SUMMER 2019
SW
036
Q There is good reason, in the
year 2019, to have some type
of instrument on your small
PHRF or one-design keelboat.
New products offer a wide
range of data and complexity,
and when used correctly can
help you start better, improve
tactical decisions, and even help
you with heel angle and crew
positioning fore and aft. Which
type of instrument is best for
you depends on your budget
and the level of complexity
you desire.
First, a few thoughts: As
with most electronics, good
data input equals good data
output. For example, race com-
mittees generally talk about
courses in magnetic head-
ing and are often using analog
compasses. Also, most of our
smaller, simpler instruments
read true heading because
they don’t have the declina-
tion of the venue in which you
are sailing. Make sure you set
the local area declination in the
instrument—all of them—so
you’re getting the same read-
ings the race committees are
reporting. In addition, spend
some time calibrating the boat-
speed in an area with no current
or wind so that any dierencein speed over the ground and
speed through the water result
in accurate current data.The All-Inclusive
“A little lower, a little faster,
net loss,” I say to my trim-
mer as we sail up the left side
of the course. Our RaceGeek
is showing us our heel angle is
18 degrees. Our Hobie 33 really
likes 14 to 15 degrees of heel,
so it’s great to have an instru-
ment that keeps us honest.
Getting to the right angle is
an easy solution—we let thefloating jib lead up a little and
trim harder, which flattens the
headsail slightly while we head
up a degree or two. The boat
flattens slightly and we imme-
diately find ourselves saying,
“Same height, faster.”
We’re also keeping tabs on
our pitch data. I learned the
importance of this valuable
fore-and-aft weight indicator
during a Chicago to Mackinac
Race aboard a C&C 30. The
boat captain was on it continu-
ously, keeping the pitch exactly
where he wanted it as we sailedthe course in ever-changing
conditions. In most conditions,
zero degrees of pitch is best,
but many boats are faster sail-
ing slightly bow down in lighter
conditions upwind and down-
wind. Similarly, in marginal
planing conditions, many boats
sail downwind better with the
bow slightly up, and a little
more bow up in full planing con-
ditions. Our range in the Hobie
33 and also the J/70 is -1 to +2.
In the case of the J/70, it can
be hard to accelerate onto a
full plane if the bow is too ele-
vated. A little weight forward
to get going in marginal plan-
ing conditions helps greatly.
We can then move the weight
aft when the boat gets locked
onto the full plane.
Like the ProStart, the
RaceGeek can accurately ping
a start line, show time to the
start, as well as magnetic head-
ing. In addition, other data can
be used, such as pitch, heel,
depth and the ability to set up
navigation routes.
The RaceGeek has touch
buttons or you can use the
free companion app. I found
the touch buttons took a bit
of getting used to because
they are setup to work in aSmall Race Electronics
With Big Impacts
Three instrument systems, ranging from simple
to advanced, help keep us in the know as we
make our way around the racecourseSTARTING LINE
ELECTRONICS
BY ERIK SHAMPAIN