Sailing upwind

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You don't want a boat that's been raced hard.

We racers tend to abuse our boats. We'll do anything to win the Cup, Broken Mast, or whatever the winning trophy is.

Racers push their boats to and past their limits ....... then at least on monohulls, many times there are crew aboard that are clueless and are grabbing on stanchions for dear life bending them out of shape or cracking the deck........

Sails are stretched, sheets tightened way hard, etc, etc, and sometimes collisions

I see this kind of win at all costs mindset all the time. It's not for me, which is why competition isn't really my thing.

That's not to say that competition is a bad thing, it's not. Technology advances are the result of competitors beating on their equipment and designing new stuff that does what they need it to do without breaking.

Then there's the personal part of competing. Not everyone can be a professional athlete because that takes a special talent only few people have. On the other hand, being the best you can be (go Navy!) merely requires that you try to extend yourself and learn more.

If someone will let me, I will crew this summer on Wednesday afternoons as often as I can. Why? Because I will learn things faster than I would otherwise. I will be a better sailor and a better skipper for it.

And the memories will last forever.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

...If someone will let me, I will crew this summer on Wednesday afternoons as often as I can. Why? Because I will learn things faster than I would otherwise. I will be a better sailor and a better skipper for it.

And the memories will last forever...

Very good approach and you should have no trouble getting someone to "let" you. Almost all skippers need crew. So call the yacht clubs and find out when their next race is. Then get to the parking lot about an hour before the race and ask everyone you see who is getting out of a car and heading to the docks, "Do you need crew?"

Even without experience your attitude will get on a boat. Your willingness to come back as a regular makes you invaluable. And every race you do increases your experience and makes it easier to get on the next boat. After a season you will have learned a lot.

[moseriw]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Me, I LOVE sailing close hauled

Sure you won't like it if you are on tack for a week.

[chasmains]

And I love it, too. I just think about Man’s ability to invent something that goes toward the wind! How lucky we Homo Sapiens are to have evolved to do that!!!

[RobPatterson]

Sailing upwind into steep short period waves gets old quick. Otherwise, sailing upwind is a blast.

[clakiep]

Sailors, speccially racers love it. Cruisers for good reasons hate it ; pounding, heeling and in constant doubt wether to point closer or fuller, while watching the tedious slow advance to destination.

Capt. Claus ocean tramp of the eighties

[Idlegreg]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Great fun on a day sail or weekending... slogging across the Biscay it sucks.

Precisely !

[grube]

Don’t mind it as long as hull is not slamming. Was very hard once on hull when waves did not appear that they were going to do that. I thought I was going to lose the rigging, we hit so hard. Going anywhere near the direction I needed to meant I had to take the waves like that. I therefore changed direction completely and waited for wind and current to calm down. A different boat with a less flat hull would have been more suitable. That is — an older style with a long — not a fin — keel.

[GarryD]

According to a Dutch sailor - " a gentleman NEVER sails upwind "

[Don C L]

Gentlemen are missing half the world then.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Gentlemen are missing half the world then.

Not if one is patient, plans wisely and waits for seasons..

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Very good approach and you should have no trouble getting someone to "let" you. Almost all skippers need crew. So call the yacht clubs and find out when their next race is. Then get to the parking lot about an hour before the race and ask everyone you see who is getting out of a car and heading to the docks, "Do you need crew?"

Even without experience your attitude will get on a boat. Your willingness to come back as a regular makes you invaluable. And every race you do increases your experience and makes it easier to get on the next boat. After a season you will have learned a lot.

My ASA instructor has already given me a heads up on which YC to ask around at with a greater chance of getting a ride.

Now if only I can finish my blasted classes. 3 weeks in between lessons, because of Wx, flat out sux and we're heading into the monsoon season. The annual downpour will be here in just a couple more weeks. Hopefully I can finish up in late April to early May. Which should be right before the first race of the summer.

[doctorbill]

Rob, I like to postulate that there is a deep psychological aspect to it.

Some people think its wise to do everything they can to broad reach through their entire lives.

Other think it's noble to be close hauled against the forces that be and yet still making progress. Those people, having faced it in life will not shy away from it once under sail.

To each his own. I just know 90% of the time when I sail the destination always requires sailing upwind. Both ways usually and I'm seriously not joking. My sailing buddy and I always joke about it. "Here we are, close-hauled as usual..."

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

My ASA instructor has already given me a heads up on which YC to ask around at with a greater chance of getting a ride.

Now if only I can finish my blasted classes. 3 weeks in between lessons, because of Wx, flat out sux and we're heading into the monsoon season. The annual downpour will be here in just a couple more weeks. Hopefully I can finish up in late April to early May. Which should be right before the first race of the summer.

You don’t need any classes or certifications to go crewing - just an awesome attitude and a six pack of beer (depends on crew size). As someone suggested, start in the parking lot near the dock entry. If there are larger boats, jump in to help someone carrying a large sail. Once the parking lot quiets down, walk the docks and introduce yourself to every boat that has a racing crew on board. Don’t observe or weigh up your chances, just ask! Chances are, one of their people is sick or hung over or at a wedding or whatever. And if not that boat, they may know of another boat that’s short of crew.

Or they may just look at you with your smile and hat and sailing gloves and PFD sticking out of a small bag and the case of beer under your arm and figure why not, and invite you aboard.

Your first season on a boat will be as moveable ballast and ‘hold this’ activities. That’s OK, if you’re keen you’ll be watching what everyone does and figuring out how things work in the wide variety of situations a racing boat finds itself in. By next season you’ll have an actual position and if you’re a quick learner you’ll have skippers from other boats wanting you to join them.

Go after a variety of fleets, from Wednesday afternoon casual racing to weekend one design and PHRF races. In the summer you likely can join for week long sailing regattas, depending of course in the Covid situation.

There’s likely racing of one type or another year round, run by different clubs - you don’t have to wait for one club to start its racing season. Check out all the club schedules within your acceptable driving range.

Do note, that if you have family commitments or a rich land-based social life that sailboat racing can ruin those. Other than for the casual afternoon beer can races, a race day is typically an all day affair, from preparing the boat and leaving the dock to returning, cleaning up and having a social drink on the boat or in the yacht club bar. Once you start doing longer and overnight races, you’ll be coming back home on a Sunday evening sun and/or wind burnt, on an emotional high, and won’t have the energy to mow the lawn or hang the laundry. Your conversations at work will change from music festivals and social events to crowded mark roundings and the fright/exhilaration of setting a spinnaker in marginal conditions. Your family and friends won’t understand what you find interesting about sailboats that don’t go places and don’t go fishing, but just slowly around in circles or triangles in the middle of the bay.

Welcome!!

[gcrothers]

We all love sailing upwind in a nice fresh breeze.
But when the wind is 5kts from ahead and you've another 3000 miles to go then it is less than appealing.
Similarly, if the wind is over 20kts from ahead and you've another 3000 miles to go...
This can be less than enjoyable.
It's not the boats performance,
Nor the wind speed and direction that focuses ones attention...
It's the distance...