Association Forum - Pursuit - single handed race

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Pursuit - single handed race

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

JimB517
Past Commodore

Member Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/22/2010 : 22:00:30

So Saturday I did a 14 mile mixed Bay/Ocean single handed race. It was a PURSUIT START, which was interesting. The handicaps are applied before the race and everyone gets a different start time. As by far the slowest boat, I started first, alone. I got a good start, crossing the line at full speed 8 seconds after noon. The Catalina 30s started 7 minutes after me and the fastest boat entered, an Olson 40, started a full 42 minutes behind.

Now this race had both a double handed division and a single handed division. As far as I could tell, I was the only skipper racing single handed who flew spinnaker. I think only a couple of double handed boats flew spinnaker.

So I headed out the bay and watched the 30s start and slowly gain on me. There was a big ship coming in and I decided to go way across the channel and well down wind of him. One of the Cat 30s got up spin so I did, too.

I gybed around the first mark and headed almost dead down wind to the down wind mark out in the ocean. Now this is known as Navy Buoy 1 and I sailed down on Friday to find it and mark it in my GPS. I figured I'd be leading and couldn't possibly win if I couldn't find the mark! In fact I sailed the whole course on Friday and marked everything.

So I was in the lead at the first mark, got caught right at the second (about 1/2 way) buy a very well sailed double handed Cat 30. I had to gybe spin twice and do a douse at the Navy buoy on this leg (autopilots were allowed). Winds were about 10 knots. I do practice single handed spinnaker a lot.

Then we started the dreaded long upwind leg. Winds went very light. I had my #2 mylar/laminate jib on which is about a 145%. Winds were expected to be much higher. I was making 3.5 knots and pointing about as well as the Cat 30s but the rest of the fleet pointed 15 degrees higher (it seemed) and just about everyone passed.

I can keep up downwind. I just can't make the boat go upwind!

Rounding tjhe upwind mark we then started about a 3 mile beat back into San Diego Bay. Under Pt. Loma it was wild and very gusty. Boats were rounding up right and left, then sitting still in 0 wind. With my smaller jib I never rounded up although I was fully hiked, fully flattened, and at times I had to dump the main. I thought I might catch up and I did a little but not enough to pass anyone.

Final result - dead last but not by too many minutes. Click here for results:

http://www.southwesternyc.org/RaceInfo/Results/Results2010/GeorgeGray-2010.HTM

The pursuit format was really fun. I got to be in the lead for a long time. It was frustrating sitting still on the long upwind leg. I don't know what to do short of getting a new boat. It is not worth it to me to spend money on a 155 mylar jib and racing sails and still have a 228 rating. I want to go to a Capri 30, J29, Oslon 30, Moore 24 or the like.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2010 : 22:03:37

PS

I've been on vacation for 2 weeks. We went camping in Tahoe then I spent a week on the boat.

Thursday - sailed about 15 miles to practice.

Friday - sailed about 30 miles : Mission Bay to San Diego, sailed the course, marked all buoys, and motor sailed back. Practiced single handed spin sets, gybes, and douses.

Saturday left at 0830, sailed to San Diego Bay, did the race starting at noon, finished at 3:30, sailed back to Mission Bay, in the slip by 6:30, a 10 hour day on the water.

Sunday packed up and came home very tired and with a really sore bottom.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 06:54:20

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The pursuit format was really fun. I got to be in the lead for a long time. It was frustrating sitting still on the long upwind leg. I don't know what to do short of getting a new boat. It is not worth it to me to spend money on a 155 mylar jib and racing sails and still have a 228 rating. I want to go to a Capri 30, J29, Oslon 30, Moore 24 or the like.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Jim, You might as well do it. I know that when I start to think about getting something else it usually happens. The frustration you have will drive you crazy over and over if you don't. You love to race, Do what you love to do. My two cents.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 07:13:25

Wish I lived out there. I'd love to crew with you. We do pursuit starts here in our Wed. nite club races. In light air, we hold our own in the C22's against the bigger boats (15-31 footers).

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/23/2010 07:15:00

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1520 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 07:18:10

Jim,
I could see you winning races in a J/105 or one of the [url="http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_detail.jsp?currency=USD&units=Feet&id=2171901&lang=en&slim=quick&"]older J/34's[/url]. Maybe the San Diego Sheriff's Department can seize one owned by an arrested drug lord and hand you the keys!

I love the way the J/105's slice through the chop!

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 07:38:03

Jim, I feel your pain when beating to windward. There's a Hunter 26 in our fleet that I can smoke on a beam or broad reach. But on the windward leg of any race, he points 15 degrees higher and just gains back everything. It's bloody awful! Fortunately, I'm not a racer, like you. If I were, I'd have to conclude I needed a different boat. I don't think my ego could take the sight of being passed week after week by boat after boat.
On another note, how much better do you think Indiscipline would perform upwind with some moveable ballast, aka railmeat? As a single-hander that would seem to put you at a disadvantage if you're going up against boats with large crews.
Finally, bravo on singlehanding that spinnaker. You da man! You're not gybing that spinnaker alone, are you?

