Close hauled in an Ericson

[907Juice]

Not quite the same thing but this is an interesting discussion. It goes on for pages and gets into travelers vs Vang vs letting out sheets etc.

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/dealing-with-an-overpowered-situation.193323/

 

[907Juice]

Racing is an intriguing multi-layered game of chess

$.02

Did someone say chess? Love that game.

 

[bgary]

Did someone say chess?

Totally!

In fact one of my most treasured sailing books is an old copy of "tactics and strategy in yacht racing", in which the author (Joachim Schult) uses a chess metaphor to teach tactics. Moves, defenses, counter-moves, counter-defenses... great stuff!

 

[e38 owner]

https://youtu.be/P1n-7czmc14

North sails trim for speed. Great info for 80s designed boats. Always learn something new. Watch sail watch again

Also Stuart Walker books are very good. The information can be found in simpler formats but Stuart’s books once understood really help. Also North sails tactics book.

 

[Geoff W.]

In working with a number of racing crews, I grew to believe that there were five distinct levels of proficiency required to win consistently. And knowing which level a crew was in helped me know what we/they needed to work on.

"Mechanical" - Can the helmsman steer a straight line, and a smooth turn around a mark? can the crew tack and gibe competently?
"Directional" - do you know how to get around a course, identify an efficient path to the next mark, optimize the use of wind and current to get there efficiently?
"Tactical" - do you know what to do when approaching another boat? Do you know how to protect your position and defend against their moves?
"Strategic" - can you put a plan together so that you are using wind, current and tactical positioning to leverage your strengths and minimize those of the competition?
"Mental" - all the top-flight sailors have the ABILITY to win. what separates a Dennis Conner or a Ted Turner from the rest is... accepting nothing LESS than winning. Doing what it takes to eliminate errors, breakages, etc, so that there's nothing left to do but get comfortable leading the fleet around the course, knowing that's "your place". That's a hard hill to climb.

Notably, in Bruce's Grand Unifying Theory, you can't really move to the next level until you've mastered the one(s) before it. It makes no sense to focus on "tacking on shifts" if the act of tacking itself is still rough. Etc.

As a big maps/systems/process nerd, this is awesome. Always good to know what the roadmap looks like and the requisite steps to move from one thing to another. Thanks for the detailed responses -- I think getting a chance to skipper my own boat is helping me gel a lot of the various bits of knowledge I've picked up through a summer beercan racing season. If I make it out to the Sound I'll have to work on things like current and more long-term lay-lines and strategy than from one end of Lake Union to another.

 

[boyle_brian]

Great point.

If one were to plot boat-speed against wind angle, you get what is called a "polar diagram"

Sailing at an angle like "B" feels fast. Sailing at a wind-angle like "A" feels slower (in fact, *is* slower, according to the knotmeter), but gets you to a weather mark faster. Because it is the best "VMG" - Velocity Made Good toward the mark.

You can play with your angles by setting your GPS to a waypoint directly upwind. Assuming there's no current to interfere, sail at different angles, and notice which one shows you the best "SMG" (Speed Made Good) toward that waypoint on the GPS. Whatever angle maximizes SMG will be your optimal close-hauled angle for that breeze.

If you note your boat-speed at that angle, you can start to develop a set of "targets"... as in, sail the boat a little low out of a tack until it is up to (or above) that target, then come up to your close-hauled angle. If your speed drops below your target, you're probably sailing to high; if you go faster than your target, you're probably sailing too low.

It's a useful thing to have in your thinking. But, be aware, getting hypnotized by the knotmeter (aka "chasing the numbers") is not generally a winning strategy. Far better to use that as a tool to develop a feel for when the boat is in the groove.

$.02

View attachment 25055

Is this an Ericson 32-3 Polar?

 

[bgary]

Is this an Ericson 32-3 Polar?

Sadly, no, it's just an example. Haven't found one for the 32-3 yet...

Bruce

 

[Geoff W.]

Sadly, no, it's just an example. Haven't found one for the 32-3 yet...

Bruce

Sounds like it's on us to make it

 

[Grizz]

About thos telltailes...

Sifted through this thread and chose to piggyback on supersailors reply on the importance of telltales.

We (Shoe String is akin to a mutual fund, with an array of skillsets on board, with me serving as 'RFO') upgraded to a B&G Zeus chartplotter over the '17/'18 winter, with a full Raymarine instrument cluster. Managing the Alvin Toffler '3rd Wave' of information crush early in the season was daunting. We eventually settled in, especially 'round the buoys', leading to this observation: "you guys realize we have $4k of electronics and computers at our disposal and yet I've got tunnel vision on quivering strips of green and red yarn affixed to the headsail. Anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?".

