Interview: Greg Fisher on J/22

This is a Tawas Bay J/22 Fleet #44 exclusive interview with Greg Fisher of North Sails One-design. This interview has been conducted via e-mail. Greg was asked questions by J/22 Fleet #44 Fleet Captain, Chris Princing.

As a J/22 guru and the leading sailmaker in the class, it would be very informative to our J/22 web page readers to get your insights after a large regatta.

Greg Fisher: I'M HAPPY TO HELP...AND OF COURSE IF ANYONE HAS SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR BOAT OR PROGRAM I'M GLAD TO HELP.

For those people who do not know who you are, tell us a little bit about yourself:

Greg Fisher: I GOT INVOLVED WITH SAILING AT AN EARLY AGE. MY DAD SAILED LIGHTNING'S AND SOON MY BROTHER AND I STARTED CREWING FOR HIM. HE GAVE UP HIS SAILING WHEN I WAS 12 AND MY BROTHER WAS 10 SO WE COULD DO OUR OWN SAILING...AND THEN HE HAULED US ALL OVER THE PLACE SO WE COULD DO THE CIRCUIT. LOOKING BACK ON THAT I SEE HOW MUCH THAT MEANT TO OUR SAILING CAREERS. HE WAS ( AND STILL IS!) A GREAT DAD! WE DID THE JUNIOR CIRCUIT STUFF AND THEN COLLEGE SAILING. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED THAT I LIKED THE SPORT AND THE PEOPLE ENOUGH THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IT MY VOCATION AS WELL.

I STARTED WORKING FOR MUELLER BOAT COMPANY IN THE EARLY 70'S BUILDING SNIPES AND LIGHTNING'S. I EVENTUALLY DECIDED THAT SAILMAKING WOULD BE A "FASTER" ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS A SAFER ONE. IN 1975 I STARTED UP WITH BILL SHORE AT SHORE SAILS IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BUSINESS. I STARTED MY OWN LOFT IN COLUMBUS OHIO. IN 1986 I LEFT THE SHORE SYSTEM AND STARTED MY OWN FISHER SAILS LOFT. HAVING MY OWN BUSINESS WAS OF COURSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THRILLS IN MY LIFE...AND THEN JOINING THE NORTH GROUP IN 1991 WAS RIGHT BEHIND!

I ALSO WAS INVOLVED WITH US SAILING A BIT IN THE LATE 80'S AND EARLY 90'S AS CHAIR OF THE ODCC COMMITTEE AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONS COMMITTEE. PRESENTLY I AM A MEMBER OF THE ODCC AND A BOARD MEMBER. I ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY OF "PUTTING BACK" AND URGE EVERYONE TO BE A MEMBER OF US SAILING AND SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION. IT REALLY PROVIDES A LOT MORE THAN PEOPLE REALIZE.

I HAVE 3 KIDS AND FORTUNATELY AN UNDERSTANDING WIFE WHO ALSO SAILS...IN FACT WE MET SAILING. MY KIDS, IN SPITE OF ME I THINK, ENJOY SAILING TOO. MY OLDEST, MARTHA MY 14 YR OLD DAUGHTER SAILS WITH ME REGULARLY. I'M VERY FORTUNATE.

What do you like about the J/22? How long have you been sailing J/22's?

Greg Fisher: IT DOESN'T REQUIRE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF "TWEAKING" TO STAY COMPETITIVE. THAT WILL LONG BE ONE OF THE REASONS FOR GROWTH IN THE CLASS. I SAILED IT WHEN IT FIRST WAS INTRODUCED IN THE MID-80'S BUT PICKED IT UP AGAIN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. ITS A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO TRULY HAVE THE IDEA OF ONE
DESIGN RACING IN PERSPECTIVE.

Since the sailing season is almost here for us in the Midwest, what tips do you have for
pre season maintenance, especially for our sails?

