Argentine Optimist

Notes, tips, papers to help you improve your optimist sailing technique.

(optimist español) (Optimist blog)

Note: this is not the Argentine Association website AOA ! To go there follow this link
www.optimist-argentina.org

Who write this ? Diego Ravecca
Argentine optimist coach

Optimist heavy wind techniques

Introduction

We consider “heavy wind” when the wind reaches 20 knots. How can we measure that? The Optimist get high speed instantly when you bear off, you have to balance the boat with your body, the sail sounds like it is going to break. If everything this happens: the wind is over 18 knots.... a very simple way to know the wind speed ;)

Preparation

You must be ready with the right equipement and clothes for the long day. A windy day, with a bad equipement boat, without sail boots, with cold, etc can be a disaster. It is almost impossible race a good regatta in that conditions.
When the body starts to get cold it is very difficult to get temperature again and be confortable to win the race. So, you must be prepared since you left the shore. With this wind conditions you have to do a lot of movements to handle the boat, so you must be with confortable clothes, not oversize them.
Check the boat several times and keep your concentration for the regatta. If your boat isn´t ok, you must be repairing it all day and you will loose concentration. Use and regulate your own energy in the important things, be focused.
Check every the equipement several times before go to the water, if you thik something must be changed then DO IT.

Boat handling

The key and basic idea is to have an DRY and horizontal optimist every time, especially in windward leg.
To make that, you must to use your bailer. You get off two kilograms of water (at least) every time (aprox 4 lbs). When the optimist is full of water, you can´t sail and have to stop, then you have aprox 30 kg of water (60 lb). YES the equivalent of another boy walking on your optimist and moving around. This is too much and it is the first problem we must solve.
Sail with the boat horizontal in windward leg is not easy but it deppends on your technique more than your weigth. A good movement combination, loosing the mainsheet on gusts or big waves, pinching a little when you climb the wave, and making an intelligent waste of phisicall energy, everything this combinated with a permanent dry boat, that is a good technique. Of course it is exhausting, your legs burnt, it is cold and the windward mark is in the horizont... but this is it, and everyone live the same, the winner too.
In reach leg, the major part of the fleet is occupied taking water off, and resting the legs. It is a “domino effect”, rounding the windward mark full of water everyone must do that on the reach leg.
You must to arrive “dry” to the windward mark, bear off with full energy and surf every wave. The reach gives you the opportunity of take great advantage.
To surf the wave you shall be prepared to your astern coming wave. If wind goes down you must to luff a little, when a good wave aproaches get a perpendicular position bearing off, the same with a gust. Once you are surfing, move your body to bow direction!!

Tunning your boat

With this heavy wind the basic idea is make your sail flat, and rigid for reach and downwind course. The boomvang must to be eavy tighten, better if you do that just before the start. The tight of the boomvang must be balanced with the
With this too ease, the luff will be very tigh flattening the sail with a lose of power and, a boom with up tendence in reach leg. Of course if you are light you must appoint to this tunning but must balance the .. tight since the boom not up. The outhaul helps the final tunning.
If wind is very heavy, flighty boys shall ease the sprit a little... but this is B plan, too much wind or little boys.

The maneuvers

Keep your eyes open and your reflects up in those days. Move fast, with security, dominating the boat movements with your body weigh.
Tacks are faster than light days, and choose carefully the moment to tack, not in a giant wave or monster gust.
Gybe is a common problem, you can see who have a good technique and personality gybing with strong wind. The idea is to keep the wind exactly in your stern at every moment your gybe last, when your boat is moving faster, usually surfing, is the easiest time to gybe, with your hand take all the mainsheet at the nearest boom point and pass it with acctitude. With practice this is fast and secure.

Goodbye

I hope you have enojoy this, if you have any coments or you need any kind of information, please write me or leave me a message to info@optimist.com.ar .

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