Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008 - (Page 63)

Vent Vent Schéma 2 Situation 1 B Schéma 2 Situation 2 Going around in circles The circling area is in general slightly upwind of the lay-line of the committee boat. The aim is to get enough room on the port tack to gybe and turn quickly to get in front of your rival. One of the general principles is not to put on speed starboard, but always on the port tack. During this phase, the crew does not want to find itself under pressure from an opponent behind him, and must at the same time prepare its final approach to the start line… If blocked and the crew has the situation under control, it has to forget the perfect timing and try to cross the line after the gun is fired, but without taking any risks: they must choose the precise moment to cross the line allowing them to establish a maximum lead over the opponent (difference in speed and/or angle). If they are not blocked, the crew must always have in mind how much time they have left before coming out of circling to cross the start line. In this phase of rapid circling (with a series of changes of tack and gybes), the boat that is behind must determine if they must gybe again, ahead of or behind their rival… (diagram 4) By placing themselves in front too soon, the crew run the risk of crossing the start before the gun is fired. If the boat in front comes out of the circling at the right moment, the boat behind will be late. The choice of change in phase between circling and the final run to the start line is therefore crucial for both boats. The aim, by placing yourself behind (chaser situation), will be to put pressure on the rival on the port Vent either he can aim for contact by luffing to create a dial-up situation (both boats facing into the wind), by reducing as much as possible the lateral distance between the boats while remembering to be on the starboard tack before turning back into the wind (diagram 2). The boat on the starboard tack (yellow) has priority, but must always leave his opponent time to react. In most cases, there will be a dial-up and the yellow boat will try to get upwind a little bit back from his rival (ISAF rule n°13). In this blocking situation, the blue boat will attempt by various means to get away from his opponent either by: 1a-moving backwards in order to set off on the port tack downwind of his rival; 1b-or moving back, then setting off on the starboard tack to gybe immediately afterwards (rarer); 2-or by forcing his tack and to adjust the plans according to how it comes out of the phase. By getting in front (being chased), you have to wait patiently and suddenly change direction, accepting to see your rival right behind your stern… while at the same time avoiding a situation, which would force them to maintain the distance (ISAF rule n°11). Circling and especially the end of this phase, requires the whole crew to pay attention to speed: the boat behind will attempt to push their rival in order to provoke this situation downwind, as long as the boat being chased is not clearly downwind of the starboard layline of the committee boat… (diagram 5) Thierry Douillard Schéma 5 Schéma 3-Situation 1A Vent Schéma 3-Situation 1B Vent Schéma 3-Situation 2 Schéma 3-Situation 3 2 1 1 Schéma 2 Situation 1 A opponent to turn, while reducing the gap to follow him closely; 3-or by managing to get ahead to turn in front of the yellow boat (diagram 3). This final option is dangerous, as it can lead the yellow boat to find itself in a situation, where it is blocked again upwind of his rival and upwind of the line, thus stopping the yellow boat to get back to the axis of the line If there is no blocking (situation 1), both boats will be on the port tack with the yellow boat trailing. His goal: follow his opponent as closely as possible to put the pressure on. The second phase of the start appears, circling Schéma 4 2 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008

Cover
Edito
Contents
What they said
News
Portfolio - The news in the picture
Transat Jacques Vabre - Monohulls in power
In the words of the skipper - Michel Desjoyaux, A little bit more
Barcelona World Race - A couple sailing around the world
Imoca - Growth crisis in the Imoca class
Transat 6.5 - A whole series of records
Mini Class - Anatomy of a winner
Multihulls - What sort of trimarans tomorrow ?
Volvo Ocean Race - Second generation
Trials - Mach 45 : an unusual IRC
Match Racing - King Richard
Tactics - A good start
Portrait - Jacques Caraës
Lab - Tubular or wing mast ?
Forty years ago - Chichester, the lonely sea and the sky
Equipment - Shop window
New products - From the drawing board to the boatyard
Opinion - The mirage of worshipping technology

Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008