Cruiser/Racer....Is it possible to be both?

[sailingdog]

AE28—

If membership in this forum is so odious...why do you bother participating... an intelligent person would just leave if it bothered them so much. Oh, never mind.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by erps

I have some bonehead questions. What's an average PHRF rating?

I don't know if there is an "average" PHRF rating. FWIW: When the JAM class for our races got too big, they divided it, coincidentally, at our rating: 180. But if our races had contained more faster or more slower boats, that would've moved, I imagine.

Originally Posted by erps

Is there a direct comparison between a small boat and a large boat with the same rating?

I don't understand the question. The rating is the rating--it doesn't matter the size of the boat. With two boats with the same PHRF rating: The one that crosses the finish line first wins. There's no adjustment difference between the two.

Originally Posted by erps

I did some googling to see if I could find another Fraser 41 already rated and I found one up in Canada rated at 175. What does that tell me?

It tells you that somebody, somewhere gave that boat a PHRF rating of 175 . It tells you that you'd have to give us 5 sec/nm, and SailChick would have to give you 10 sec/nm (assuming 180 in our case, 165 in hers).

Jim

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by SailChick20

The thing that makes me most nervous is the start...and the quick tacks/gybes before the start..only a couple feet away from other boats.

Yeah... the start... That's the scariest part and the part with which new racers have the most trouble. All that jockeying for position, boats tacking and gybing back-and-forth, more-or-less parallel to the start line, all of them looking to be in just the right spot so they can turn into the line at just the right time We got it right on, on our 2nd race. We also had boats so close to us on port and starboard you could almost reach our and touch them! I have been on boats at the start that had mere inches separating them from nearby boats. (And with captains yelling at one another about what the other was doing .)

But it's unavoidable. If you're going to race, and you're going to win, you gotta get in there and mix it up with the furball (as I call it). Just be on your toes and watch out for the other guy. Try to always leave yourself an out. Leave yourself w/o an out, and somebody else screws up, well... Practice panic tacks and gybes, until your crew can handle them without panicing.

If it's any comfort, it seems more collisions occur going around the marks than at the start. There: Something else for you to worry about .

Btw: A very experienced sailor at our club told me, one time after we'd had a [b]terrible[b/] start due to over-worry about starting too soon: "If you don't occasionally start early, you're always starting too late" .

Jim

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

A folding prop will net you more than the 6 sec a mile you get credited for vs a fixed prop too.

They credited us with 12 s/nm and it still didn't make up for the performance hit we took. Of course: If the races had all been in moderate-to-heavy air, it probably would have.

Re: Bottom paint. I don't think they care about bottom paint. Speaking of that: In spring: Get your hull smooth. Apply paint. After it dries: Notice it has sharp little points sticking up all over? Go over to HD or Lowe's and pick up these big razor-blade scrapers. Then gently scrape your bottom. You're dragging the blades away from the edge! Gently. You need just enough pressure to knock off those sharp bits. Watch the curve of the hull and the corners of the blades carefully or you'll gouge your bottom. Then, after that's done, take crumpled-up newspaper and vigourously rub the entire bottom down. Don't forget the rudder.

You'll end-up with a bottom smooth as a new-born baby's backside .

Jim

[Mikelivingstone]

I raced my First 305 for a couple of seasons, It was very good fun, we did quite well and eventually won the championship in the final year.
Like Jim says, starts are very important, however I chose to be a bit conservative in the first couple of races. I think that being consistent throughout the series, and attentive to tweaking and noticing wind shifts is more important.

Mike

[erps]

So to use Alex's terminology, your boat might be considered an old shoe! His boat as an example, is around 20-40 IIRC!

So....more racing stripes then?

[bubb2]

Chick, I agree the start is very important. Over the years you see many different ideas of what is a good start. You have your line huggers and line blockers.

I have found a method that works for me and I would like to share it with you. 15 min's before the race starts I am making 1 min runs up to the line so I know exactly where I need to be when the 1 min gun sounds. At the sound of the gun we turn the boat and trim sheets and make our run to the line. The Idea here is to be a full speed crossing the start line when the start gun fires. Once we come around and head for the start line after the 1 min gun there is no turning back or letting up. You are driving the boat to the start and you are going to find a whole between other the boats and that is where you pass through at the start.

My secret weapon. Bruce. At the one min gun I tell the most junior menber of the crew to hit the on button on the I-Pod witch is connected to the boats stereo. Loud and strong form the cockpit speakers comes Bruce. It gets the crew cranked up and lets the other boats know were are coming. I have it timed and edited to know that when Bruce starts to sing it is one min from the start of the song. The committee boat enjoys it also.


http://

[timebandit]

Sail Chick

"Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. "
~ Cadet Maxim

Kinna sez it all.

The bigest defference between racers and wanna be racers is seat time. You cannot expect to be tops if you don't pratice.

The reason racers are always tweeking things is just pratice and and learning.

Racing is about finding the edge and you won't find it untill you go over it. Trim the sails in and go faster and in some more untill you go slower then go back---lesson learned.

Watch what others are doing and try it in pratice to see if it will work for you.-- Faster boat has 5 crew up foward to set spin and you don't need that many--maybe the extra weight helps them round the mark better??

Who knows?

Ask for advice, from faster sailors. Try it and see if you can make it work for you. Please don't tell someone that has taken the time to help you that their advice could not work. When I take my time to explain something to a nubee and I get that response I think "that is why you will always be behind me".

Note: I DON'T RACE BOATS because I am to competive and would prolly end up spending to much money, sailing is my escape.

Being you senior by a few decades and 2 days I know what you are about and I caution you about going down the path you are headed. I also know you will not be swayed.

Get in there and have some fun.

[blt2ski]

Yes Ray,

More racing stripes should help tremendously! Figure a gain of about 20secs per stripe, so 7-8 stripes should make you as fast as Alex! Kewl eh!

marty

[blt2ski]

Jim,

Nice to know in you region they credit more than the NW! Still as pointed out, not sure the credit for a fixed prop is worth it! It has been shown many times over an over that a folding or equal is faster than the credit you get. Most folks seem to report .5-1 knot of speed in lighter winds. My PO did when he went from a fixed to a max prop.

Marty