Yes, the B&G provides information regarding VMG, boat speed, Polars (preloaded), heading to next turning mark (preloaded), wind direction and wind speed (real or apparent) and time to destination. But it's those thin quivering strips of yarn that provide the helmsman with an immediate Report Card on how efficient he's sailing.

PS - love the Multi-layered chess analogy.

 

[TKBLACK]

Thanks

Good reply BGary. About the only thing I can add is pay attention to the jib tell tails. They should be streaming straight back on both sides. If the leeward one is stalled, come up a little. If the windward one is stalled fall off a little. It is more difficult to keep them right than you might realize. The optimal range is small and it makes a huge difference when racing. Many people head up too much when hard on the wind and sacrifice too much boat speed for higher pointing.

Helpful points made by both B Gary and Bob. We r getting ready for the 2019 June 8 race around Blake Island.

 

[Kenneth K]

Love this post. It should be required reading for all us newish sailors every spring. Made me realize that 30 years ago, when I got my first boat, this would have required a drive down to Barnes & Noble to pick up two books, at retail price. It probably would have taken 3 hours and $40 to get this information.

15 years later, I could have ordered the same books discounted 50% on Amazon, but I don't think Prime would have gotten them to me by the next day yet.

Now I can post my question online and get answers for free, instantly, and then I can ask the authors for further clarifications directly. Makes the $100 a month cell phone bill pretty palatable, all things considered.

 

[Geoff W.]

Another good one, if someone gets to the end of this thread in the future and wants more:http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?7804-Racing-a-E32-200

 

[sgwright67]

Great thread, thanks!

Love this post. It should be required reading for all us newish sailors every spring. Made me realize that 30 years ago, when I got my first boat, this would have required a drive down to Barnes & Noble to pick up two books, at retail price. It probably would have taken 3 hours and $40 to get this information.

15 years later, I could have ordered the same books discounted 50% on Amazon, but I don't think Prime would have gotten them to me by the next day yet.

Now I can post my question online and get answers for free, instantly, and then I can ask the authors for further clarifications directly. Makes the $100 a month cell phone bill pretty palatable, all things considered.

What a great thread!

Even if we don't end up with an Ericson for now, I may just have to lurk here for great info like this.

 

[TKBLACK]

June 8 Blake Island Race

18 racers. Beautiful day. Spinnakers needed. Very relaxing, enjoyable day. Without spinnaker, we placed 3rd in our Division lll. Great way to celebrate Tom’s 89th Birthday! Geoff W.motored by us and took photos. Beautiful.

 

[Geoff W.]

Nice going by, y'all looked good out there! Beautiful day.

 

[bgary]

Nice!

I sailed the "Leukemia Cup" in Everett on Saturday. Started out breezy and very unsettled, so I declared "no flying sails" on my entry... and then the wind died. It ended up being a close-reach to the first mark, a broad reach to the river-entrance, and then a dead-run (up-current!) to the finish. REAAAALLY wish I had run my spinnaker. Oh well.

Fun day, though. Glad you guys had fun in the Blake Island race!

 

[TKBLACK]

Thanks for the photos Geoff W. We had fun. Beautiful day. You were right that there was some wind outside. We even passed a few boats and almost caught up to Wings of Gold, but then no wind again. Wonderful day.

View attachment 27200
View attachment 27201

Nice going by, y'all looked good out there! Beautiful day.

 

[TKBLACK]

Geoff,
in another post you asked about equipment/tools to take on a cruise.
We suggest a Hack Saw.

QUOTE=TKBLACK;122871]Thanks for the photos Geoff W. We had fun. Beautiful day. You were right that there was some wind outside. We even passed a few boats and almost caught up to Wings of Gold, but then no wind again. Wonderful day.[/QUOTE]

 

[egalvan]

Flyers.

-Taking a flyer. That is, heading off alone to the other side of the course because maybe it's better over there. It's not. You beat the rating by staying close, which means following the faster, smarter boats most of the time. The self-protecting psychological need to separate is strong , but recall how it usually turns out.

Oh, I wish I had read this yesterday before the Pt. Bonita race. Told my wife (she generously crewed) I would follow the club sage and his Alerion 28 around the course because he's the smartest and fastest person there. 10 minutes after the start, I get discourage watching his transom recede down the Cityfront and I announce that we're going to try it over on the right by Angel Island. Yep, that didn't work at all. Saw him coming back downwind while I was still working up to weather. Never saw him again. Always fun to be out there, though.

 

[bgary]

Dave Ullman once told me “nothing good ever happens in a corner”

....but...but....I think I see a shift, and nobody’s out there, so I can have it to myself and cross the whole fleet and look like a genius and...

(yeah, no, I’ve never done that. Never!)

Bruce