Refining hints

Question
Hi !

In view of the forthcoming season and while eagerly awaiting the? ice to melt  on my favourite lake here in Montreal ( which will not  be any time soon, because today we are still down at 17 below ( C)!)  I am mentally reviewing the invaluable hints and tricks I have been gleaning from you and from various other sites on the Internet.

For one thing, I have discovered that one of the reasons why I was having difficulties in moving around in light winds and I was constantly being pushed downwind  with  my brand new Rio 180 last summer  , ( a part from my older and probably too small sail),  was that I was trying to move upwind right away at the start,( with a very light wind to boot!). Instead, I seem to understand that my ?1st gear ?should always be slightly downwind on a reach course ( centerboard retracted) and THEN, when I gain  enough speed, I should try to go on an UPWIND tack ( centerboard down) , if necessary. Is this correct?

I抎 like to have your comments on the following two scenarios.

1st scenario :
If I am reaching downwind , let say in the  3 or 4 o抍lock  direction and I want to change course to tack  upwind  somewhere  closer to the 2 o抍lock direction I would of course tilt the mast backward to have the front of the board turn upwind  towards the 2-3 o抍lock  direction, but then I am not too sure if I should change side as well . Given my  REACH course in the 3 o抍lock direction, I was probably standing on the PORT side of the  board. Right? Should I now go the starboard side if I want to tack upwind from the reach course?

Personally I think I shouldn抰, because, by changing to the  starboard position while I  am  on the 3 o抍lock  REACH direction, I would be downwind and  the wind would blow the sail against me, throwing me offboard from the starboard side. But I might be wrong. Or am I?

2nd scenario:

I am tacking upwind close to  the 2 o抍lock direction and I  now want to return to the starting point to the beach, which is in the 6 o抍lock straight downwind.
What I would do , short of of taking a RUN course, is  to turn downwind  alternating   REACH courses between 4 o抍lock and 6 o抍lock ( zig-zag) until I reach the arrival point at 6 o抍lock.
My understanding is that  this scenario would ALWAYS require changing sides : the first time when I veer downwind from the original tacking course and then each time I change the REACH course between  4 o抍lock and  6 o抍lock. Am I right or wrong?

I抣l probably end up in taking a refresher course, anyway,  but it is always nice to have things clear in my mind  before I start.
Contrary to some other people, it is easier for me  to learn how to  do things by UNDERSTANDING  the theory first, rather than by  simply DOING them!

Thank you

Franco vivona


Answer
Hey Franco,

For starters, heading upwind right after you have powered up your sail is a very normal mode for most sailing spots. This is usually to get you either to a better windline or just get you upwind so you can enjoy faster downwind runs. As for going downwind with your daggerboard down is okay for stability and control. The time to raise your daggerboard is when  you speed is such that the daggerboard is causing stability problems. Too much speed with a daggerboard down causes the daggerboard to want to plane which tips the board on an angle that creates instability.

In your first scenario you are on the port side of the board and will stay on that side of the board until you change directions. Going offwind onto a reach is not changing directions. Tacking or jibing so that you are going in the 9 o'clock direction is a change of direction. Stepping to the other side of the board will definitely dump you into the water.

In your second scenario I think you are trying to analyze things too much. Here is a way to keep things simple.

If you are sailing anywhere from 2 o'clock to 6 o'clock, stay on that side of the board until either the shore or your destination requires you to 'change' direction. Then stay on the other side of the board - 10 o'clock to 6 o'clock until you need to change again. For any watercraft, going from your starting position and returning to the same position requires changes of direction. You use tacks and jibes to get out to where you want to be and then use tacks and jibes to get back to where you started. Sailing for pleasure is more of a feeling thing than an analyzing situation. If you are in a race where you need to get to a specific point and back, it requries much thought and a specific plan. To just go out and enjoy is simply that, get out and enjoy the experience of sailing. Thinking too much about it can spoil the adventure and leave you frustrated.

I do agree with you that taking a refresher course would be beneficial. I had sailed for about 12 years when I went through an instructor course. I was amazed at how much I learned about sailing that I thought I already knew or understood. Any instruction will help us improve our knowledge and ability.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover