Seeking last minute race tips for my old beater

J

Jack

Member
I am racing my very old, very neglected boat tonight for the first time this summer. I may buff out the bottom this afternoon. I have looked at tuning guides for proper rig adjustment. I do not have a race sail nor do I have plastic blades. I also do not have any sail adjustments rigged other than the mainsheet (no cunningham, vang, etc)
I was thinkng of installing telltales as well.
I'd love to hear any useful advice.
Thank you.
 
Congratulations on your decision to race. We get very caught up in technical details on this Forum, but there are many fundamental issues that are even more important. Some of the mistakes I have made in my racing life:

Read the Sailing Instructions, carefully. In other words know where you are supposed to go.

Don't be late for the start. Is it a 3-min start, a 5-min start or something else? Know the flag and/or horn signals.

At the start, don't necessarily go where the others go because you will be left breathing dirty air. Try to find some clear air and make the best of it.

If you know who the best sailor is, try to follow him or her. He/she can act as a wind and shift indicator.

A wind indicator can be very helpful, especially in light air. You can make one yourself out of a coat hanger with woollies or magnetic tape. Telltales are not particularly useful on a Sunfish.

Read up on the fundamentals of the Racing Rules of Sailing. If in doubt, give way; it's not the America's Cup.

Practice tacking and jibing. Upwind you may do as many as ten tacks and doing it efficiently will help a lot. You won't jibe nearly as often, but being comfortable jibing is obviously important as well.

My list is getting long. There are many, many books on the subject. A copy of the Sunfish Bible is particularly useful if you want to upgrade your boat.

Have fun, even when you are not leading the fleet; being on the water can be a joy.
And finally, most Sunfish sailors will be happy to help you improve your game.
 
Thanks. That is all really good advice.
Are there any other somewhat simple, last minute boat prep tips that you can pass along? There is a West marine on my way home.
 
Jack said:
Thanks. That is all really good advice.
Are there any other somewhat simple, last minute boat prep tips that you can pass along? There is a West marine on my way home.
Click to expand...
Got the old style rudder? Once on the water, crank down the wing nut on the bolt that pulls the lower plate tight to prevent inadvertent release. Just remember to loosen it again before beaching.

Did you review Sunfish Tuning Guide for Racers By Scott Kyle? A little more older Sunfish oriented than Eduardo Cordero's tips.

Wavedancer's got you covered on the mental preparedness.

Good luck

.
 
Jack said:
Thanks. That is all really good advice.
Are there any other somewhat simple, last minute boat prep tips that you can pass along? There is a West marine on my way home.
Click to expand...

Make sure all fittings, lines etc. are up to snuff.

Some hot shots wash their hulls right before the racing. You can even use a gentle detergent, if allowed by the site.

Adjust your rig (especially the gooseneck setting) according to the prevailing conditions; see Scott Kyle's tuning guide (the link is in Wayne's post).

 
All of the above are great suggestions. However, if you are racing against boats with race sails and plastic daggerboards, you will have a hard time matching their boat speed. The
plastic daggerboard is a significant improvement over the wood boards, and the race sail is fuller and more powerful (and a little big bigger?) than the recreational sail. So assuming you can't match the speed of the newer rigged boats, go where they ain't and see if you can catch a lift of better air on what "they" consider to be the wrong side of the course. If the hot shots go right after the start, get clean air at the start and go left. Nothing makes a Sunfish sailor who has shelled out $4,000 for a race boat get beat by an old but well sailed clunker (been there/done that.)

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
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