Category Archives: Frostbite

Laser Racing Over the Winter

Frostbite, Hangover Regatta, Lasers, Regattas, Lasers, Results

2024 Hangover Regatta Results

Greetings from 3rd place (Hangover-style),

Fun times on the water Monday! Thank you MUCH to Dave, Lloyd, Dan, and our guest photographer, Jeff, for helping to run 5 great races. The wind was moderate with some good puffs and shifts, and the current was heading out all afternoon (more on that shortly). We had 14 boats on the water, including two from SSA (thanks for making it out, James and Mike!).
A few observations:
1- Current. With a high tide around noon, we had an ebb tide the entire afternoon. And this meant a few notable adjustments to stay out of trouble/be fast, including:
  • Making sure not to be too close to the pin end when starting b/c it was hard enough to get over the line on starboard without the added stress of likely hitting the pin.
  • Keeping an eye out on where the line actually was when starting – and starting to accelerate a bit earlier than usual because it was easy to be a boat length or more from the line at the gun due to the current. (Related: I noticed there was often line sag, which made it much easier to get clean, front-row starts.)
  • Making sure to overstand the windward mark a bit and be careful about fully passing it before starting to head downwind (note: with the shifts, I unfortunately overstood a bit a couple of times, but it did help with avoiding the mark).
  • Making a tighter/earlier turn upwind at the leeward mark to avoid losing some unnecessary ground (this is more of a “note to self” for next time).
2- Starting. Yes, the current was an issue to recognize and adjust to — and the line became port-favored over the course of the afternoon. I had pretty consistent success being in the middle (or middle/boat side) and just below the line at about 30-40 seconds, which got me close to the pin by the start and gave me a great view of the line (and helped with starting roughly on time and on the line). I found the other critical element was making sure to be on the favored tack just after the start; increasingly, this meant a quick tack to port as soon as I could. There was one start earlier in the afternoon when the wind shifted pretty much at the start – and tacking over to port pretty much immediately helped a lot.
3 – A few other observations that might be helpful:
  • With such puffy/shifty wind, I found myself looking around a lot more when going downwind to a) see if any puffs were coming so I could be prepared (e.g., by preemptively tightening my vang and being ready to give my mainsheet a good tug in to avoid flipping); b) see how other boats were pointing as a hint of how I may need to change course.
  • Cunningham. I’m still amazed at how well I can depower the sail and make my boat easier to handle (while still being fast) with the MK2 sail. (That said, global reminder to us folks who are on the smaller side to not be shy with the cunningham when overpowered regardless of our sail – we can likely put on more than we think — and best to do this BEFORE the start (letting it off before rounding the windward mark) and BEFORE the leeward mark) to make it easier to give it a good, hard tug). (And all that said, it can also be helpful to loosen it in the lulls upwind if they seem to be hanging out for a while.)
Hope everyone is having a good first week back after the Holidays!
Laura
Photos can be found here.  Photo credit to Jeff Scudder with Viva Loudon.
Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers, Results

2023-2024 ILCA FROSTBITE #5

Hi everyone,

Greetings from 3rd place (barely). It looked like Sunday would have been rainy and moderately to quite windy – and instead, we got mostly just overcast with not much wind at all, but still enough for several races. Many thanks to Jim Graham and Jim Greenley for running RC very well and for kindly letting us get in before the rain really got going. Also congrats to Farley and Nich for some great and consistent sailing (and good to see you out there, Nich!). Scores attached.
Sunday was my first day sailing in quite a while and it was one of those days where I struggled to find my groove. That said, here are a few thoughts:
  • Starting on time. There were a few starts where I was on the line and going (or perhaps even still a bit under) at the gun and I noticed many folks were not on or close to the line. During the final start, many folks were still several boat lengths behind the line on the boat side at 20 seconds to go. It made getting a good start easier for me, but it would (of course) have been better if we were all on the line and ready to go at the gun. I tried to focus on being on the line (even if it was more in the middle) and going with speed at the gun rather than risk being buried behind transoms at the boat end and it mostly worked.
  • Speed vs. Looking Around. It was a weird wind day b/c it was so light and not super shifty. So speed really mattered – and especially not pinching (but not heading down too much either). So I spent more mental energy than usual trying to “feel” for what angle was fastest and had to keep reminding myself to keep my head out of the boat to look for puffs and where the other boats were. I think I did sort of okay balancing this but there were a few times when I missed tacking when I should have because I was focusing too much on speed – or was looking out too much and not focusing enough on speed.
  • A few things I did also that might be helpful: 1) tried to tack when I was in someone’s wind shadow, even if it meant tacking back after a few boat lengths, just to get clear air; 2) Kept my vang snugged at 2-blocked (MK2 sail) when going upwind and then let mostly off going downwind (but still a little tension) (if you have a non-MK2, vang upwind should have been looser); 3) outhaul mostly at a bit less than a hand’s width at the middle of the boom going upwind (looser going downwind); 4) very little cunningham/downhaul all day.
Overall, it was great to see everyone, and looking forward to more wind (and sun) at some point soon (fingers crossed)!
And Happy Holidays and Happy (almost) New Year,
Laura
Frostbite, Lasers, Results

2023-2024 ILCA Frostbite #2

1 Comment

PRSA Frostbite Lasers – November 26, 2023

By Dave Coughlin

Race 1: Conditions West at 0 to 1.5 knots, current just started flooding from south.

