Thank you Lee and Eugene for sharing this advice with others. Eugene, your final comments to the organizers of the events in Tampa, and to the greater Sunfish community, are greatly appreciated. For those of us too old to aspire to much success in competition, your words really hit home - thanks.
Fitness...Eduardo told me years back at the gym on Long island (while reading the paper on an elliptical ha ha!) that he goes into regattas knowing that he is perhaps the fittest sailor there and that gave him confidence. For lasers and fish and other footstrap aerobic boats, fitness is key if you have a long regatta ahead or its going to be windy. Great interview... Thanks, Lee and Eugene
Hi Lee, I figured it was finally time I watched the video. It is great - thanks to you and Eugene for doing this. My question for Eugene is with the center of effort further back with his rig, how is he avoiding a lot of weather helm downwind? I have found with a Jens I have to move the gooseneck back to avoid excessive weather helm downwind.
From Eugene. Hey Chris. Going upwind, obviously all things being equal if you move your sail back you bring your center of effort back and create some helm (thru Jensing AND moving gooseneck forward). You counter this by bringing your gooseneck even further back than normal. The overwhelming variable in helm in heel. While a Jens in some respects creates more helm, it also dumps a lot of sail and let’s one keep the boat flatter (the bigger variable). I hate to give advice on downwind technique because I’m not good at it. Again, I will say that another degree or 2 of heel really brings that center of effort closer to centerline (when viewed as a transverse section of the boat). Lately, I’ve been really trying to completely drive the boat downwind with heel. Conner Blouin had some good advice on downwind sailing on the class website. Some of it was a little over my head. Basically, he says heel so the tiller naturally goes to centerline at which point you’ll be going fast. Todd Edwards has been trying to teach me this for years. Easier said than done.
@@LeeSideSailing Thanks Eugene. Let me find Conner's writeup. I have felt like I have not been able to heel enough to turn further downwind/by the lee with the gooseneck forward. However, I also need to try to get out sailing more on really windy days - over 20 kts, and work on my adjustments and technique. And congrats on the Masters win!!
Lee, hit me up if you're back on Long Island. I would love to give a big boat perspective and be on your show. I miss the boats I grew up on; I love the sunfish, and I'm rarely here. Dunno if I'm in as good of shape as I was sailing in college, but I've been sailing professionally for the past 7 years on 35-120ft boats. I could drive up to you if you have 2 boats.
Question! If my 1982 sunfish weighs in at 136lbs, do I need to open her up and dry her out? That extra 10lbs is hard on me when dragging her on the dolly. I don’t have access ports so I will have to cut one. Is it worth it?
So the vang helps to shape the sail in light wind like a laser? I think I needed more vang at the midwinters then I only sailed with a tad below close-hauled on port. My only concern is that the leech especially is too taught. Also do you think your tiny jens bends the upper spar just enough to give you a better sail shape even in the light breeze? I would also love some sort of explanation for the benefits of the floating tack if there are any... and how he rigs his sail ties I always feel like mine are either too tight or too loose and it bugs me so much.
This is my answer and I’ll relay your question to Eugene. In light air. I don’t think the vang is as critical... snug vang is enough. I use a smaller Jens than Eugene.that’s because I’m heavier and feel that a full clip Jens or bigger doesn’t work for me. His sail toes he woll describe and a pencil thickness. (I don’t think that’s the case and think it’s smaller. ). What he would say is: the corners of the sail should be further away from the spar than the middle part to compensate for the sail shape. The floating tack he would float higher in heavier air a bit. So he can crank on the Cunningham and not lose sail area. Hope this helps.
Ps. This midwinters was so light and crazy that Jeff Linton, local sailor, Rolex Yachtsman of the year snd Sunfish Guru said: don’t even think about race two-- he never saw winds like that in his life.
From Eugene: Again, I’ll caveat this with most of fastest sailors sail with their rigs full-up. If you have your boat rigged up like Conner Blouin or Alonso Collantes, I’d be hard pressed to tell you you’re wrong.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
If you want to ask Eugene a question, ask it here and I'll relay it to him!
