Winter Championships 2017 Welsh Sailors Feedback Feedback for the parents and sailors at the 2017 Winter Championships

Transcription

1 Winter Championships 2017 Welsh Sailors Feedback Feedback for the parents and sailors at the 2017 Winter Championships Debrief All of the sailors did a superb job in my opinion. It was a great day afloat and although we lost Saturday and Sunday afternoon due to high winds you all did a great job racing on Sunday morning. Both the wind-speed and the standard of the fleet were high. It s no surprise to see so many 15 year old and youth sailors well up the results sheet and this reflects experience, physique to some extent and most of all the execution of a lot of the basic processes and routines. Being heavier and physically strong wasn t enough on its own it was a day for executing the basic processes well and we saw many smaller and lighter sailors knocking in some very good results too. Wherever you sit in the overall results, be proud and reflect on the event and think about what you learnt. There was a lot to take away from it and I ve summarised some key things that I saw which I hope will help. (Note: My observations came from the 5.3 fleet. I know the racing in the 4.2 fleet was extremely tight too and the results show some really excellent performances. Hopefully some of this feedback will also be of use.) The dinghy park at 07 :00 on Sunday morning and covers off already

2 Above : Early morning scenes at WPNSA on Sunday The following notes major on two key areas evident in Weymouth reefing and pre-start routines. Hopefully it will give you something to think about ready for your next event and for your training over the coming weekends. Good luck all and well done in Weymouth!

3 To Reef or Not to Reef The first thing I d say is that no decision is permanent and we showed on the water that if the boat is rigged correctly we can put a reef in or take it out in less than 2 minutes, often considerably less. So don t overthink it, just make a decision and revise it if necessary. Making a decision allows your thoughts to move on and you can then focus on things like your racing strategy and preparation. Many coaches advise you to put a reef in on the basis that it s easier to take a reef out once afloat. Personally speaking I don t find it any different putting them in or taking them out, as long as the boat is set up to do it. Where I think the advantage comes is that being under-powered means less likelihood of capsize, an early swim and getting cold. If you reach the racing area under full control, needing more power and wanting to take a reef out, you re far likely to be fresher and raring to go than reaching the racing area having had a swim and freezing cold So make your decision, err on the side of caution and don t be afraid to change your mind afloat. There are, in my mind, three zones or levels to the wind-speed when it comes to reefing: Level 1 Full sail, no reef For all of you there s a wind-speed up to which you don t need to reef. As you near the top end of that range you ll be using your full range of depowering options including lifting the dagger-board and it will be a physical day in the boat. Depending on your size, physique, fitness and sustainable work rate this top end might kick in at

4 around 16 knots; for others it may be as high as 20 knots and more. Things to consider are how long you ll be racing for and therefore how much energy you might be expending (don t forget you can reef later in the day if you re tiring) and also what the forecast is saying (if it s going to drop off then you may think differently to a forecast where the wind will increase all day). You should all be able to reflect on the day in Weymouth with a much better understanding of where the top of your own personal Level 1 is. Level 3 Reef & Enjoy! I ve skipped to level 3 now as this is another situation where the decision is clear cut. You re reefing! This is the top end wind-speeds where not only will you reef but you will be faster on all points of sail than had you gone sailing with a full rig. For most, this wind range kicks in at around 20 knots and above. By reefing you re keeping your boat flatter meaning you re making better VMG upwind not slipping sideways and going equally as fast forward. You ll be full hiking, it will be physical and you ll consider de-powering with your controls. On the reaches you may power back up by easing some outhaul and you ll be planing flat out, still hiking, with the boat flat and under control. On the run, in this sort of wind-speed you can expect waves at most venues and so working hard on the waves and being dynamic in the boat to surf means you ll be as fast as the full rig sailors. All of this means your strategies don t need to be modified significantly and you can compete on level terms. The risks are in the starting area where you have less power to punch through to the front row of a busy start if you re still second row inside the last minute so just get in there early and be assertive protect your gap, stay in the front row and pull the trigger on the B of Bang when the gun goes And enjoy it! Level 2 Reef & Sail Smart This is where things need a bit more thought Level 2 is where it can be too windy to go full rig, but at times you re not fully powered up on all points of sail. We saw these conditions at Weymouth for many of you. Typically this is around knots wind range sometimes even narrower than that and it will vary a little bit depending on your size and physique (for some, Level 2 is as low as knots; others knots). The things you experience can be: Getting rolled off the start-line by heavier sailors; needing more power on the reaches; fighting for boat-speed down the run. Competing with full rig sailors becomes more difficult but there are things you can do and some smart decisions you can make that will help: Book your place in the front row Find clear air on the start line and get into the front row as early as possible don t try to sail into the line late from the second row with less power as you won t get up there. If necessary sacrifice some line bias and look for space. When you find space on the front row, camp out in

