Highlights from 2021-2022 Frostbite Series: Part 1
Dec 20 - Scott Williamson:
We only saw moments of the big northerly breeze (16-22 knots) that we were expecting. Nine ILCA 6 (Radial) and ten ILCA 7 (Full Rig) Sailors joined us for our fifth race day of the frostbite series. It was still puffy and squirrely and more than a few sailors spent time in the water. Go to the Annapolis Laser Fleet FB Group, you can see some video clips for the action and some of Ted Morgan's excellent photography that captures the fun!
Jan 9th -
Julian Dahiya/ILCA 6:
Leading up to this Sunday's regatta it snowed about 4 inches on Friday. With snow still on the ground on Sunday I rolled up to SSA wondering if this was the right day to go out on the water. Not only was it in the mid 30s, but it was supposed to rain the whole time we were out. The wind out of the south around 6-8 knots and pretty shifty. In terms of course priorities, maintaining good boatspeed throughout the whole course and getting into the puffs was extremely important. Getting a good start and staying inphase allowed me to stay on top of the fleet and control the race. No side was really paying off so as long as you tacked on the shifts and sailed towards pressure you could make any side work. Thank you so much Scott and all the people who sat out in the freezing rain for hours to make this race possible! Looking forward to the upcoming frostbites!
Gavin O’Hare/ILCA 7:
Lots of fun and very competitive!
The shifty conditions 4-8 knots made for some challenging racing. I thought the key to success, as Grant Garcia ’00 reminded me, was to sail for VMG - in my words, keep the boat moving. When slow, look around for where the next puff was coming from. Another tactic was to make sure you sailed into the puff, before you decide to take away. Having patience and looking upwind paid off.
Thanks to all our RC who froze their tails off for us.
Warm regards to all.
Jan 16th - Henry Filter:
Great call to start earlier last Sunday, avoiding the forecasted inclement weather later in the day. We completed 5 races, beginning with about 6-9 knots, patchy at best out of the north for the first few. Then building to about 10-12 by the end, while slowly clocking to the right.
In race 1, I started 2-3 boats down from the favored pin end and was able to tack immediately at the gun on to port. At which point I was pointing about 10 degrees to the right of the weather mark, definitely the favored lifted tack. I truly believe the first start of the day in any regatta is one’s biggest opportunity to nail the start and jump out in front. Most people don’t figure it out right away, so if you do your homework by continuously checking the line and looking up the course, you gain information most others will not have. In this case the pin was much less crowded than it should have been and thus, easier to get off the line. The next race was tougher to get off the line at the pin, because people started to figure it out. As a result, there were a few boats over early in the 2nd start down near the pin. Tough to recover from, especially on a short course.
3/4 of the way up the first beat, the lefty we started to begin to fade. A right shift phased in with the boats on the right tacking to starboard looking good. So I and the pack I was in all tacked to leeward and led them back towards the left. 30 seconds later, I started to fall into a hole and it looked like better pressure to the right. So I tacked back onto port leaving the group. This paid off, as Scott Williamson and I came out the right with better angle and more pressure, putting us 1,2 at the weather mark.
There was a nice gap between us and the 3rd place boat going down the run. Scott managed to sail a fast run, sailing with a little more heel and much better downwind technique than I. He led at the leeward mark, with me rounding on the outside and to his leeward on the next beat to the finish.
Unable to get my outhaul tightened, I left it where it was for the run and hiked hard through the puff. This gave me some additional power and sailing the boat flat gave me the height, allowing me to sail out from underneath Scott. Once ahead, I was a able to tack to starboard and head for the the finish, winning race 1.
With each start for the next 4 races, I moved a little further up the line towards the RC boat. My reasoning was two-fold. First, the pin end was getting more crowded and by races 4 and 5, I felt the breeze was building and moving right. This approach worked out well for each beat, as I was top 4 at the weather mark in all of races. Getting off the line let’s you sail clear of other boats and helps you stay in control, as opposed to being controlled around the race course.
Which leads me to my last observation. The goal is to win the war, not necessarily the battle. In pursuit of the boat on boat battle, a lot of sailors miss out on the big picture. Often at their own expense. Sometimes you have to lose that one or two boats at a certain point in order to position yourself for the next opportunity.
I felt this was the case in a number of races, particularly at the leeward mark roundings. Another way to put it, is don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Short course racing puts a greater emphasis on positioning and tactics over flat out speed, although speed always helps. At the end of the day, speed takes years to improve and see a noticeable difference. Tactics, one can see a big improvement from one leg to next. Thanks for letting me share my thought process and I look forward for I seeing everyone for another round on Sunday!
Jan 23rd - Gavin O’Hare:
Some observations from last Sunday:
Great turnout! Thanks Leo for rallying the clinic.
The conditions were not consistent with what I expected. I expected light wind and counter clockwise shifting through the afternoon.
That is a good thing, stronger breeze, yet no shifting to the left. I favored the left side of the first beat as I expected the counter clockwise shift that never happened.
The tide was ebbing.
This made it easy to win the pin or live at the pin as the current would help you get over the pin as you accelerate from stop/luffing
This also made it easier to block out barging lasers at the committee boat end. Good to know in advance!
Early in the afternoon, the pin end was favored. With a huge starting line and short course, this leverage mattered. I believe the ebb current also favored the pin start and starboard tack sailing in the channel. During race 3 and later I thought the boat end might be favored and started there and got hammered off the start.
Downwind mattered! If you could accelerate/surf the occasional wave, it would pay big time. My first beats were not spectacular, but I gained big almost every downwind. Less rudder and more rock and roll kept the boat accelerating and surfing!
The final beats did not seem to be anything special. Round, stay to the right if you had clean air and tack back for the favored end (pin all day long) close to the layline. I did not notice a favored side.
Great to be out there with you all. Many thanks to our RC volunteers!
Join the action for Part 2 of the Series…register HERE!