Greg Fisher: I THINK I WOULD DO JUST A BASIC "WALK AROUND" THE SAILS AND BOAT. LOOK FOR ISSUES AROUND THE BATTEN POCKETS OR GROMMETS. CHECK THAT THE BOTTOM IS STILL SMOOTH AND ALL THE CLEATS ARE WORKING. I BET A 2 HR AFTERNOON SPRING CHECK OVER SESSION WOULD MAKE THE FIRST DAY SAILING A LOT EASIER!

We will be hitting the water soon. Can you give us any suggestions as far as practice
sailing? Maybe offer your opinion about some of your favorite practice drills. Can you give us some insight on what to focus on early in the season?

Greg Fisher: I FEEL SPEED AND STARTS ARE ALWAYS KEY. MAKING SURE YOU'VE GOT ALL THE GEARS IS IMPORTANT. I'D SET UP A TWO BOAT TESTING SESSION WITH SOME OF YOUR BUDDIES. CONCENTRATE ONLY ON SPEED AND NOT ON BEATING ONE ANOTHER. I'D TRY TO DO THIS "TESTING" OVER A COUPLE WEEKEND PERIOD SO AS TO HIT VARIOUS CONDITIONS...AND THEREFORE GEARS. PRACTICE STARTS ARE EASY AND CAN ADD A LOT TO EARLY SEASON CONFIDENCE. RUNNING 10-12 WITH A SHORT LINE, MAYBE A BIT SKEWED ONE WAY AND THEN THE OTHER WILL HELP YOU GAIN A LOT OF CONFIDENCE PLUS SWEEP OUT THE COBWEBS. JUST START AFTER START WILL BE FUN AS WELL...

When practicing, is it a good time to practice crew communication? What kind of input do you like from your teammates? In particularly tense situations what do you need from your team to help you remain calm and focused?

Greg Fisher: I TOTALLY RELY ON MY TEAMMATES FOR INPUT AND POSITIVE "STROKING". THE MORE INFO THEY SHARE, THE BIGGER, CLEARER PICTURE THEY PAINT, THE MORE CLEAR MY DECISION MAKING BECOMES. CHATTER IS CONSTANT ON MY BOATS...I LOVE IT WHEN THE CREW ALLOWS ME THE LUXURY OF NOT HAVING TO HAVE MY HEAD ON A SWIVEL. WHEN I'M AWARE OF WHAT COULD BE, OR WILL BE IN STORE THE STRESS LEVEL DROPS WAY DOWN. THEY'RE JUST AREN'T ANY SURPRISES. OF COURSE WHEN THINGS DO GO WHACKY ITS SUPER WHEN THEY CAN STAY CALM AND KEEP ME WELL "RELAXED" TOO. IN MY BEGINNING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEW CREW MEMBERS WE DISCUSS THIS SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT I HOPE THEY DON'T MIND DOING FOR ME...

The J/22 is almost 20 years old, how have sail shapes changed for the J/22 over this time? What is North Sails current philosophy when it comes to the J/22? Where are sail shapes headed?

Greg Fisher: SAIL DESIGN IS ALWAYS A COMPROMISE. SOME SAILS ARE PARTICULARLY FAST IN BIG BREEZE SOME IN LIGHTER STUFF. THE TRICK IS TO PLAY WITH THE SHAPES TO FIND THE BEST COMPROMISE AND STILL KEEP THE SAILS BASICALLY EASY TO TRIM...NOT TOO COMPLICATED. THE J/22 HAS AN UNUSUAL MAIN MEASUREMENT...OR LACK THERE OF, WITH OUT A LEECH MEASUREMENT. THIS AFFECTS THE GIRTHS AS WELL AS BOOK HEIGHTS. THERE HAS BEEN A TREND, A HEALTHY ONE I MIGHT ADD, TOWARDS SHORTER LEECHES FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE SAILING STYLE PLUS A WIDER SAIL DUE TO WIDER GIRTHS ( WHEN THE LEECH SHORTENS THE GIRTHS GET WIDER). I THINK THIS MAKES FOR A FASTER SAIL IN LIGHTER STUFF
( WE ALL SAIL IN A LOT) AND A LESS DEMANDING SAIL TO TRIM. OUR NEW NB-1 MAINSAIL REFLECTS THIS LATEST THINKING...I AM REALLY ENTHUSED ABOUT IT!

