Yachts & Yachting - July 2018

ONE DESIGN

limitations if the weather is relatively

variable. Charlie says it can oten

be worth picking a set-up that you

might have a slightly broader range

that does not need a great deal of

dynamic adjustment, but that gives

you a decent average speed across

all conditions. As is always the case

with sailing, you are aiming for a

high average speed across the course,

not high peaks and low troughs.

CREW TRIM

“One design racing is all about the

small diferences that lead to marginal

gains. Sometimes you can feel a long

way of the pace, but in truth it is only a

handful of things that you are missing

that if you get right could pull you

up through the leet,” Charlie says.

“In dinghies I don’t think people are

always responsive enough to how much

their crew weight makes a diference

to boat speed. Not just hiking out, but

using crew weight downwind to best

make use of the waves. But, in recent

years that has got a bit better across

the board. In sportsboats, however,

many people are not being active

enough with their crew weight.

“In the J/70 you can easily roll tack

and most people realise that, but going

downwind fore/at crew weight is vital

to getting to boat going well. We have

the mainsheet trimmer sat at the back,

behind the helm, so the helm has plenty

Above

Crew trim is

often overlooked

downwind

Below

Two boat tuning is

an invaluable tool

In sportsboats, many people are not being

active enough with their crew weight

of room to steer and the crew weight is

well at. he mainsheet trimmer’s job is

to call the gusts and waves, calling for

a pump to get the boat suring at the

right time – on most modern boats the

mainsail is relatively small compared

to the spinnaker, so the timing of the

spinnaker pump to get you suring is vital.

“When you’re suring on a wave,

the helm is looking for the best way to

extend that run of suring and avoid

hitting the next wave; he should call the

crew at to keep the bow up and, as you

crest the next wave they should move

forward to help the bow drop down the

front of the wave, which should come

just at the moment when the spinnaker

and main are pumped together. As the

boat accelerates again the helm calls the

crew back, and so on. You should ind

that as a team you are very active on the

downwinds like this, and it is important

to practise a lot as there needs to be

quite a lot of communication and it is

very easy to end up with crossed wires.”

OVERPOWERED

here are usually few or no options for

depowering one designs by reducing

sail. Learning to maximise rig eiciency

through a range of conditions will

have a big efect on your results.

“Dealing with being overpowered is a

fairly common occurrence on a modern

one design,” explains Charlie. “Obviously

if you are sailing windward-leewards it

is less of a problem downwind as you

just end up sailing deeper angles.

“Upwind sail set-up becomes really

important when overpowered. First of

all you will want to irm up your forestay

tension to prevent your headsail luf

from sagging to leeward as you will

lose all ability to point. Depending

on the class this might mean winding

on more backstay or rig tension.

“he biggest mistake people make

when the breeze is up is to ease the main

without easing the jib. Trimmers need to

be working in tandem with the gust-

spotter to trim both sails together. Again,

it is about practising who calls the gusts

and working out the ine line between

keeping the boat moving quickly and

being overpowered, slipping sideways.

“he best way to understand your

best mode, is to go out and practise.

In a tight one design leet, even one

weekend of working on your call and

trim techniques can be the diference

between ighting for the top spots in

a leet and ighting at the back.”

50 Yachts & Yachting July 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.uk