ArtikelenTrouble Starting?Paul Brotherton looks at big fleet starting techniques Lost on the Line, Lymington Many highly committed teams fail to become regular performers on
the national or international scene, and a lack of good consistent
starting is often the reason. It plays a huge part in one-design racing
- if you start behind you have to sail better than everyone else just
to draw level!
There are 14 basic points, if we went into more detail there would quickly be 20. I would bet that 90% of active racing sailors in the UK only consider countdown and line bias. But I have a feeling that your next question would be - well, fine, but how can I possibly consider all of those points when it all happens so quickly? My answer to that would be - preparation, practise and the division of responsibilities between yourself and your crew. Preparation: It's been said a thousand times, but make sure you're out there early enough to track the wind shifts, check the current on the line, get a visual and compass bearing on the windward mark, work out the transits and so on. Practice: Acceleration techniques are absolutely crucial to good starting, but how many people practice them? So stop the boat and hold station (as you do on any busy start line) then investigate different techniques to get you up to speed in the minimum amount of time and covering the minimum distance to leeward and forward. Remember that you need some movement forward to allow the foils (rudder and centreboard) to work, so the acceleration angle you sail at must initially be below close-hauled. Division of Responsibilities: Ask yourself - what does your crew do during the period from the warning signal to the gun? If you're one of the many skippers that ask their crews to do nothing more than the countdown, or even just to pull the jib in, then spreading the load will improve your starting enormously. In the last couple of minutes things change quickly, it is absolutely essential that you are aware of all these changes, while still maintaining a focus for your position relative to the start line. In general, I would recommend that the crew has responsibility for everything from the bow to windward and astern, the skipper from everything from the bow to leeward and astern. They have to talk constantly about everything they can see in that zone that effects any of our 14 basic points above. To give you an idea what I mean, here's a typical information exchange between the two team members, approaching the line in a big fleet on starboard tack:
Skipper: I cannot see my transit - pin well covered (meaning the
fleet to leeward is covering the pin end of the line and the skipper
doesn't know how far from the line they are).
The above conversation seems calm and controlled. As each sailor has a consistent view, the angles, transits, cover and relative speeds are all easy to judge. This is definitely not the case if you are tacking, gybing or swinging your head around trying to take in all the information alone! So for solid starting remember: Preparation, Practise, Division of Responsibility - and let me know how you get on! Author : © Paul Brotherton. Published : 13 Aug 2000 |
Artikelen Team presentaties Presenteer je team en imponeer je tegenstanders Impressies De ervaringen van de nummer vier Tips en wetenswaardigheden Wijsheden die door anderen zijn bedacht, of gecopieerd. Hoe dan ook, je kunt er je voordeel mee doen. Archief Artikelen van vorig jaar |