Thank you Lee and Eugene for sharing this advice with others. Eugene, your final comments to the organizers of the events in Tampa, and to the greater Sunfish community, are greatly appreciated. For those of us too old to aspire to much success in competition, your words really hit home - thanks.
i agree! his words were really inspiring!
Fitness...Eduardo told me years back at the gym on Long island (while reading the paper on an elliptical ha ha!) that he goes into regattas knowing that he is perhaps the fittest sailor there and that gave him confidence. For lasers and fish and other footstrap aerobic boats, fitness is key if you have a long regatta ahead or its going to be windy. Great interview... Thanks, Lee and Eugene
Thanks Ted. And it was really windy that weekend...
Thanks!
thank you !
Hi Lee, I figured it was finally time I watched the video. It is great - thanks to you and Eugene for doing this. My question for Eugene is with the center of effort further back with his rig, how is he avoiding a lot of weather helm downwind? I have found with a Jens I have to move the gooseneck back to avoid excessive weather helm downwind.
From Eugene. Hey Chris. Going upwind, obviously all things being equal if you move your sail back you bring your center of effort back and create some helm (thru Jensing AND moving gooseneck forward). You counter this by bringing your gooseneck even further back than normal. The overwhelming variable in helm in heel. While a Jens in some respects creates more helm, it also dumps a lot of sail and let’s one keep the boat flatter (the bigger variable).
I hate to give advice on downwind technique because I’m not good at it. Again, I will say that another degree or 2 of heel really brings that center of effort closer to centerline (when viewed as a transverse section of the boat). Lately, I’ve been really trying to completely drive the boat downwind with heel. Conner Blouin had some good advice on downwind sailing on the class website. Some of it was a little over my head. Basically, he says heel so the tiller naturally goes to centerline at which point you’ll be going fast. Todd Edwards has been trying to teach me this for years. Easier said than done.
@@LeeSideSailing Thanks Eugene. Let me find Conner's writeup. I have felt like I have not been able to heel enough to turn further downwind/by the lee with the gooseneck forward. However, I also need to try to get out sailing more on really windy days - over 20 kts, and work on my adjustments and technique. And congrats on the Masters win!!
Lee, hit me up if you're back on Long Island. I would love to give a big boat perspective and be on your show. I miss the boats I grew up on; I love the sunfish, and I'm rarely here. Dunno if I'm in as good of shape as I was sailing in college, but I've been sailing professionally for the past 7 years on 35-120ft boats. I could drive up to you if you have 2 boats.
Question! If my 1982 sunfish weighs in at 136lbs, do I need to open her up and dry her out? That extra 10lbs is hard on me when dragging her on the dolly. I don’t have access ports so I will have to cut one. Is it worth it?
It depends…. If there is water in the hull, it will definitely help you. If there is leaking of any kind. A port is helpful.
So the vang helps to shape the sail in light wind like a laser? I think I needed more vang at the midwinters then I only sailed with a tad below close-hauled on port. My only concern is that the leech especially is too taught. Also do you think your tiny jens bends the upper spar just enough to give you a better sail shape even in the light breeze? I would also love some sort of explanation for the benefits of the floating tack if there are any... and how he rigs his sail ties I always feel like mine are either too tight or too loose and it bugs me so much.
This is my answer and I’ll relay your question to Eugene. In light air. I don’t think the vang is as critical... snug vang is enough. I use a smaller Jens than Eugene.that’s because I’m heavier and feel that a full clip Jens or bigger doesn’t work for me. His sail toes he woll describe and a pencil thickness. (I don’t think that’s the case and think it’s smaller. ). What he would say is: the corners of the sail should be further away from the spar than the middle part to compensate for the sail shape. The floating tack he would float higher in heavier air a bit. So he can crank on the Cunningham and not lose sail area. Hope this helps.
Ps. This midwinters was so light and crazy that Jeff Linton, local sailor, Rolex Yachtsman of the year snd Sunfish Guru said: don’t even think about race two-- he never saw winds like that in his life.
@@LeeSideSailing awesome thanks!!!!
@@LeeSideSailing and yeah that was a crazy race.
From Eugene: Again, I’ll caveat this with most of fastest sailors sail with their rigs full-up. If you have your boat rigged up like Conner Blouin or Alonso Collantes, I’d be hard pressed to tell you you’re wrong.