5 it and protect it! You ll be able to line hover with a reefed sail with lots of control as we ve taken away the leech area of the sail (by reefing) meaning it ll be less inclined to go head to wind and you can steer the boat more easily so get stuck in on the front row earlier. Below: Reefed sailor leads a number of full rig sailors away from Mark 2 on the final run Give yourself options off the start Start to the right of the bunch so you can tack off early if you need / have to. If there s a risk of being rolled don t put yourself to the left of a bunch. If you get rolled you re going to sit in dirty air with very few options available to you. You won t be able to tack (onto port) without resigning yourself to dipping boats which is giving up distance and speed putting you in even more likelihood of dirty air later up the beat. Instead, modify your strategy to sail the fleet better even if this means giving up some line bias and having to take a less favoured route up the beat. Being right of a bunch means you can tack away and get clear air quickly. If you want to go left then tack back once you re clear. Remember that in clear air you re all at a similar speed so the priority is simply to prevent yourself being rolled and sitting in dirty air in those first few minutes. Stay to the right of the bunch, tack away if you need to, and reassess once you re clear.

6 See below: If you re the blue boat and reefed, and you re in your mid-range Level 2 wind-speeds, you need to get clear air early and prevent yourself being rolled. In the lower picture, by being to the right of a bunch you ve got far more chance of clear air for longer and can tack away if you need to. Use your controls! A reefed sail still works like a full rig it responds to kicker, downhaul and outhaul tension - so power up! Ease the outhaul a touch and make sure you ve got some shape in the foot of the sail. This is really crucial. It s the same off-wind kickers eased, outhauls eased, dagger-boards lifted. Sail the boat as you normally would and power up when necessary.

7 See below: Lots of reefed sails are too flat because the outhauls are still too tight once released and extended. The sail still needs some shape and some power when you need it. Compare the two reefed boats below 348 has some shape in the foot, whereas 694 shows creases along the foot meaning it s very tight on the outhaul and too flat. Be aggressive downwind Being covered and given dirty air down the run hurts you more so look behind you all the time and stay in clear lanes of breeze and look for pressure. And be really dynamic on the waves to get surfing. Finally, move around in the boat if you start to see your bow wave move forward then slide your weight back, pump and steer the boat to prevent the nose-dive. Don t scrub any speed off if you can help it, and push hard on the waves to surf. Have a think about those things and apply them before deciding to shake reefs out. Race 2 and 3 on Sunday at Weymouth were just like this (Level 2) for many sailors. On the basis that a mast in the air is faster than a mast in the water, reefing is still the right call and you need to be working through these things to enable you to get the best results possible. I thought all of you who were reefed had made the right decision based on the forecast and the prevailing conditions. I saw some excellent decision making, flat, fast boats and some good tactical decisions upwind. I saw some fantastic work-rates upwind too. However I also saw some reefed sailors (across all the fleet) resign themselves to other sailors being faster than them which isn t always the case. Reefing doesn t mean

8 game over it means game on! and remember when races are flighted each place is worth 2 points, so keep working hard. In Weymouth on Sunday we had around 20 knots in race 1 plus a period of 24 knots when the cloud came through. In Race 2 and 3 it was less with around 18 knots. Then in race 4 we started with 18 knots and it built to 22 knots and more by the second beat, with many sailors heading in through gusts of up to 28 knots. Did the races feel any different to you in terms of your boat-speed and ability to compete? Have a think about what your Level 1, 2 and 3 wind-speeds might be so that it will help you with your decision making next time. Control the controllables Sailing is a challenging sport and you ve got to make sense of lots of variables yet there are some clear cut situations where you can make decisions to give yourself an advantage. Most of these are in the pre-start. If someone said you could have a 3 boat-length lead at the start of a race I know you d take it. But not going through your start routine is like throwing that opportunity away, and worse, it s allowing or accepting that other competitors will take that advantage over you instead. Seeing how competitive you all are, I doubt any of you would be happy with that so I d urge you all to take control of the controllables. I m talking about your pre-start routine and checking transits and line bias - all the things to ensure a good start is a great start. Use those bits of information to put yourself close to the line, at the favoured end, with space to accelerate and pop out. Yesterday in Weymouth I saw some amazing starts by a number of sailors and two really stood out: In one race a competitor started on port tack, about 5 boat-lengths down from the pin close to the line and simply sailed across the fleet on port, to lead the race. He wasn t any faster than anyone else, all he had done was put himself furthest towards the biased end of the line and he was closer to the line than anyone else. In another race, one of our own Welsh squad started on starboard tack, sailed for several seconds and then tacked and crossed the entire fleet. All he had done was stay out of the crowded area at the committee boat end giving himself lots of room to accelerate, and he was closest to the line (around 3 boat-lengths further forward than the rest of the fleet). Most if not all of you have the skills to do that, consistently time after time. Transits A number of you said to me that you couldn t see a clear transit or had tried to get one and couldn t. Firstly - well done for trying and well done for thinking about it and applying yourself. It was quite murky at times but we had a lot of reference points beyond the pin end to work with. I know it s not easy but any transit is better than none - safe transits or ultra-safe transits all help give you a reference point. But... you have to be in the starting area when the line is set and doing your homework. Also, knowing that start lines move and get reset, each time you start another race you may get a new opportunity. Some of you said that not getting a transit in race 1 meant you didn t try to in the remaining races Full marks for your honesty! But things change. Keep trying Line Bias I saw a number of you sailing the line and checking bias yesterday but not always executing your starts confidently. If you attempted to check the line bias and weren t sure then, again well done on going through the

9 routine. The practice really helps. Keep doing it on every start as you ll become more confident about the information you gather and how to use it. I know it takes a lot of confidence (and probably some mistakes) to go for the biased end when your decision feels like it s at odds with what the fleet are doing but practicing your routine helps you build your confidence and skill whether you choose to use the information or not. Separating yourself from the fleet when everyone is at the other end of the line takes courage in one-design racing, and you may decide just to start on the favoured side of the fleet. Either way just stick to your routines. Below: This picture was taken shortly into the final minute of the start sequence for Race 2 (Flight 2, Blue / White). What are your thoughts and where would you place yourself in this picture with 30 seconds to go? The lines weren t particularly long for the size of fleet but you can see everyone favouring the committee boat end and very line-shy. There was little tidal flow; perceived wisdom is that left pays in Weymouth in this wind-direction; the line felt pretty square (from this end of the line); the wind wasn t especially shifty with just a small oscillation through; no sustained wind-shift expected. With all of this in mind I would expect to see the fleet well spread, maybe favouring the pin end slightly. I would also expect more of the fleet much closer to the line. Instead, most of the fleet in the 20% of the line at the starboard / committee boat end, and a long way back. Many of you were clear that you thought the bias was at the committee boat end which explains what we re seeing. We had no general recalls all weekend and relatively few UFD / OCS. There s a big opportunity to get closer to the line even giving away some bias and just being on the front row. It s early season, many sailors still part-way through winter training. It won t be like this all season, but opportunities will be there. This represents a huge opportunity If the fleet is leaving you this much opportunity, take it and capitalise on it. There s plenty of room here to be moving up onto the front row and hitting the line with pace. It wasn t easy and the pictures can over- simplify things but again, with 30 seconds to go where would you place yourself on the line??

10 If you haven t done much work on line bias and transits then your respective squad coaches will cover this at some point so don t worry. My only ask is that you use the opportunity. I know that knowing what to do and actually doing it are different things though: You can write your pre-start routine down on the boat, laminate it, do whatever you like None of that matters if you don t do these checks. Never assume one start is the same as the previous one. They rarely are. Maybe we need to think of it like this: If you re not doing a pre-start check, someone else is... and are you happy giving away a 3 boat-length advantage on the B of Bang! when the race starts? No? Then you can do something about it. Take control of these controllables as you rarely get an opportunity in sailing to give yourself a clear-cut advantage. Final word... A number of you have been very generous with your thanks for supporting our sailors afloat all of which I thoroughly appreciate. Thank-you. But the reality is it s a very small contribution to the overall event. The countless other volunteers make it happen as well as so many families taking the time out and giving up their weekend to support our brilliant sport and amazing sailors. We had a huge number of helpers from the RYA Cymru / Wales zone this weekend which was excellent. Thank-you all. Let s keep that going each time and continue to make these events so successful. The real heroes are the sailors though. Racing against 160 others, in February is a big deal. Some were taking part in their very first national level event. Going afloat soon after 8am with the forecast of big breeze later in the day and acquitting themselves as well as they did is simply awesome. Their achievements are immense flowing far deeper than a set of results on a noticeboard at the end of the weekend. Being afloat and able to help them is a privilege. Trying to get all sailors into one shot proved difficult and I m grateful for all your photos! Contratulations and well done all : Ben Willett, Rhys Chandler, Finn Robarts, Aled Llewelyn-Jones, Lou Boorman, Jake Scott, Eabha Strong-Wright, Ioan Davies, Benjamin Jukes-Bennett, Jessica Roberts, Ethan Kneale, Miles Everett, Georgia Phillips, Iwan Roberts, Aidan Skinner, George Sellwood, Ceri Roberts, Will Collinson, Llion Morris, Andrew Scott. See you at the next event!