I know you are very happy with the new FR-1 spinnaker, what makes it such a good sail?

Greg Fisher: I THINK A FAST BROADREACH/RUNNER SPINNAKER, FAIRLY FLAT ACROSS THE UPPER SHOULDERS AND THEN FAIRLY DEEP ACROSS THE BOTTOM. THE SHOULDERS PROJECT WELL AND PROVIDE MORE AREA. THE LOWER SECTIONS PROVIDE THE EXTRA PUNCH. I ALWAYS APPRECIATED SAILING DEEPER. FINALLY THE FACT THAT IT'S A TRUE FULL RADIAL (FR-1) MAKES IT I'M CONFIDENT, THE MOST DURABLE SPINNAKER AROUND. WE USE A SIMILAR LAYOUT IN SEVERAL OTHER CLASSES AND WE'VE SEEN A TRUE IMPROVEMENT IN DURABILITY. AGAIN,
WE'RE ENTHUSED ABOUT THIS NEW CHUTE TOO!

North offers two mainsails, the SC-2 and the new NB-1. The new NB-1 mainsail is designed for the angled mast step and uses more mast rake and is flatter than the SC-2. How does all of this work together with just one jib?

Greg Fisher: VERSATILE...ITS EASY TO STEER WITH A BIT MORE RAKE, THE SLIGHTLY FLATTER MAIN BALANCES QUITE WELL. WE TESTED OTHER JIB SHAPES OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS BUT FOUND THIS JIB TO ALWAYS BE THE FASTEST.

I have heard about a new spinnaker cloth. It is a little lighter than normal .75 oz. Cloth and is class legal. What can you tell us about this cloth and does North Offer it?

Greg Fisher: AIRX 650 IS JUST SLIGHTLY LIGHTER THAN NORMAL .75 OZ FABRIC WE'RE ALL USED TO. IT IS A GREAT CLOTH DUE TO ITS STRETCH ( OR LACK THEREOF) CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS DURABILITY. ONLY BUMMER IS THAT IT ONLY COMES IN WHITE! BUT WE HAVE BEEN OFFERING AND SUGGESTING THIS CLOTH...I USED IT AT THE MIDWINTERS AND WILL US IT IN ANNAPOLIS THIS WEEKEND.

How do you set up your rig?

Greg Fisher: I TRY TO SET UP THE RIG SO THE BACKSTAY AND MAINSHEET CONTROL "IT ALL"...THAT IS THE MASTBEND OF COURSE, AND HEADSTAY SAG. ITS IMPORTANT THAT THE MAIN SHAPE AND JIB SHAPE SET CONSISTENTLY TOGETHER. IF THE RIGS TOO LOOSE IT'LL TAKE TOO MUCH BACKSTAY TO GET THE SAG RIG ( AND THE MAIN GETS TOO FLAT) AND IF THE RIG IS TOO TIGHT THE MAIN WILL BE TOO FULL AND THE JIB TOO FLAT WITH TOO LITTLE SAG...IT ALL HAS TO WORK TOGETHER.

Proper boat setup and practice is key to performing well, what else do you do to prepare for a regatta, mentally and physically?

Greg Fisher: I DO TRY TO WORK OUT REGULARLY WHEN I'M HOME. I'M CERTAINLY NO CHARLES ATLAS BUT I FIND I JUST PLAIN FEEL BETTER. BEFORE I LEAVE, I TRY TO DO MY HOMEWORK AND TRY TO DEVELOP SOME IDEA AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT BREEZE WISE AT THE REGATTA...OF COURSE ONCE I'M THERE I TRY TO GET SOME IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT BREEZE WISE IN THE SMALL PICTURE ON THE COURSE ITSELF. I'LL TALK TO LOCALS, WATCH THE
WEATHER CHANNEL,ETC...ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. USUALLY IT NEVER DOES OF COURSE...BUT ITS NICE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PLAN!

