Starts Natalie Sinn Melges MC promo E scow example start - Check - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Starts

Natalie Sinn

Melges MC promo E scow example start

• Check weather
• Check Yourself: Warm-up,

Countdown watch, polarized sunglasses, hat/visor, sunscreen, layers, water bottle, snack, VHF radio

• Check-in with your crew
• Check your boat
• Get out there early to check

wind/course

1+ hours before the start

On dry land, what can I do?

5-60m before start

How to prep for a great race?

• Wind oscillates 95%

time

• Gather wind readings-

sail upwind on each tack and get high and low angles and wind pattern

• Check your speed- two

boat tuning; compare speed and angle to fleet

• Evaluate Starting Line-

time distance from boat to pin, check starting laylines (then check again), get line sight

• Remember Final

Time and Final Distance

• Where to start? favored

side of line and course= balance between the best breeze, lifted tack, clear lane

• Wind direction

indicators

• Flags, anchored

boats, other sailboats

• Talk with crew /

competitors

• Geography
• Bays, low spots,

hills, points, shorelines

0-5m...when do I crawl?

***rough numbers. Other variables will influence.

0 MPH - 100% full speed. Stay very close to line. 5 MPH - Crawl at line at 1m. Sprint at 45 seconds. 10 MPH - Crawl at line at 1m. Sprint at 10 seconds. 15 MPH - Crawl at line at 1m. Sprint at 8 seconds.

• Wind from right
• Stop far from line
• Don’t stop by RC
• Point into wind
• Wind from middle
• Point into wind
• Wind from left
• Stop close to line
• Don’t stop by buoy
• Point into wind

Where do I crawl?

How to crawl?

• First, remove vang tension
• For slowing down
• Maybe backwind
• Ease mainsheet, tiller movement,

boards

• Once crawling
• Trim mainsheet
• Maintain your personal bubble
• AND stay closer to windward boat than

leeward boat (you need a hole to accellerate!)

• Obey rules
• Windward / leeward
• Room & opportunity

Bodyweight Steering

• Steer with weight
• Move weight to highside to head

down

• Move weight to lowside to head

up

• Minimal tiller movement
• This is important when

crawling and racing

0-1m...Sprint

• Look under boom @ buoy and

flag to find distance from line

• Sprint at final time
• Sprint at final distance
• Turn down
• Goal is to be closehauled at full

speed, crossing the line at start

• not reaching
• not pinching

After the start

• Balance (reduce helm)
• Feel the tiller
• Feel the speed of boat
• Do you feel fast?
• Steer with bodyweight
• Adjust settings
• Lock in, look out
• Maintain personal bubble
• Avoid wind shadows

What to do as crew?

• Where are the boats?
• Traffic and fleet (are we crossing? Find

me a lane, help call rules/room, can I tack? When boat below tacks…)

• Minimize finger pointing
• Anticipate
• Time pre-start activities, call the distance to

line, time to start

• Hike like pencil, help with sail controls pre and

post start

• Call the puffs and shifts
• Look for ripples, fast sailboats relative

to others, and wind direction indicators

• Concisely inform

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“For who can ask more of a man Than giving all within his span Giving all, it seems to me Is not so far from victory”

• George Joseph Moriarty