder from moving. Skippers, press the tillers to the deck. If you need to head up, have the crew ease to you and then gradually bring the boat up. If you need to bear off, just slide your shoulders to weather a bit and ease the main about 1/2".


4. Timing! You are all rushing your boat-handling and trying to throw the boat around. It's counter-productive. If your timing is off (and it is for almost all of you), all the roll in the world won't do anything. Don't roll your tacks until the jib backs. Crews, you should NOT flatten the jibes out (except for maybe when sailing with Norfleet). Skippers, you're not going to be able to jam the rudder over and have the boat do anything but stop. Just relax!


5. The second that you get on the water in light air, you are racing. One bad tack could leave you dead in the water and cause you to miss a start. One bad jibe and you're out the back. Every motion counts. On a light air day, every move needs to be perfect - even if the start has not yet counted down to zero.