Happy New Year everybody! It's almost 2009 and time to think of the next
North American Championships!
Thanks to Paul, Ron, Christian, and Robert for your tips. I agree with them
all and have a few more.
First, a personal item. Going to the line the first time this year in
Florida I was overcome with a surprising sense of grief and loss. I realized
that
for the last 6 years I had competed with my son and now he was 3000 miles
away and no longer sailing with me! But over the next week I learned I had a
new group of friends and they were as big a part of the event as the sailing
itself. I'm looking forward to spending time with all of you this year at
Huntington Lake and anywhere else we can get some boats together!
I learned:
1. I need to sail the boat flatter. Ron Watt is the master at sailing a
flat boat and it shows in his boat speed.
2. In order to accomplish #1, I need to trap lower. Watch Mark White
sometime to see what I mean.
3. Sail shape is critical. I spent most of the summer trying to get my
main flatter. I'm still not sure I'm all the way there yet but I've made
progress.
4. I agree Bram's on-shore clinic was very helpful in analyzing stepping
through the boat and positioning during hoists and drops.
5. Keith demonstrated the importance of tying in your drain plug and hull
vents. I tied mine the next day!
6. Mark your spinnaker halyard so that you can tell when it is fully
hoisted. I could have won a race except that I didn't hoist my kite all the
way up.
7. It's not unusual to have the same order at the windward mark as at the
starting line. Practice your starts!
8. Peggy's pictures are on my computer as a screen saver and I learn better
technique every time I look at them.
I got started at trapeze sailing pretty late and so I have always assumed
that I needed as much time on the water as possible. It's helped me
immensely.
Yet I know that a coach could show me things that I do every time without
thinking. I'm looking forward to Bram's clinic this summer.
I love my little boat and can't wait to start sailing next year!
Chris
In a message dated 12/28/2008 1:17:09 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Merry Christmas and or happy holidays to everyone Swifty or Mustomen .its
been a great year to meet new people and learn so much about sailing the Swift
, I would like to thank everyone who has helped me this year and particularly
all the crew who went to Fort Desoto. I thought I would start a list of
things learnt with the idea that may be others would add to so here goes;
1, the best thing about sailing is the friends you meet and keep.
2, Turn up at the Nationals with your boat finished and ready to sail; I didn
ât and wasted too many awesome sailing days rigging the boat.
.
3, Go to a Bram clinic the learning curve is unbelievable.
4. Practise on dry land, with the help of friends to sit on the boat, gets
out on the wire sort your foot work out,
5, Kneel on the side tanks on one knee; the forward knee .huge!! Donât SIT
on the tank; itâs so much easier to swing out on to the wire.
6, Set the kite before you go out to check the thing flyâs correctly .Bram
has a fool (i.e. me) proof method of rigging the kite, but I forgot
it...Bram???
7, Check your plug and hatch covers in the excitement to launch... An old
one butââ
8, Find someone to go 2 up with, learnt more in 30 mins with Ron Radco
(thank you) 2 up, than hours of imperfect practice on my own.
9,Donâtâ be afraid of the kite , pick a light breeze and go for it , it is
easier than it looks .Always steer under the kite as you get over powered .
10, when you capsize with the kite up ,ALWAYS pull it down ALL THE WAY DOWN
(from the stern ) BEFORE you right the boat Huge!!
11. Capsizing, I like Bramâs method of going over the side and between the
jib and the mast and steadying the boat from there, you can step on the base
of the mast almost as soon as the main sail brakes from the water and if the
wind is on theâ wrongâ side i.e. going to blow you right over again. You
can
grab the far shroud and attempt to stop the roll.
12, Getting up on the center board , This for me is the most difficult part
of sailing the swift, ideas I picked up form Keith Council. (Thanks Keith)
A, Push your self DOWN as you grab the board the buoyancy in your jacket
will tend to âpopâ you out of the water..
B, Pull yourself on to the center board as close to the boat as possible,
this stops the boat from coming up and still leaving you in the water (this
happen to me a lot and this fixes the problem.)
C, Get fit!! Lots of push ups, Keith practices in the swimming pool pulling
up on a diving board!!
D. It is exhausting so Bramâs advice is after 5 capsizes in a row GO IN for
a break!!
E, Other guys have there own techniques ,I have tried getting in over stern,
when the boat is upright and you are in the water ,it works if the wind is
light and little or on waves ,one hand on the rudder stock the other on the
transom .Chris Wickham does the under the boat roll method .Chris ?? Ron Watt
I
believe goes in over the side but behind the mast (he so good he never
capsizes!!).
13, Drop the main as you come in shore especially a Lee shore or shore with
breakers, I sail off a beach which is always a lee shore and this simple
things has stopped me screwing up!! (Including smacking my rudder on submerged
tree stump, very costly)
!4, Clothing ,I change to a very slim life preserver by âJet made for
wakeboarding it has some padding ,I put my harness over the top , that helps
with
snags , a couples of the Musto Men had rash shirts over everything with a
hole of the wire hook , it look good ..Guys. IT seems to be very important to
reduce all the possible snag points .When sailing my Fireball 40 years ago we
all wore thin nylon jump suits over every thing â ideas Guys ..Photos???
15, Knee pads and shin guards are essential.
16.Make sure your center board and rudder will not fall out when you are
inverted ,very embarrassing and has happen to my twice !!! , once I lost the
center board and sail to shore with out it â the wrong shore!! I used the
rudder to get the boat right side up (tricky) and then run off down wind. I
was on
a large lake 15knots wind and no other boats out!! I was using a smaller
main and in my excitement to get out I forgot to tie in the board. The other
time my rudder fell out as with use the lining in the cassette has worn. Both
are now tied in..
Thatâs enough for now, please feel free to , add , comment or trash .I
think Iâm heading to San Diego to find some warm water and a fair wind
ââ.
Paul OâSullivan
Catlin Properties
3620 Fair Oaks Blvd, Ste 150
Sacramento, CA 95864
(916) 485-8900 x.234
(916) 599-1572 cell
paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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