So great to see this analysis. Appreciate the effort and information you’re putting into this. Question: what advice would give for “seeing” the wind and knowing when a shift is ahead? Or knowing which side of the course to start on. Or seeing wind shifts far enough ahead and including it in your race tactics. I know the darker water versus glass water but even then I don’t always choose the right side/time to tack. Any advice or a video would be helpful. Forwarding these to friends.
This is a very very big topic, but I'll try as best as I can. In my opinion, when the best sailors 'see' wind shifts, they're not just looking at the colour differences on the water. You'll only be able to tell shift direction by looking at gusts in very gusty (particularly wind coming from the land) conditions. If you can track each individiual gust, and the direction it's moving, you should be able to predict the shift direction. The best sailors are usually weighing up a number of data points when deciding strategy. For example: - Is there land to one side of the course? If so, will that cause a geographic wind shift? - Has the wind tended to be oscillating, or persistently shifting to one direction? And what 'phase' of the shift are we in now? - Are there clouds on the race course which could affect the wind? - Are there fleets which have raced prior to my start, and if so, what side paid off for them, or what affected the outcome of their race? Ultimately, the best sailors also choose the wrong time to tack a large % of the time. Choosing your strategy is always going to have a large 'luck' or 'gambling' element, but the best sailors always have good enough boat speed to be able to recover from poor choices, or make them 'less bad'.
Yes, this was great. Just always wonder how to balance by the lee with broad reaching. Please cover that sometime. Seems like by the lee really gets you power in the puffs, but broad reaching is fast when stable.
This is very much going to be condition dependent (based on wave and wind direction, also fleet positioning). I'll try to think of a simple model to explain this
Hey, this is going to be very contextual, but I'll try to do as best as I can. Typically the 'drop pump' will come after bearing away to go by the lee. The most common spot on the wave to do this is as you are getting towards the bottom of the wave, and you begin to lose speed. You can also do this bear away while the wave is picking up the back of the boat, and you're on the 'face' of the wave, but you need to be sure that you can generate enough speed to surf back down the wave face once you get to the peak.
Similar request but for Fiins, can you perhaps take a look at Aarhus medal race (or anything else that looks useful) and give an opinion? It seems like with the rowing technique that some sailors go by the lee whereas others don't. I'm not quite sure all the similarities/differences between ILCA and Finn downwind other than having 1:1 pumping available is useful so long as your arm doesn't fall off and perhaps leads to different types of options.
The key is to keep your boom/mainsheet in - the boom should not go past 90 degrees to the hull when going downwind in strong conditions. It's also important to avoid sailing directly downwind - this is when the boat will be most unstable. It's better to sail either on a very broad reach, or by-the-lee.
One of the best ways is to push your foot against the front of the cockpit while pulling on the vang. If you can wrap the vang line around your hand, you should be able to get the full amount on using the strength from your legs.
Watched these world cup videos multiple times but so great to get in depth coaching I just would not pick up. Thanks so much Dan.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!
So great to see this analysis. Appreciate the effort and information you’re putting into this.
Question: what advice would give for “seeing” the wind and knowing when a shift is ahead? Or knowing which side of the course to start on. Or seeing wind shifts far enough ahead and including it in your race tactics. I know the darker water versus glass water but even then I don’t always choose the right side/time to tack. Any advice or a video would be helpful. Forwarding these to friends.
This is a very very big topic, but I'll try as best as I can.
In my opinion, when the best sailors 'see' wind shifts, they're not just looking at the colour differences on the water. You'll only be able to tell shift direction by looking at gusts in very gusty (particularly wind coming from the land) conditions. If you can track each individiual gust, and the direction it's moving, you should be able to predict the shift direction.
The best sailors are usually weighing up a number of data points when deciding strategy.
For example:
- Is there land to one side of the course? If so, will that cause a geographic wind shift?
- Has the wind tended to be oscillating, or persistently shifting to one direction? And what 'phase' of the shift are we in now?
- Are there clouds on the race course which could affect the wind?
- Are there fleets which have raced prior to my start, and if so, what side paid off for them, or what affected the outcome of their race?
Ultimately, the best sailors also choose the wrong time to tack a large % of the time. Choosing your strategy is always going to have a large 'luck' or 'gambling' element, but the best sailors always have good enough boat speed to be able to recover from poor choices, or make them 'less bad'.
Brilliant Dan thanks! Keep them coming, looking forward to the tacking one.
Thanks, will do :)
Thank you for a good bit of advice ahead of my very light wind race tomorrow 🙏
No worries, thanks for watching :)
Good one Dan. Love the footage!!!
Thanks :)
Yes, this was great. Just always wonder how to balance by the lee with broad reaching. Please cover that sometime. Seems like by the lee really gets you power in the puffs, but broad reaching is fast when stable.
This is very much going to be condition dependent (based on wave and wind direction, also fleet positioning). I'll try to think of a simple model to explain this
Hi Dan, thanks for your work. Could you define at which moment related to waves sailor drop the sheet and catch it to make a pump?
Hey, this is going to be very contextual, but I'll try to do as best as I can.
Typically the 'drop pump' will come after bearing away to go by the lee. The most common spot on the wave to do this is as you are getting towards the bottom of the wave, and you begin to lose speed.
You can also do this bear away while the wave is picking up the back of the boat, and you're on the 'face' of the wave, but you need to be sure that you can generate enough speed to surf back down the wave face once you get to the peak.
Similar request but for Fiins, can you perhaps take a look at Aarhus medal race (or anything else that looks useful) and give an opinion? It seems like with the rowing technique that some sailors go by the lee whereas others don't. I'm not quite sure all the similarities/differences between ILCA and Finn downwind other than having 1:1 pumping available is useful so long as your arm doesn't fall off and perhaps leads to different types of options.
I can take a look, but I'm definitely no expert on Finn techniques
Any advice please on how to avoid capsizing in strong winds downwind? Especially on avoiding capsizing to windward?
The key is to keep your boom/mainsheet in - the boom should not go past 90 degrees to the hull when going downwind in strong conditions.
It's also important to avoid sailing directly downwind - this is when the boat will be most unstable. It's better to sail either on a very broad reach, or by-the-lee.
how to fast trimming the vang when rounding bouy to the upwind in heavy wind ? because I'm having a hard time doing it
One of the best ways is to push your foot against the front of the cockpit while pulling on the vang. If you can wrap the vang line around your hand, you should be able to get the full amount on using the strength from your legs.
it looks like it was before turning, does that also apply before doing jibe?
could you please do an analasys of upwind on 8-10 knots
I'll add this to the list - may take me a while to get to.
Starting?
This is on the list!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!
Thanks for the in-depth coaching your explanation are spot on. Just need to know about the dreaded death roll!!