Tacking

Gene Fuller <W4SZzzzzzz DeleteThis @att.net> writes:

> One of the most basic strategies, however, is to take advantage of
> wind shifts by tacking when it allows you to point closer to the
> direction of the mark.
>
Another important thing is to stay where the pressur is up.
For really quick boats this is more impartant than pointing
close tp the target all the time.

--
Martin Schöön "Problems worthy of attack
show their worth by hitting back."
Piet Hein
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Stephen,

Any tack costs speed and they should be avoided when not required.

Three reasons to tack:
1- You must to make the mark (your VMG-WCV has gone to zero)
2- You are about to run out of water/wind if you continue
3- Tactical requires that you cover the competion

Yes, it really is just that simple.

Matt Colie
Lifelong Waterman, Licnsed Mariner and Pathological Sailor


Stephen Page wrote:

> Newbie on board but let me seek your advice and guidance, if I may,
> folks.
>
> When going upwind, what tacking method wins races and why? One long
> tack or several short tacks? For the sake of my understanding, let's
> talk in terms of the windward mark being dead upwind of the start line
> and a constant wind speed and direction.
>
> Best wishes
> Steve
>
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Hi Steve,
as others said, this topic is a long discussion trigger on winward
tactics.
The main problem is the combination of two big ideas:
- Short term tactic.
- Macro - long term tactic.

The first one will be the logical structure of all your decisions at a
short time, thinking in the small fleet that is sailing near your area
and the influence of this other boats and how you will keep on first
place of this sub-fleet.
The second one is a strategic view of the course area (all the winward
leg, imagine an aerial view) and all the logical influence factors at
long time, like current, other side fleet position, persistent
windshift, etc.

The key is understand when one is more important than the other, and
take the decisions with a balance keeping in mind the two visions.

If you have a constant wind speed and direction, I assume an ideal
situation with no change of pressure in the course area, etc. the boat
speed takes a very important place together with the start and the
position that you gain in the fleet as a consecuence.

Hope that helps

best regards

Diego.


Stephen Page wrote:
> Newbie on board but let me seek your advice and guidance, if I may,
> folks.
>
> When going upwind, what tacking method wins races and why? One long
> tack or several short tacks? For the sake of my understanding, let's
> talk in terms of the windward mark being dead upwind of the start line
> and a constant wind speed and direction.
>
> Best wishes
> Steve
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Thank you one and all for the guidance on tacking. What's the best to
read up some more? Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to
get nailed down first and foremost? If so, how do you read a
wind-shift?

Best wishes
Steve
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Steve,

Wind is always shifting, unless you in the trades well away from land.

Most places that people sail the wind oscillates. 10-15d is not
uncommon. When fighting to weather, watch the you compass. You will
see this variation, then watch for a swing that is bigger and hangs
longer than the rest. I am not sure how to tell you mor without using a
boat (I've never successfully taught sailing.)

Go get a book, Look up the Bill Gladstone books and when you have
digested those, keep looking and sailing. Go out sailing when you don't
want to, like those days with light wind - but stay away from
thunderstorms if you want to ever be an old sailor.

Matt Colie A.Sloop "Bonne Ide'e" S2-7.9 #1
Lifelong Waterman, Licnesed Mariner and Congenital Sailor


Stephen Page wrote:

> Thank you one and all for the guidance on tacking. What's the best to
> read up some more? Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to
> get nailed down first and foremost? If so, how do you read a
> wind-shift?
>
> Best wishes
> Steve
>
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

There are two type of wind shift - header and lift. Both types can be seen
by the effect on the jib telltales.

A large header can be seen by the jib luff stalling (falling in) - time to
tack! A smaller header causes the inside jib telltale to lift.

A lift can be seen by the outside jib tell tale flying out (or the masthead
windex / burgee pointing down) - time to head up!


--
regards,
Malcolm Osborne
Benoni, South Africa


"Stephen Page" <steve DeleteThis @the-page-family.net> wrote in message
news:1150185763.546548.298970@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Thank you one and all for the guidance on tacking. What's the best to
> read up some more? Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to
> get nailed down first and foremost? If so, how do you read a
> wind-shift?
>
> Best wishes
> Steve
>
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Stephen Page <steve.TakeThisOut@the-page-family.net> wrote:
>What's the best to read up some more?

I really like Jobson's 'Championship Sailing'. But I'd also say that you
can spend too much time reading and not enough time on the water practicing.

>Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to get nailed down
>first and foremost?

I wouldn't worry about the shifts and just work on the fundamentals of
tacking. Hitting the shift just right is nice, but not losing several
boatlengths in a tack is a lot nicer. It's really all about maintaining
and maximizing boat speed. (I'll also happily argue with whoever said
that not tacking is guaranteed to be faster than tacking. Lots of boats
can gain with a good roll tack; 42.2.e is there for a reason.)
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

andrew m. boardman wrote:
> Stephen Page <steve.DeleteThis@the-page-family.net> wrote:
>> What's the best to read up some more?
>
> I really like Jobson's 'Championship Sailing'. But I'd also say that you
> can spend too much time reading and not enough time on the water practicing.
>
>> Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to get nailed down
>> first and foremost?
>
> I wouldn't worry about the shifts and just work on the fundamentals of
> tacking. Hitting the shift just right is nice, but not losing several
> boatlengths in a tack is a lot nicer. It's really all about maintaining
> and maximizing boat speed. (I'll also happily argue with whoever said
> that not tacking is guaranteed to be faster than tacking. Lots of boats
> can gain with a good roll tack; 42.2.e is there for a reason.)


Andrew,

Literacy is such a growing problem today.

On June 7 I said,

". . . then a single tack will generally be fastest."

It appears you may have confused "generally" with "guaranteed". Given
the nature of the original question I made the silly assumption that the
questioner was not an expert at roll tacking.

Regards,
Gene Fuller
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

In the interests of prolonging this thread - if you don't tack in a header
and just bear off, I would say that would turn out to be much slower.

I've often seen beginners bearing off on a header and ending up sailing away
from the mark.

--
regards,
Malcolm Osborne
Benoni, South Africa

"andrew m. boardman" <amb.RemoveThis@bronze.lcs.mit.edu> wrote in message
news:e6ug7c$2ba0$1@grapevine.csail.mit.edu...
> Stephen Page <steve.RemoveThis@the-page-family.net> wrote:
>>What's the best to read up some more?
>
> I really like Jobson's 'Championship Sailing'. But I'd also say that you
> can spend too much time reading and not enough time on the water
> practicing.
>
>>Also is tacking on a wind shift the thing I need to get nailed down
>>first and foremost?
>
> I wouldn't worry about the shifts and just work on the fundamentals of
> tacking. Hitting the shift just right is nice, but not losing several
> boatlengths in a tack is a lot nicer. It's really all about maintaining
> and maximizing boat speed. (I'll also happily argue with whoever said
> that not tacking is guaranteed to be faster than tacking. Lots of boats
> can gain with a good roll tack; 42.2.e is there for a reason.)
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking 

Gene Fuller wrote:
> andrew m. boardman wrote:
>
>> (I'll also happily argue with whoever said
>> that not tacking is guaranteed to be faster than tacking. Lots of boats
>> can gain with a good roll tack; 42.2.e is there for a reason.)

> Andrew,
>
> Literacy is such a growing problem today.

Agreed.

> On June 7 I said,
>
> ". . . then a single tack will generally be fastest."

And on June 8th Matt Colie said,

"Any tack costs speed and they should be avoided when not required."

I would guess that Andrew was addressing this comment, not yours.

Cheers.

//Walt
 >> Stay informed about: Tacking