Skipper – Fluid Building Services 16 Foot Skiff Sailing 101 How to prepare your 16 foot skiff to win a National Title OR just keep it upright and get it going quicker… With Clint Bowen Skipper – Fluid Building Services

Preparation is Key! Weekly Tasks Wash your boat and check while washing Check fittings Check main and kite sheets (replace as often as possible) Check Boards Check Rig numbers before and after Email your crew (mid-week debrief so can review progress towards your goal and identify areas of improvement)

Preparation is Key! Monthly Tasks Check rigging on mast (replace when necessary) Check controls (vang, cunningham, pole) Kite halyard Check the things that would normally break and replace before they break Breaking gear can put you out of a regatta!

Preparation is Key! Regatta Plan Your Year Replace ropes on the boat Train Plan Your Year Go through calendar each year with crew and partners Decide before the season which races can/cannot be sailed and lock in – commit Set the team goals and get the whole crew committed Having everyone on the same page = less stress for all!

Have a Strategy! Go in with a strategy before you start Talk about what you want to achieve, where you want to be before you start (on the rigging lawn) Be flexible – modify the plan to suit conditions expected Keep it simple – skiffs don’t like the bump. You might have to modify your strategy to suit rig choice on the day Search for conditions that suit rig – may not be where the rest of the fleet are going Know where your marks are – Have a Plan A when you leave the beach and a Plan B if it all goes pear shaped

Communication is Key - Know what your job is and make sure you do it! Crew Jobs - UPWIND Who Call breeze Bow Waves and tides Marks Best eyes on boat Other boats / fleets Controls Skipper Lay lines Board settings Strategy (where you want to be) Main (the engine to make you go quick) Sheet (only job needs to focus)

Communication is Key - Know what your job is and make sure you do it! Crew Jobs - DOWNWIND Who Call breeze Sheet Waves and tides Marks Best eyes on boat Other boats / fleets Controls Skipper Lay lines Board settings Strategy (where you want to be) Kite (the engine to make you go quick) Bow (only job needs to focus)

Communication is Key - Know what your job is and make sure you do it! Crew Jobs - POSITIONING Who Time Bow (and skipper) Strategy All talk Prestart checks (Line and time) Flags and course Bow Check rig and rig settings Skipper Sail first beat Get set up ready to race Kite set and drop Check kite will go up – better to fix early than during the race Warm up and get head in the game Two-sail gybe if fresh for confidence Know your competition Get on the course early to prepare 25-30 mins before the start

Rigging! Be professional and challenge the team to improve on time (Work to get rigging setup <10 minutes) Rigging quickly buys time to prepare and psych the competition More time for strategy and to look at the breeze Have specific jobs for rigging and be systematic

Rigging Jobs! Bowman Sheethand Skipper Jib Kite Pole Mast Main Connection to the boat (stays, D1, halyard, vang) Bowman and sheet bring gear to the skipper ready to connect to the boat

Rig Adjustments! Board Jib Too much board = too much drag = going slow Pull up until sheet is complaining and uncomfortable Want to be right on the edge with boat almost falling on top of the crew Jib Adjust cunno and sheet angle If not right you will go slow sheet angle starts around 4th or 5th seam, most often run too high. Run lower in flat water for a finer entry, allows you to go faster and steer higher. Look for the bottom to pull tight first and then the leach

Rig Adjustments! Cunno and Vang Rigging Controls the main Use to flatten the sail Rigging Advanced level adjustments Adjust backstays on the move

Rig Adjustments! Board Setup Should have numbered 50mm increments Know settings and be prepared to pull up board Practice getting the board up without slowing the boat If sheet has no drive, then can put board down Keep pulling board up and adjust jib if overpowered

Rig Adjustments! Cunno and Vang Flatten sails and reduce drag Usually lots of vang – set up so that you can see and measure Keep pulling on cunno until sheet says they have no power

Tacking – Step by Step Key is to be slow in and fast out! Call ready Bowman releases jib by an 3-5cm to depower headsail Come into the boat skipper starts to turn the boat slowly to windward using small, slow movements NOT huge tiller movement Sheet brings main on due to lost power in the headsail – pulling main on drives the boat through the tack Turn boat chine line to chine line using weight distribution rather than turning the till too much Turing tiller creates drag that slows you down Shift weight together Act as if there is 100mm of shock cord between you and shift weight through centreline together (don’t separate weight) Exit the tack and keep the speed on Ease the sheet to accelerate out of the tack

Tacking – Step by Step Key is to be slow in and fast out! The second add up when you are building up speed again 20-30 seconds can be lost each time you tack, which adds up when you have to tack a lot each race. Best to be smooth through the tacks at all times Lots of time lost when changing direction maximise inside angle and get back up to pace as quick as you can

Gybing – Step by Step Key is to be slow in and fast out! GYBING IN LIGHT BREEZE Generally – keep weight forward, sheet gybing the kite as bowman goes in front of the mast Call ready know your line, look for a flat spot, look for other boats Seek pressure – gybing back into pressure line can keep you in pressure for longer- don’t sail out of the breeze Ease the kite Bowman can release kite slightly to depower and allow the boat to come away skipper starts to turn the boat slowly away DO NOT use huge tiller movements as this will create excess drag Come away slightly Come into the boat All sit on gunwale – keep everything smooth. Sheet keeps main at centreline while gybing – leach will flick across – note that kite is the engine not the main when going downwind Turn boat chine line to chine line Use weight distribution to turn the boat rather than turning the till too much Turing tiller creates drag that slows you down Shift weight together Keep weight together and over the centreline as you come away Hit gunwale together Get out on the wire if required Exit the gybe and keep the speed on Ease the kite a little to accelerate out of the gybe Look for pressure on the other side

Gybing – Step by Step Key is to be slow in and fast out! GYBING IN MODERAT TO HEAVY BREEZE Generally – keep weight balanced, bowman gybing the kite, sheet going for weight Call ready know your line, look for a flat spot, look for other boats Seek pressure – gybing back into pressure line can keep you in pressure for longer- don’t sail out of the breeze Ease the kite Bowman releases kite slightly to depower and allow the boat to come away skipper starts to turn the boat slowly away DO NOT use huge tiller movements as this will create excess drag Come away slightly Come into the boat All sit on gunwale – keep everything smooth. Sheet keeps main at centreline while gybing – leach will flick across – note that kite is the engine not the main when going downwind Turn boat chine line to chine line Use weight distribution to turn the boat rather than turning the till too much Turing tiller creates drag that slows you down Shift weight together Skipper and sheet should be close together to control and controlling the weight Keep weight together and over the centreline as you come away Hit gunwale together Sheet gets out on the wire first Exit the gybe and keep the speed on Ease the kite a little to accelerate out of the gybe Look for pressure on the other side Reduce your angle in moderate to heavy breeze… Change your entry and exit angle when really fresh to stay smooth through gybes

Clint’s Tips Be mates on and off the boat – leave any issues on the water and have a beer at the end of the day. Save race review until mid-week once everyone can review rationally and is calm. Be Together – act as if there is 100mm of shock cord between crew, shift weight together through the centreline of the skiff. Don’t separate weight! Be smooth – lots of time is lost changing direction, cut down on time lost by being smooth through transitions. Be professional – set goals, review regularly and push yourself to succeed. Focus your training – don’t try to practice everything, focus on one aspect at a time when you go out training.