New sailing course: How to Race Offshore
September 29, 2012 § 3 Comments
I’ve proposed and am working on a new course for the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center (MCSC). It will be one of the winter classes in 2012/13, debuting in early March (approximately). Check back here for schedule information, and if you have ideas, things you’d like to hear, or want the presentation file (when it is available), email me at nickhayes@savingsailing.com.
Here is the abstract:
How to Race Offshore
Entering and competing in a serious offshore race like the Queen’s Cup, Hook or Mac Race, is not for the faint of heart. It’s a serious commitment of time and money, demanding thoughtful planning, rigorous attention to detail and safety, and a multifaceted strategy that considers weather, competitors and the strengths and weaknesses of the boat and its team.This new course is designed to help you decide if you want to pursue offshore racing, what to expect if you do, how to set realistic goals, and how to give you and your team the best chance of doing well while having fun and staying safe.We will touch on many of the key offshore subjects: team selection, boat preparations, provisioning, navigation, watches, roles and responsibilities, nutrition and hydration, safety racing strategies and tactics, weather routing, and preparing for and handling emergencies.
Presentation files from other courses that I teach as an MCSC volunteer are linked below. Feel free to download, use and share them as you see fit. And if you have edits or corrections, please let me know.
Spinnakers and Speed
April 15, 2012 § 1 Comment
Another great group at last Thursdays’s MCSC Advanced Sailtrim Theory class. Nothing like a polar diagram to show why downwind sailing should really be called downwind flying if it’s done right.
We discovered that the iPad Wind Tunnel app is just as good a tool to explain downwind sailing as upwind sailing, and more importantly, why “dead down” is appropriately called “dead down” (lot’s of drag, not much lift.)
Thanks to all who attended this series of classes. There are still a few great ones left at MCSC. Register here.
If you’re looking for the slides, missed the class, or would like to use these ideas for your own class, feel free to download the pdfs, and use the message tool below for feedback – questions, corrections and ideas. All welcome.
