Sailing Checklist
[caption id="attachment_4677" align="alignnone" width=""]Don Q 2006[/caption]A little history on the list: Since 1980, I've taken numerous chunks of years off of sailing at various times, making it harder and harder for me when I come back to remember what my crew and I are supposed to focus on around the race course. Connie and I first adapted the checklist to the Snipe in 1989. Our list built on a list my E-Scow teammate, Terry Kempton, and I first put together in 1978, when this 28 foot surfboard was throwing too many new things at us too fast during the races, and we couldn't keep up without a memorized outline. The list has been through a number of permutations over the years (e.g., dropping out things like on the E-Scow: responsibility for leeboards, backstays, best times to use the big chute or little; and on the Snipe: whisker pole technique prior to pole launchers). Recently, since my daughters brought me out of retirement in 2002, daughter Morgan has tweeked the list a lot, and now Sheehan has added her own twists. This past Winter Circuit, we added a new technique learned from Gavin McKinney, Jimmy Lowe's teammate, for setting the pole on a heavy air reach.
A little history on the list:
Since 1980, I’ve taken numerous chunks of years off of sailing at various times, making it harder and harder for me when I come back to remember what my crew and I are supposed to focus on around the race course. Connie and I first adapted the checklist to the Snipe in 1989. Our list built on a list my E-Scow teammate, Terry Kempton, and I first put together in 1978, when this 28 foot surfboard was throwing too many new things at us too fast during the races, and we couldn’t keep up without a memorized outline. The list has been through a number of permutations over the years (e.g., dropping out things like on the E-Scow: responsibility for leeboards, backstays, best times to use the big chute or little; and on the Snipe: whisker pole technique prior to pole launchers). Recently, since my daughters brought me out of retirement in 2002, daughter Morgan has tweeked the list a lot, and now Sheehan has added her own twists. This past Winter Circuit, we added a new technique learned from Gavin McKinney, Jimmy Lowe’s teammate, for setting the pole on a heavy air reach.
Revised: April 28, 2006
ON SITE REGATTA PREPARATION AND SAILING SMART
PRE-RACE
S & C – Hourly wind readings during days before racing begins
S – Get a buddy
S – Get weather and tide reports each day and superimpose on site chart
S & C – Stretch
S & C – Eat and drink right
S & C – Pack water, Powerade, Red Bull (something with caffeine, but not too much – dehydration!), carbohydrates of some sort, Sustagen or equivalent, bananas and power bars for boat and coach boat
S & C – Tape jib halyard hook and top shackle
S & C – Check ditty bag for boat
S & C – Check extra tape on tiller
S & C – Check rigging overall
S & C – Check rake and mast side to side
S&C – Spare jib, coach boat ditty bag and non-boat food & liquids in coach boat
ON WATER BEFORE 5 MINUTE GUN
S & C – Check in with race committee
S & C – Check the line and weather leg with buddy
S & C – Do a 2 minute practice start
S & C – Practice acceleration and rock and pump before start
S & C – Check vang setting for reach
S & C – Check vang setting for upwind
C – Check pole line at front and back and on deck to see if clear
S & C – Set jib leads for conditions
S – When checking start line in light air, get better wind readings at ends of line
S & C – Check for current (Study RC boat at anchor – consider how current will affect start)
S & C – Get compass readings for both tacks and establish highs & lows (SHoot & PLow)
C – Even up control lines
S & C – Estimate compass reading from weather mark to reaching mark and jibe to leeward mark and check out wave angles for reaches
S & C – Check current on jibe mark
S & C – Check jib set for conditions
C – Ask skipper, “What’s the plan upwind and for start?”
AFTER 5 MINUTE GUN
S & C – Check course (Offset? Gate?)
S & C – Check the line and take wind readings
S – Check vang setting for upwind
S & C – Stand up and look for wind at 3 minutes, 2 minutes and 1 minute
S & C – Weed at 2 minutes
S – In light air, because the wind tends to lift up over the fleet, consider starting at left or right side of start; if on right, consider tacking early. In light air, avoid tacking back into fleet at start.
S – Approach fleet on port at 1 minute 30 seconds to find a turkey and tack onto starboard at 45 to 30 seconds above turkey. Stay away from ends (use 2/5 rule)! Put on vang to preset mark when tack onto starboard. Don’t be up on line early, because Committee will take note.
S – In light air, turn off ratchets for start, so boats around you can’t hear you trim in.
C – Read out time (but not so loud that others can hear). At least 15 seconds, concentrate on where skipper wants to go and use body and trim to get there.
S – Trim and go at the time that, or before, the next boat trims
S & C – Body English at start, but not too much with flat plate board
AFTER START
S & C – Go flat out all out fast for 2 minutes
S – Get separation – do not tack more than twice in first 5 min. – want to cruise through middle at ½ way up beat. If have to tack, don’t tack until can see way clear. Look for blockers on starboard and port.
S & C – Watch the locals
S & C – Keep it flat
S & C – Roll back in waves
C – After each tack is completed, take in slack on windward jib sheets and coil windward sheet and make sure leeward one can run free
S & C – Check angle of fleet – take it. Crew to feed skipper angles and relative speed!
S & C – Look for starboard tackers. Very important for crew!
C – Check angle of aft deck on horizon – Think Balance
C – Remind skipper to get head out of boat
S & C – Watch for wind on water. Crew to inform skipper.
S & C – Read compass but sailing fleet is more important. Crew to read compass to skipper.
S – Interpret wind on water
C – Feed skipper info on competitors to leeward and ahead and to windward (speed and angles)
S – Anticipate crossing situations early and have plan.
S – No luff wrinkles above spreader
S – Because of inefficient blades, do not let boat change heeling angles much
BEFORE WEATHER MARK
S – Rounding on a lift or a header?
