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The Importance of the “R” Flag

Wednesday night was a great night for racing in Annapolis.  It was one of few Wednesday nights this summer that we’ve had good wind to sail.  At first, it didn’t look like there were going to be many boats out on the course, but the fleet filled out in time for an active start. Course B6 was posted with the R flag.  Remember, the R flag has the red background with the yellow +. It signifies that the race course […]

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Posted by admin - June 15, 2012 at 21:37

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 10

In Chapter 10 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about asymmetric spinnaker handling. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   Asymmetric Spinnaker Handling For asymmetric spinnakers, two sheets are attached to the clew.  A tack line controls the tack and holds it against the sprit when sail is hoisted.  An asymmetric spinnaker doesn’t use a guy.   Asymmetric Spinnaker Sets For a bear away set, the pole is extended first.  Then, the tack line pulls the sail […]

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Posted by admin - June 13, 2012 at 04:34

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So, What is This Figure 8 Coil?

I had been sailing for a while, coiling lines the “usual” way.  Then, a friend introduced me to the figure 8 coil.  It’s pretty much as it sounds — the line is coiled in a figure 8 pattern.  By now, you may be asking yourself why you should care about this. In a regular coil, it is easy for the loops to shift and get tangled with each other (think bad knots, twists and kinks that don’t help the boat […]

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Posted by admin - June 10, 2012 at 22:24

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 9

In Chapter 9 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about downwind boat handling. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   Spinnaker Sets Pre-Rig — Plan everything for the spinnaker before the race starts.  Run the spinnaker tapes, connect the halyard, and sheets (or sheet and guy), and pre-rig the downhaul and topping lift on the pole. Set Up — Know whether you will hoist the spinnaker from the hatch or the leeward rail. Pole Up — […]

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Posted by admin - June 5, 2012 at 21:23

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What do you mean we’re race committee???

Tonight, as I got to the marina, I found out that the crew from my boat was going to be race committee for the night’s race.  It was a great night — about 85 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze.  But now, it’s confession time . . . I still get a bit confused with everything that happens at the beginning of a race.  I’m OK with the race starting sequence once I start to hear the countdown and […]

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Posted by admin - June 1, 2012 at 05:53

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Racing Rules of Sailing

Here’s a basic video from US Sailing about the racing rules of sailing.  It shows the rules with quick video clips.  To me, it’s a true example of a picture being “worth 1000 words” — a lot easier to watch the video and better understand the rules instead of just re-reading the book to get better understanding. If you are interested in purchasing either the Handy Guide to the Racing Rules, or the full written Racing Rules of Sailing, you […]

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Posted by admin - April 24, 2012 at 21:15

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 8

In Chapter 8 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about Upwind Trim Solutions. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   Remember that previously this book taught us that total power comes from the combination of the main and the jib.  The right amount and balance of power can be achieved with angle of attack, sail shape (depth), and twist.   Moderate Air Sailing In moderate air, maximize lift by trimming to a near stall.  Then, fine […]

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Posted by admin - April 15, 2012 at 22:02

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 7

In Chapter 7 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about upwind helmsmanship. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   In order to drive the boat well, helmsmanship is really dependent on taking in a lot of information and being able to turn it into some useful insight really quickly.  The driver needs to maintain good boat speed and ability to point while being really aware of the feel of the boat.  In order for this to […]

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Posted by admin - April 7, 2012 at 07:17

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 6

In Chapter 6 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about mainsail trim and controls. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   A well trimmed mainsail gives the boat speed, allows it to point, and balances the jib to get the boat upwind.  During a race, boats will use many different foresails, but typically only one main.  So, that main must be much more versatile to accomplish everything that is needed during a race.  That highlights, even […]

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Posted by admin - April 1, 2012 at 11:55

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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 5

In Chapter 5 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about genoa trim and controls. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.  I’ve added a few extras just in case you find them helpful.  Enjoy!   The role of the genoa trimmer is to guide the boat upwind while trimming the genoa to achieve the right balance of speed and point.  This is a continuous process and is not achieved with just one adjustment. The genoa gets its […]

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Posted by admin - March 29, 2012 at 20:53

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