Before I begin…it would be a good idea to bring “foulies” (slickers, rainpaints, hat) tonight. We might stay dry…and we might get wet.
The most important thing tonight will be to keep an eye on the wind and our points of sail. Being able to identify our point of sail quickly is important, and a skill that you will develop over time. Why’s that?Your point of sail relates directly to boat control: we are faster on some points and slower on other. For example, running typically is a very slow point of sail for us. Beam reaching, on the other hand, is a very fast point of sail. That’s important because our most crucial manoeuvre, the figure-8 Man Overboard Recovery, requires you to sail on a beam reach, tack, fall off to a broad reach, and approach the target (“victim”) on a close reach. If you don’t hit the correct points of sail, your boat’s energy (speed) will be out of sorts with your needs. Coming into a tack, your boat needs a lot of energy (speed) to make it through the eye of the wind. Whilst approaching the victim, your energy level needs to be a lot lower.
On a related note, snappy, quick tacks are the hallmark of a safe, able sailor. We’ll spend most of our manoeuvring time tonight developing that skill.
Who cares how fast you tack, or come about? You do! By definition, tacking means that you will scrub off boat speed. Boat speed equates to energy…which equates to opportunity and options. Getting through a tack quickly is absolutely crucial, especially in low-wind, tight-quarter situations when you and the Other Guy are closer to each other than you’d like to be.
Okay, now homework. This is for after the class tonight, not prior! I don’t want you to get saturated before you even get on the dock.
- We’ve already given you the exam notes. Study them closely! Aside from diagrammatic representations, that’s 96% of the test, right there.
- Please read ahead to “Federal Requirements for Boats”–it’s dull, dry stuff that you should hit now.
- Please read “Rescuing a Man Overboard”, on page 104.
Okay…enough from here…see you on the docks! Feel free to come down at 5 to set up the boat, though.
See you on the water,
Julian
