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SAILING HEAVY X LIGHT

EDUARDO CORDERO'S THOUGHTS ON SAILING HEAVY:

Since David, Marguerite and I were sailing with three people and nearly 485lbs at the Midwinters in St Pete and many of our competitors were sailing with 2 people (some over 100lbs lighter than our team) we had to use some different techniques to maintain speed.

We chose the fuller LC-1 main (I think which stands for larger citizen!) and the Snug Rig jib. We initially set our rake first at 28' 5" and 100lbs on the forestay . To help develop a little more power in the lighter lumpy conditions after the first day we eased the forestay slightly so the rake was closer to 28' 4 1/2" and 85lbs on the forestay. With this rig tension we felt more comfortable and the boat was more forgiving to steer.

We eased the outhaul slightly (the shelf was open 1 1/2') to help power up in light stuff..

While we noticed the lighter teams allowed the weather telltale on the jib stall a fair bit when sailing close hauled, in similar conditions we had to nearly maintain constant flow and both telltales flying to stay at speed. Obviously when it was blowing harder we allowed the boat sail higher and the windward tick dance...and at that time we felt pretty good about our speed!

Eduardo Cordero, 2nd place at the 2009 Midwinters using the LC-1 and Snug Jib recommended for heavier teams.

We found that constant adjustment to sails was very important. David was very conscious of easing the jib quickly when we hit waves and Marguerite kept the boat at a constant 5-8 degrees of heel. Although we knew that "flat was fast" the boat seemed easier for us to keep in gear with a little more heel that we had expected, I tried to steer more with weight since we felt using the rudder to turn much was creating more excessive drag. We heeled to leeward to head up and to windward to bear off.

Tacking was a challenge in the light wavy conditions and I found trimming the main a bit when trying to head up into the wind helped the boat make its way to head to wind smoother and with less rudder drag.

We watched other boats a bit for some tips in sailing the boat since we were pretty new to the Scot. It was interesting hearing how high Harry Carpenter (also sailing with 3 people) pulled his board up when sailing dead downwind...nearly all the way up. We also noticed that Harry, like many of the faster boats, sat further aft and raised their pole so the spinnaker flew pretty high (but the two corners were basically even). We were surprised how much it helped to sail a wide course through a roll gybe. Making the turn slow allowed David to fly the spinnaker easier through the gybe. I found keeping my eye on the luff of the chute help control and slow the rate of the turn plus helped me find the right angle, which was higher than I had expected, when I came out of the gybe onto our new course.

We enjoyed sailing the Flying Scot and meeting the sailors. We appreciated the hospitality and look forward to sailing the boat more. Thanks, too, to Birmingham Sailing Club for allowing us to sail our club boat in preparation for the GYA Liptons this summer. See you on the circuit!

ALLAN TERHUNE'S THOUGHTS ON SAILING LIGHT:

One of the things that Katie and I have worked very hard is our set up an technique for sailing light.  Katie and I are sailing at 340lbs of crew weight, which is light, but we have found ways to be competitive.  The AP main allows us to sail and sets up well for this set up. The sail is versatile in that is has enough power for us in the light air, but when we get overpowered the top of the sail really flattens out and balances the boat for us, especially when we are at max vang.  One of the keys to sailing light is to be very aggressive with the main and jib sheets and with steering.  I am constantly working the main sheet to keep the boat flat.  One thing we also have started to do is move the jib leads aft when we get over powered. This allows the bottom of the jib to be flatter and keep the upper leech open.   This is very important, especially when the main has to be eased for the puffs. 

We have a very specific order for depowering the boat. First we tighten the outhaul, then the jib halyard, then we put vang on until its maxed. If we are still over powered we loosen the windward sheet on the jib, then lastly we move the jib car back one hole.  One thing is for sure.  The more you ease and trim the main sheet in the puffs, the faster the boat will go.  Remember two things, “Ease hike trim”  and a “A Flat Scot is a Fast Scot”

As for steering, I will usually sail with the tell tales flowing or the inside tell tale just lifting until we are over powered.  Once we are overpowered, I will sail through the jib, meaning there will be a bubble along the luff.  The windier it is, the larger the bubble. Sometimes  I will have as much as a foot of bubble in the front of the jib!

As for rig tuning, we are sailing at 28’ 5” with about 100lbs on the headstay, which is in line with the tuning guide for sure.   We don’t adjust the rig for the conditions, we spend more time working the sails and our body weight. 

The AP main is great for light teams, it is versatile, fast and easy to trim!  If you have any questions, I will be glad to talk with you about it more!

2009 Midwinter Champions Al and Kate Terhune using the AP main and the Snug Jib recommended for lighter teams.

For more information on Flying Scot sails, contact the North Flying Scot experts.