When Sailing upwind, does your crew sit inward or outward? What do you concentrate on upwind? Do you cross sheet?

Greg Fisher: I ALWAYS CROSS SHEET SO THE JIB BLOCK LEANS INBOARD AND IN EFFECT, MOVES THE LEAD INBOARD. THE JIB SETS BETTER AND THE JIB IS SLIGHTLY FULLER AS A RESULT...EVEN IN LIGHT WINDS WE DO THIS. I SIT STRADDLING, OR JUST FORWARD OF THE TRAVELER WITH THE CREW SPACED JUST IN FRONT OF ME....THE FORWARD CREW IS JUST BEHIND ( A FOOT OR SO) THE SHROUDS. THE MIDDLE CREW WILL FACE IN WHEN WE DO A
LOT OF TACKING...BUT ONCE WE'RE "LOCKED IN" HE'LL TURN AROUND AND FACE OUT FOR MORE WEIGHT AND VISIBILITY.

When sailing downwind how do you distribute your weight and what do you concentrate on?

Greg Fisher: THE FORWARD CREW ALWAYS FACES AFT. IF THERE'S BREEZE HE'LL STAND ON THE HATCH ON THE DECK JUST BEHIND THE MAST AND LOOK AFT...WE MUST STAY IN THE BREEZE AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE OTHER BOATS ARE DOING. THE MIDDLE CREW STANDS ON THE COCKPIT DECK JUST AT OF THE COMPANIONWAY SO HE CAN MOVE SIDE TO SIDE AND BALANCE THE HEEL...MAKES JIBES EASY TO ROLL INTO AS WELL. I'LL SIT JUST FORWARD OF THE TRAVELER AND DO MY BEST TO KEEP THE BOAT MOVING. THE FORWARD CREW IS CALLING THE PUFFS AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE TO GET IN LINE WITH THEM WHILE THE MIDDLE CREW IS CONSTANTLY CALLING THE PRESSURE HE'S CARRYING ON THE SHEET. WHEN IT GETS LIGHT I'LL HEAT IT UP A BIT...A GOOD TUG WILL TELL ME I CAN "BURN IT OFF" AND SAIL A BIT LOWER....

In your opinion, what is the biggest difference from a top of the fleet boat and a middle of the fleet boat? What can the middle of the fleet boats focus on in practice to help them get closer to the top boats?

Greg Fisher: SPEED, SPEED, SPEED....NOT NECESSARILY FASTER SPEED BUT MORE CONSISTENT SPEED. ITS KEY THAT ALL THE TEAM IS COMFORTABLE WITH ALL THE GEARS. PRACTICE WITH ANOTHER BOAT TO DETERMINE WHAT MAKES THE BOAT THE FASTEST IN ALL THE CONDITIONS YOU CAN SAIL IN. TWO BOAT PRACTICING IS SUPER HELPFUL...ONCE YOU HAVE SPEED YOU LOOK AND FEEL FASTER TOO! I'D ALSO WORK ON STARTS AS A GOOD
START AND SPEED IS HARD TO BEAT!

Greg, thank you, this has been very helpful! I am sure all of the readers will agree, this is a great help, especially at the start of the season. If you are ever in the Tawas Bay area, Fleet #44 would like to offer you a sail on the Bay! (Maybe a cold beer too!).

Greg Fisher: THANK YOU CHRIS!! HOLLAR IF THERE'S MORE I CAN DO OR ADD...

If you want to contact Greg Fisher, or anyone of the North Sails One Design representatives, just click here. Greg is also an author, his book is called "Sailboat racing with Greg Fisher". To order it go to GoFastSailing.com.