Critical Manoeuvres

Sailing Optimistically

Diego Figueroa explains how to perform important basic manoeuvres in an Optimist or other beginner class.

The biggest reason to work hard on manoeuvres is that often only a few metres can decide a race, and sometimes even a whole regatta. A few metres can make a huge difference, for example, when rounding a mark, breaking an overlap, crossing in front of a starboard boat, or any other situation.

Later in the race, those few metres may have become a much bigger advantage. And those few metres we are talking about can be gained by doing perfect tacks, gybes and mark roundings throughout the whole race. Also, in the fast growing discipline of Team Racing good manoeuvres are crucial as they allow you to attack and defend with ease.

By handling your boat better than others, you automatically have more options and chances to win in a close or tight situation.

Something common to all manoeuvres is the need to coordinate the three controls we have: rudder, mainsheet and body movement. The last one mentioned is actually the most important. The better you use your bodyweight, the less you will have to use your rudder and mainsheet, and that will help your speed throughout the manoeuvre you are performing.

We will now go through the specific steps for tacking, gybing and mark roundings. But although the explanation will be written step by step, when you practice the manoeuvres in the water, the whole thing should be continuous, with the correct timing and with smooth movements.

Tacks

There are two things to consider when tacking: when and where to tack, which is a tactical decision, and how to tack, which is the technical part I will describe here.

To start the tack, you must slightly head up with the rudder, making sure you don’t ease the sail at all. Hold your mainsheet a little bit more from the bottom and trim in a bit as the boat heads up. To do this properly, perfect timing is required.

As the boat starts turning, move your weight closer to the rail you’re sitting on, by moving your knees forward for stability. You must make sure not to slide backwards, to avoid sinking the stern of the boat. This way you help the boat turn by heeling.

When the boat is almost head to wind you will have to accelerate the movement with your body, hiking out a little bit harder. When you do this, always keep your eyes looking forward and the sail well trimmed.

You should start changing sides when the sail is coming towards you. To make the movement fast and smooth, make sure you jump from side to side by holding the daggerboard case, landing on the new rail as far forward as possible (chest touching your knees). To have a smooth landing, make sure you land with one leg after the other. Leaning your weight on the center board case (middle of the boat) with your front hand can help in achieving a smooth landing specially in light to medium winds. Pushing the boat forward as you land will help the boat accelerate faster after the tack.

As the sail hits and inflates on the other side and as you’re going across, ease your mainsheet a bit to achieve some extra speed forward (same reaction as in stronger breezes when the gust hits and heels your boat).

The next step is to sit down on the rail and speed up the boat, hiking out immediately if necessary. The main thing is to get the boat flat as soon as possible. Going out of the tack in the proper direction, in the proper angle with the wind, will be critical to gain back the speed and proper course. It is essential to pay attention to the movement of the rudder, making sure you get it back to the middle at the right moment and don't push it too hard.

Only when the boat is already sailing flat and in the proper direction, will you proceed to switch hands on the mainsheet behind your back. Make sure you don’t use your mouth for this.

Most common mistakes:

• Easing sail at the beginning of the tack.

• Bad timing and coordination in the use of rudder, mainsheet and bodyweight.

• Sliding backwards while tacking.

• Landing on the new rail too far back, too close to the stern.

• Landing too hard and splashing a lot of water.

• Ending up with a slight heel to windward.

• Pinching or pointing too high straight after tacking.

Gybes

There are two types of gybes and therefore two different techniques: One is when you gybe on a run, with almost no change of direction, as the wind is coming exactly from astern. The other one is when you gybe from a close angle to another close angle, like reach to reach for example on the start line or when doing penalty turns, as the wind is always coming from the side and therefore has more power to heel the boat.

It is important to gybe perfectly on a run, especially in heavy wind when a little mistake can be costly.

Before you start the gybe you must make sure you are sailing slightly by the lee. This means that the wind is flowing from leach to luff. It is easy to check this by looking at the wind indicator.

Put down the centerboard, but only as much as you need to let the boom go through. Once the centerboard is down, grab the mainsheet by the three lines that go to the boom. When you do this, make sure you do it with your arm completely extended, holding the lines as close to the boom as possible.

The next step is to head down slightly with the rudder and pull on the three lines to make the sail change sides. When possible, we have to do this movement while surfing a wave, to reduce the pressure on the sail and make it easier to pull. All of this has to be combined with a little body movement to roll the boat. In heavy wind, this step requires a lot of confidence and determination. Do not hesitate.

As the sail is changing side, you should already be moving to the new rail, always keeping the boat balanced and holding a good course by using a smooth movement across the boat. Remember that your eyes should always be looking forward.

Before the sail is full on the new side you should correct the course with the rudder. When the sail hits, the boat will naturally tend to head up into the wind. If you over-trim the sail before the gybe or don’t correct the course at the right moment, you will help the boat to head up and ruin your manoeuvre. You have to be careful with this reaction, especially in heavy wind.

Finally you can sit down, change hands and always remember to pull up the centerboard again as soon as possible.

Most common mistakes

    * Changing course too much as a consequence of using too much rudder.
    * In heavy wind the boat will try to head up when the sail hits on the new side and we will have to fight that with the rudder beforehand, anticipating the push of the wind.
    * Wrong timing to gybe in surfing conditions.
    * Letting too much sail out, where you will lose control of the boat

Close angle gybes

As you bear down, heel to windward and ease your sail. If sailing in light winds, use two or more pulls of the rudder. Don’t just ease the sail all the way, but continuously feed the sheet as the boat bears off.

When the boat is almost in a downwind position pull the sail in hard to help it go across (laser style).

In light winds your movements need to be smooth and slow and there is no need to stand up before the sail crosses. Keep your weight in the middle.

However to do this manoeuvre successfully in heavy weather you need to be ready to jump across at the same time as the sail is crossing. The idea is that you and the sail land on each side simultaneously. A good way to succeed in this critical manoeuvre is to stand up as the boat bears down, and as the sail crosses sit down simultaneously.

As the sail hits the other side, ease it out and allow the leach to open. This will give you more drive forward and a good acceleration and will reduce the possibility of going into irons or losing control. Finish your manoeuvre by sitting as far forward as possible, the same as you finish your tacks.