Edited by - windsong on 08/23/2010 07:40:44

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 09:43:31

Jim, the C25 is capable of pointing well. I've been in tacking duels with well-sailed J24s and they could just barely out-point my C25.

I can't say why you're having trouble, but anything that reduces your boatspeed will reduce her ability to point, such as a smooth, clean bottom, keel and rudder. I always scrub them before a major race, and fair any deep depressions or pockmarks in the keel, and strip old antifouling when it starts to peel.

The rig should always be tuned for the specific conditions in which you'll be racing. It should be loosened for weaker winds and tautened for stronger winds. I know you have an adjustable backstay and am sure you already do that.

I often see experienced racers who habitually ease the sheets a skosh, to power up their sails. That's fine if you need to power them up, but most of the time it isn't necessary. A boat can't sail any closer to the wind than the trim of it's sails will allow. If you power up when it's not necessary, then you're sailing at a lower angle than the other boats, gradually losing ground to windward in relation to the other boats.

Finally, concentration by the helmsman is of paramount importance when sailing to windward. One of the best racers I have ever known occasionally loses focus, and drifts to leeward of his intended course, losing a lot of ground to windward. What is worse by far, however, is just losing focus a tiny amount, so that you don't constantly keep the boat in the groove, when sailing closehauled. Every time you get out of the groove, the sail trim becomes less-than-optimal, and the boat loses speed, which reduces it's ability to point, and, once it loses speed, you can't just put the pedal to the metal and regain your speed, as you can with a car. It takes a sailboat a long time and distance to regain that lost speed and pointing ability.

Good luck!

PS: I just re-read your first post and noticed that you said the wind went very light as you started the windward leg. At that time, you should definitely have eased the main halliard until the luff of the mainsail was totally relaxed, and you should have eased the backstay and jib halliard until the luff of the jib began to develop scallops, and you should have eased the mainsail outhaul slightly. As the windspeed increases, your boat speed will also increase, and the tensions should be <u>gradually</u> restored to those controls, i.e., a little bit at a time - not all at once.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 08/23/2010 10:02:30

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 19:52:00

Yes, I set, gybed spinnaker 3 times, and doused single handed.

Steve, I am working on it. I think a big problem is the 145% mylar/laminate jib is just not powerful enough when the winds go real light. As I said, I was pointing with the Cat 30s but had a bad case of the slows.

I have inner jib tracks, adjustable backstay but I could have benefited from moving jib cars forward and easing halyard and cracking off a little to increase speed while giving up a little pointing. One of the Cat 30s did that and went below me by quite a bit.

The bottom paint is now 3 years old and I have not seen the bottom in a while. I may get the painting done now before the Nationals. has to be done this year anyhow.

I did take the anchor out but there is a lot I can do to reduce weight and I'll do that before the next races. Tools, spare parts, I have the pop top cover under the V berth, things like that.

Indiscipline squats in the stern real bad with the Tohatsu on the bracket and a big fuel tank in the locker. Next time I am moving the fuel tank to amidships.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4312 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 20:01:34

At least pull the boat and have the bottom pressure washed. Could be a big part of the problem.

Another option would be to buy a used Hydro-Hoist and keep the boat out of the water like Derek Crawford does. Have the bottom paint stripped off and go nude! That would reduce the weight of the bottom paint and you could have a smoother bottom. Both should help the boat speed.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2010 : 21:36:47

In light air, I'm a big proponent of footing off a little. A C-25 cannot point with a C-30 in any air--especially very light--without losing way too much speed. But let your GPS tell you the story...

Some light day, pick a mark dead upwind, set a GPS waypoint about 50 miles past it on the same line, and then watch your VMG to that waypoint as you vary your points of sail higher and lower while tacking toward your mark. In light air, maximum VMG is all that counts--not maximum pointing. The same technique might tell you to sail a little lower even in heavier air. You might be pointing yourself to a slow death.

The 50 miles (or 100 if you wish) rather than the mark itself reduces the VMG error as you get closer to the mark. And I think you're right--mylar isn't optimal in light stuff. Nor would I use those inner tracks except in heavy air. To windward, you do not under any circumstances want your jib leech cupped in if you ease the sheet or move the cars forward.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/23/2010 21:45:12

HeelinPatrick
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
102 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2010 : 07:45:28

The short courses we race (1 hr long), I do well in heavy wind (anything white capping), but get smoked in the light stuff. I like to blame it on stretched out 135, and that the other boats are light weight (Capri 25, S2 6.9). Sailing in the light stuff really requires understanding the sail shaping (which I'm learning), much more concentration trying to squeeze out any power. Any mistake or mis-trim is amplified too.

I haven't done it yet, but would like to mount a jib tracks on the cabin deck between the window and the rail, since that is what the late model C25's do. A knot meter is on the wish list too. I of course want a new 135, but want to learn more before I get it.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.