C – Look for next mark
S – Don’t get lazy – look for shifts at end, and don’t get to layline too early
S – Tell crew whether pole reach or not; trim through leads or hand hold
S – Tell crew where she will be sitting on reach
C – Ask skipper, “What’s the plan?”
S – Explain mark rounding tactics if rounding in traffic
S – On second windward leg, can come in with smooth water on port layline, unless behind on a double triangle
ROUNDING WEATHER MARK
S – Rounding in lift or header? Go high or low
S – When rounding in traffic, slow & win
S & C – When in traffic, do not set pole immediately
S – When in doubt, do not set pole. If set pole, set at full length. It’s dangerous to be the first to set pole
C – If don’t set pole, hand hold jib or go to jib lead reach settings.
S – When set pole, head downwind. If heavy air, crew should physically hold pole with one hand and make the first big, long pull with the other, so that the jib clew butts up to the pole end first.
C – After set pole, help skipper pull back and put sheet in reaching hook
S – Ease vang to pre-set mark
C – Ease jib cunningham
C – Pull up board – last thing because need maneuverability
S – Ease main cunningham
S – Ease jib halyard (1″ if no pole; about 6″ if with pole and reaching [the more you need to point, the less you let it off]; all the way off if running [at least 18 inches, unless very light air])
S – Check current at mark
C – Coil lines
S – Pull in pole jib sheet
C – Ease outhaul, especially for shelf foot sails
FIRST REACH
S & C – Keep track of wind shifts for next weather leg (easing and trimming)
S & C – Look over shoulder for wind, boats and waves (crew to remind skipper)
S – Up in lulls; off in puffs – communicate to crew
S – Play jib halyard (light air) and vang in puffs and lulls
C – Coil lines
S – Don’t over-vang; check top batten; should be parallel
C – If hand held jib; must keep frisbee shape and draw evenly
S & C – Steer with weight
S – Keep mast as straight as possible
C – Pole back as come down on waves; don’t uncleat; skipper or crew just grabs line directly from pole and pulls; at the bottom of wave, lit it go for coming back up
S – On a “meat reach” (tight reach in heavy air), don’t put too much power in main, don’t pull board up too far and don’t move too far aft. Hike hard! Balance this rule with, generally, in heavy air reach want to err on side of being too far back, so boat is in control and you’re not fighting the tiller to pull boat off in puff. On heavy air reaches always hike at 45 degrees back; more effective.
BEFORE JIBE MARK
C – Look for next mark
S – Pole on next reach? What about beginning of reach?
S & C – Communicate on tactics (will you need no pole and more board to get up over boats around you after the jibe?) Pole or not?
C – Pole out of reach hook or jib lead back to normal
C – Ask skipper, “What’s the plan?”
S & C – If rounding in crowd, plan on not setting pole immediately and have board lower for maneuverability
S – Don’t forget pole overlapping rudder for buoy room. If inside, give it up; if outside, don’t give it unless facts established and acknowledged earlier on.
JIBE
C – Shorten pole and pull up jib halyard
C – Drop board to next reach position – a little lower for maneuverability
C – Take pole down. Don’t forget to pull on windward jib sheet as uncleat pole – very important!
S – Overtrim main to 45 degrees
C – Roll: sit down hard on windward side and pull vang over or stay on leeward side and lean over top of board
C – When boom crosses above board pull pole back up and then help skipper pull back and put sheet in reaching hook
S – Pull in windward jib sheet after jibe
S – If pole comes in too slowly and gets stuck on forestay, if tactics allow, jibe back and pull pole back out.
C – If don’t set pole, hand hold jib or go to jib lead reach settings.
S – Check current at mark (upwind tactics)
BEFORE BOTTOM MARK
S & C – Think if rounding in lift or header
S – Look at boats on upwind leg or back of reaching leg
S – Plan weather leg
S & C – Look for wind upwind
C – Look for next mark
S – Talk about rounding tactics
C – If pole up, take out of reaching hook; if no pole, jib lead back to normal
S & C – Bring mast back to upwind setting
Before…
S & C – Shorten pole and pull up halyard
C – Put on jib cunningham
S – Put on main cunningham
C – Ask skipper, “What’s the plan; have you thought about next weather leg?”
ROUNDING LEEWARD MARK
S – Check current at mark
S & C – Steer by weight around mark
C – Drop board and then pole as round
S – Pull in weather line at same time pole is dropped
C – Snap jib out of pole and trim jib but do not trim too fast (no tighter than heading of the boat warrants)
S – When rounding in traffic, slow and win
S – Get on the lifted tack. Get separation early by staying with the plan.
C – After rounding, check pole line at front and end of boom and at deck, and check jib leads on both sides.
DOWNWIND
S & C – Don’t forget offset!
C – Stay forward, unless planing
C – Short pole (sometimes in light air) or full length pole?
S – Up in lulls and off in puffs; play jib halyard (from off 6″ to off 18″) and vang
C – Ask skipper, “What’s the plan for the beat?”
S – Pole back as come down on wave
S – Don’t over vang; top batten should be twisted off
S – Choose gate that fits plan
LAST BEAT
S – Get lifted tack; get separation early by staying with the plan
S & C – Look for favored end of finish (NEVER finish in middle of line; always cross at right angles)
STEERING THE BOAT BY MEANS OTHER THAN THE TILLER
Body Weight
Move forward – boat heads up
Move aft – boat heads off
Torque forward – boat heads down
Torque aft – boat heads up
Lean out – boat heads off
Lean in – boats heads up
Sheet Tension
Trim main – boat heads up
Ease main – boat heads off
Trim jib – boat heads down
Ease jib – boat heads up
Centerboard
Up – boat heads off
Down – boat heads up
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