Techniques

Question
QUESTION: Hi!
As usual, whatever I learn by practising in summer gets promptly forgotten after almost 6 months of our darn winter!
I want to brush up some aspects of the theory before starting the season and I have the following question(s) for you:

1. When I find myself on a run, after inverting the course by jibing or other, how do I get off the run onto  a reach course. More precisely :

1a: to steer  away   from 6 o'clock run  towards  4 o'clock or so ,do I  push the the  rig forward  or do I pull it backwards?

1b:  to steer towards 7 o'clock, conversely, do I push or pull the rig?

2: Mastfoot adjustment: I have read that FOR ANY type of shortboard the reference point should be 140 cm from the tail to the slot and that any adjustment should be a few cm back or forward from this point. Well, if I measure 140 cm on my Starboard Rio from the tail to the mastfoot rail, I would be outside the slot.
There are 3 positions, though, marked with arrows. Considering that 1)I am not advanced, that 2)I am not yet at the planing stage, that 3)I will be sailing with light winds only and that I will therefore using a large sail  ( 8.5  Severne Focus)   WHERE should I position the mastfoot: forward, middle or backward position?

3.Harness: I have a 2nd hand waist harness.I never tried it so far, but eventually I'd like to give it a try, especially because my 8.5 sail might require it, due to the inevitable gusts of wind I might be experiencing on our unstable lakes.
What is the best position of the harness ropes on the boom and their length? I hear different stories: some people suggest 24-26 in. ropes for beginners, spaced  4 in. to as little as 1" for more direct power transfer from the sail and the  ropes  should start at about two consective fists on the boom from the mast. If I measure two fists, it seems  to me it is not enough, because the leverage of the fully powered sail would be to great and I would get overpowered. It is a basic law of physics: the closer  to the fulcrum is the force applied to the lever, the more force is required. This is why very long pliers are used to cut through thick locks or other hard metal. To me, the more centered are the ropes on the boom, the easier it will be to counterbalance the swing of the sail. Am I wrong?

4. Downhaul/outhaul: given the fact that the sail is relatively large, is it safer to trim it as flat as possible for less power ?. If so, how do I combine d/haul and outhaul tension: a)little d/haul and stronger outhaul or b)strong tension on both? Or something else?

Thank you for your advice


Franco



ANSWER: Hey Franco,

1. When steering the board, just remember this simple formula;

- To go offwind, sail a bit forward
- To go upwind, sail back

   You can also use the board to steer
- Pressure on the back toes for offwind
- Pressure on both heels for upwind

2. Mast foot adjustment is very simple

- Light winds, mast forward
- Moderate winds, mast middle
- High winds, mast backwards

3. Start setting your harness ropes with this simple formula;

- Using a shaka (thumb and little finger spread out with three middle fingers closed)
   measure 1.5 shaka's from the mast. This is your front harness line.
   One more shaka is where the second line should attach.
   On a grassy rigging area, raise the sail and sheet in pulling down slightly on the boom
   to keep the mast base grounded. Find the balance point on the boom where it floats
   in the wind. This should hit somewhere between your harness lines. You should be able
   to hold the boom with one or two fingers at this point. Now adjust the harness lines to
   the same distance away from this point (about 6" each).

- Now go and sail for a bit getting in and out of the harness. When hooked in, if the sail
   pulls you forward, move the harness lines forward about 1/2". If the sail tends to
   fall or pull to the back of the board move the lines back. Keep making adjustments
   until you find the sweet spot where being hooked in is a very balanced sail. You should
   be able to remove your hands from the boom for short periods of time. Once you dial
   in the balance point, you can slowly move the lines closer until you find your perfect
   comfort level.

4. Trimming your sail for more or less power is done mostly with the downhaul. The more
    downhaul, the more air is spilled out the top for less power. Less downhaul, less air
    spilled for more power. The outhaul is used mainly to give the body of the sail it's
    shape and has some effect on power but not nearly as much as downhaul. It's best to
    rig the sail to the recommended boom length and make power adjustments with the
    downhaul.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:
Hello again!

Thank you for your prompt reply.
THere are two points though, on which I am still not too clear.

1.Downwind/Upwind on a run : I have no problems in understanding that if I am going on a reach, say on a 9 o'clock  course , upwind would be at a closer angle to the wind , i.e. towards 10 o'clock, by tilting the sail a bit backwards. Conversely, I would go downwind if I were to sail from 9 o'clock to  a 7 or 8 o'clock direction by tilting the sail forward.

What is not clear is where  the upwind/downwind is in relation to a run. If a run is the utmost downwind course you can have, I was thinking  that any deviation from it on either side of the downwind " run" course could only be upwind of it, whether you go towards 5 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 3 o'clock or 2 o'clock. But perhaps this was where I was wrong.
The best way for me to understand would be to rephrase the question as follows : if I am on a 6 o'clock run and I wanted to change the  course to a 4 or 5 o'clock course would I still be going downwind or would I be considered to go upwind( in relation to the run)  as I originally thought? If downwind is the correct answer, than I'd get off the run by tilting the sail forwards.

2. Harness rope length: is a longer rope, say 24-26 in. recommended for beginners? I thought that the longer the rope, the better, because  you can lean more outward and thus compensate for the pull of the sail in the opposite direction.

Thank you again for the clarifications

Franco

Answer
Hey Franco,

When referring to sailing direction based on using a clock system, 12 would be where the wind is coming from (ie; wind direction).

Sailing 90 degrees to the wind direction (3 o'clock or 9 o'clock) would be considered a 'beam' reach. This is also neither upwind or downwind. Simply perpendicular to the wind.

To go upwind, you would sail between 3 o'clock and 1 o'clock or 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock.

To go downwind, the fastest point of sail is called a 'broad' reach. This point of sail would be 4-5 o'clock or 8-7 o'clock.

When you go at 6 o'clock, you are going directly downwind and is actually a fairly slow point of sail as the sail does not power up properly for good planning.

A sail is foil and foils work best when going at angles to the wind.

Harness rope length is different for everyone as our arms are all different lengths. Here is a general rule of thumb to get it close and then minor adjustments can be made to fit your personal comfort.

Grasp the boom right between the harness lines with your first section of fingers on the top of the boom. The back of the hand should be parallel with the sail/mast. Swing the harness rope up over the elbow. It should just fit over the elbow. Shorten or lengthen as needed to get the starting point set. You can raise the sail on shore and hook in to judge the length but it is best compared on the water. If you find your arms are stretched out straight with very little weight of the sail on the harness, shorten the lines. If your arms are really bent and you feel confined, lengthen the lines. Adjust about 1" at a time.
Your arms should be slightly bent to allow sheeting in and out comfortably.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover