Comments on: WHY YOUR FW STARTS NEED TO BE BETTER (Pt II) http://www.carbonsugar.com/racing/why-your-fw-starts-need-to-be-better-pt-ii/ Elite Windsurfing Training, Racing, Tactics, Design by Professional Windsurfer Sean O'Brien Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:35:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Sean OBrien http://www.carbonsugar.com/racing/why-your-fw-starts-need-to-be-better-pt-ii/#comment-33484 Sean OBrien Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:51:30 +0000 http://www.carbonsugar.com/?p=366#comment-33484 @ Jim Pollock - totally agree with your statements, although is that correct if the line is square than all points on the line are equal distance to the mark regardless of location? I would have thought a top mark that is very biased to the right would be closer to the right hand side of the line, closest to the boat? Need a pen and a ruler and a bit more sleep before I think of that one more. Funny, but I would said that the port tack first beat carries more risk mainly because you have to pick the layline from soooo far from the mark and at the speed of formula boards, missing laylines by metres is detrimental because you can't add extra tacks. On starboard you can make the first tack anywhere (on the layline or earlier) and get another opportunity to get the layline spot on closer to the mark for the second tack. Agreed that the difference between both options should only be the extra 1 tack for the starboard beat option but it's good to know all the options because it's all too common to have startlines that are biased either way and courses that aren't perfectly lined up with the line, which gives an advantage to the sailor who spots it first. Now to put some numbers to how critical the tacks are, as I mentioned, if we're travelling at 8m/sec and the top pros take 8 seconds to regain full angle and speed again on the new tack (that's the TOP pros), then you're throwing away 64m every tack. If you're taking double that to tack then it's 128m. If you go starboard tack both laps and the winner goes port he'll beat you by 256m if all other variables are even. I like that Dennis Miller line! @ Jim Pollock – totally agree with your statements, although is that correct if the line is square than all points on the line are equal distance to the mark regardless of location?

I would have thought a top mark that is very biased to the right would be closer to the right hand side of the line, closest to the boat? Need a pen and a ruler and a bit more sleep before I think of that one more.

Funny, but I would said that the port tack first beat carries more risk mainly because you have to pick the layline from soooo far from the mark and at the speed of formula boards, missing laylines by metres is detrimental because you can’t add extra tacks. On starboard you can make the first tack anywhere (on the layline or earlier) and get another opportunity to get the layline spot on closer to the mark for the second tack. Agreed that the difference between both options should only be the extra 1 tack for the starboard beat option but it’s good to know all the options because it’s all too common to have startlines that are biased either way and courses that aren’t perfectly lined up with the line, which gives an advantage to the sailor who spots it first.

Now to put some numbers to how critical the tacks are, as I mentioned, if we’re travelling at 8m/sec and the top pros take 8 seconds to regain full angle and speed again on the new tack (that’s the TOP pros), then you’re throwing away 64m every tack. If you’re taking double that to tack then it’s 128m. If you go starboard tack both laps and the winner goes port he’ll beat you by 256m if all other variables are even.

I like that Dennis Miller line!

]]> By: jim pollock http://www.carbonsugar.com/racing/why-your-fw-starts-need-to-be-better-pt-ii/#comment-32495 jim pollock Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:39:11 +0000 http://www.carbonsugar.com/?p=366#comment-32495 Nice article. I seem to remember that the distance to the weather mark is the same on port or starboard if both start at the same point regardless of weather mark location. If the line is square, all points on the line are equal distance from the mark regardless of location. If the line is not square, the difference in distance from any two points is only the difference upwind or downwind between the two points. The real racing difference is the two tack starboard leg vs the one tack port leg if there are no shifts. In addition the starboard tack carries more risk because the layline is achieved very early and only bad things happen on the layline--lifted=overstood and headed = eating the header or tacking three more times. Generally better to sail the long leg first and to postpone the arrival at the layline until late in the leg. However,wiith formula the tacks are very expensive, so throwing in a bunch of tacks to stay off of the layline won't work. The diagram 3A shows a massive difference in tacking angle between port and starboard sailors. I believe the diagram would show the above if the angles were the same. To quote Dennis Miller, "just one man's opinion, I could be wrong". Hope this helps. Jim Pollock Nice article. I seem to remember that the distance to the weather mark is the same on port or starboard if both start at the same point regardless of weather mark location. If the line is square, all points on the line are equal distance from the mark regardless of location. If the line is not square, the difference in distance from any two points is only the difference upwind or downwind between the two points.

The real racing difference is the two tack starboard leg vs the one tack port leg if there are no shifts. In addition the starboard tack carries more risk because the layline is achieved very early and only bad things happen on the layline–lifted=overstood and headed = eating the header or tacking three more times. Generally better to sail the long leg first and to postpone the arrival at the layline until late in the leg. However,wiith formula the tacks are very expensive, so throwing in a bunch of tacks to stay off of the layline won’t work.

The diagram 3A shows a massive difference in tacking angle between port and starboard sailors. I believe the diagram would show the above if the angles were the same. To quote Dennis Miller, “just one man’s opinion, I could be wrong”. Hope this helps.
Jim Pollock

]]> By: Sean OBrien http://www.carbonsugar.com/racing/why-your-fw-starts-need-to-be-better-pt-ii/#comment-30430 Sean OBrien Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:53:16 +0000 http://www.carbonsugar.com/?p=366#comment-30430 Wow - great video!! Classic Steve Bodner crash! Who does he run into? Someone on a North sail it looks like. For those interested, the crash happens at 2.15 mins. I haven't got a rulebook in front of me, but from memory in this case, two things apply: 'windward boat stays clear' and 'overtaking boat stays clear'. It appears Bodner (USA4 on NP sails) would be in the wrong on both accounts. I took some GoPro headcam shots at the Formula Worlds last year in Santa Pola. I forgot how great it is for learning about starts. I should endeavour to shoot some more. Thanks for the video David. Wow – great video!!

Classic Steve Bodner crash! Who does he run into? Someone on a North sail it looks like. For those interested, the crash happens at 2.15 mins.

I haven’t got a rulebook in front of me, but from memory in this case, two things apply: ‘windward boat stays clear’ and ‘overtaking boat stays clear’. It appears Bodner (USA4 on NP sails) would be in the wrong on both accounts.

I took some GoPro headcam shots at the Formula Worlds last year in Santa Pola. I forgot how great it is for learning about starts. I should endeavour to shoot some more. Thanks for the video David.

]]> By: David Wells http://www.carbonsugar.com/racing/why-your-fw-starts-need-to-be-better-pt-ii/#comment-30418 David Wells Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:47:32 +0000 http://www.carbonsugar.com/?p=366#comment-30418 Thanks this is a great article. One thing I would add is just to be safe too. No Barging. Here is a little video of what can happen when someone barges. From this weekends Ronstan Racing in San francisco june 13th. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P09RbFNSmog Thanks this is a great article. One thing I would add is just to be safe too. No Barging. Here is a little video of what can happen when someone barges. From this weekends Ronstan Racing in San francisco june 13th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P09RbFNSmog

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