Last Saturday afternoon was a bit of a bust with near drifting conditions except for a few bursts of wind prompting us to start another race only to have more drifting. Last night made up for it, though. Six Laser and three Sunfish sailors enjoyed a fresh breeze, comfortable temperature, and clearing skies. As a bonus there was a rainbow, one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, which made a full arc across the lake as we sailed out to the course.
Both fleets sailed many informal races with no recorded scores. The Lasers mostly sailed three-on-three team races which were enormous fun. Team racing affords a great opportunity to get boat handling practice since there are many tactical battles.
Boat speed, however, is also a significant factor. There are lots of chances for side by side comparisons to test different sailing options. I was impressed at one point how much faster it seemed to be for the Laser to sail in light air downwind using a "by-the-lee" technique with the wind flowing in the reverse direction across the sail (from the leech toward the mast). The boom is out a little past 90 degrees and "windward heel" (Or is it really leeward heel?) raises the boom off the water, catching faster winds. As a bonus the heel reduces wetted surface area, and helps keep the sheet taught and out of the water. The wind vane at the top of the mast is very helpful to make sure you are really sailing by-the-lee, and by what angle. Too far by-the-lee means it's time to jibe over to a broad reach.
We're looking forward to another great time on the water tomorrow at 3 PM for our regular Saturday afternoon Laser/Sunfish sailing. The summer is going by so fast. Don't let it pass you by without getting out on the water as much as you can.
Eric
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