At Start it was apparent the pin was much closer to the windward mark. I set up near the pin and circled around watching where other players were setting up. I was successful at winning the pin and tacking to Port at 5 seconds until the gun. With the wind coming from left corner, I was most left boat and worked on not moving around to disturb the air flow, sitting on centerboard with aft leg behind mainsheet block, main was eased considerably to gain speed after start and create apparent wind, outhaul was 3 inches further out in center of boom of my widespread hand than usual. (Thumb to finger pinky spread full apart is my general rule of thumb) This is my standard and very technical distance (LOL) to evaluate location of outhaul. As boat speed and apparent wind increased, I gently trimmed the outhaul to increase point. On starboard the current caused an artificial header but more velocity. AKA, lee bowing the current. After the start I focused on as few tacks as possible to maintain speed. Prior to every tack I eased outhaul, came out of tack wide and started to build speed. 3 tacks total on this first beat. Rounded in first with a 7-boat length lead. Sailed high to get a better angle to the west breeze. This was not a great move but needed to maintain speed. Farley and Lloyd caught me in a following puff from behind and were able to sail lower. They had the puff I did not while the wind shifted to northeast, boats heading stayed the same but tacked from Starboard to Port. Since I sailed high initially, I was a sitting duck for the west downwind puff and the 150-degree shift to Northeast, they caught me, and I could not defend.

After leeward mark rounding it was a starboard tack fetch to finish with a more NNE direct, a tight reach. I was third and I always try to sail consistently and be top 3 every race.

Race 2: North at 2-4, current stronger from south.

Initial start was General Recalled. Boat was very favored but after Recall I did not want to be shut out so I decided to be conservative and start 1/3 down the line, avoiding the current induced pile up at the boat end. Thinking just get off the line and see what happens. Farley was closest to the RC boat and Lloyd was between both of us. We were the only three with boat speed to get free of the pack or off the starting line.

  • As a side note: many sailors set up too late on the start line and they don’t start to accelerate at 12-7 seconds, but at 3-2 or 0 second. On these short courses the start is everything. My advice is to train to be over early on a few starts, just by a second or 2. You get free of pack and clear air. If not on the line in front row at 30 seconds you will consistently become 2nd row. (This is an entirely separate article to discuss and train too, how many have practiced the start line interception with timing, how many sailors have a watch and count down?)

Within seconds after the start, I knew I was third again since Farley and Lloyd were inside the shift and seemed to have more breeze. I rounded the weather mark in third. After the Leeward mark rounding, both leaders went left on course, I headed towards the deep channel and hoped to gain current leverage, sending me to the right, only one other boat (Brain) went right. When I was the most right, I thought I looked good, pointed higher, more breeze and current push, since it was so light air, I think it was artificial breeze generated by the current push that made me look good. As I closed in on the starboard lay line, the puff or current push near the channel had ended. I lost another boat from the left and rounded fourth. Jibed immediately and worked inside (against the current), catching the boat I lost upwind. I rounded and finished third.

Items to speak too:

  • Light air, sit on centerboard, straddling the main sheet but be on the lookout on port since it takes time to free yourself to tack.
  • At weather mark rounding, if capable, I will trim main from the boom block and pull free mainsheet (as many feet as I can get out of ratchet block) from ratchet block, in heavy air a must, in light air not as aggressive since speed can be gained in coordinated ease to speed. This is needed in a jibe set rounding, this ease allows me to bring the bow down and then jibe.
  • In light air, roll tack to the max and as flattening trim in main slowly and flatten slowly. The longer you can have the air flowing over sails and water pushing over blades the better. But remember the rules…you can’t exit the tack faster than you went into the tack. But you can get immediately up to speed and not have speed build delay.

23-24 PRSA Frostbite Series #2

Frostbite, Lasers, Results

2023-2024 ILCA Frostbite #1

Potomac treated us to a beautiful sunny day with everything from very light air to full hiking and, in true Potomac style, no shortage of wind shifts. Thanks to Brian and Paula for 6 great races.  It was a tough day to lay the course … it was perfectly right many many times during the day, but often not for long.

It was great to welcome four new young laser sailors: Jonah, Leif, Logan, and Mason. We always appreciate newcomers and are happy that Morgan now can feel less alone in her age category.  Jonah and Leif cautiously stayed in the cove, and we hope to have you on the course with us when you feel confident.

A couple of things worked well for me today:

  • Be on the start line at the gun – especially when the pin is very favored. If you’re lucky, you can tack and get clear air. If you’re below the line, it’s very hard to get clear air – especially when boats have trouble clearing the pin and slow down while pinching – that really clogs the line.
  • Maintain focus when the wind dies. Huge gains and losses are made during these most frustrating moments – I find my little hawk vane to be very helpful, and looking around the course at other boat helps. Yeah, it’s a game of luck, but you can shift the odds a bit by staying alert.

So, let’s get the 3rd place write ups going again with a small, suggested change. If the 3rd place sailor has written a 3rd place write up before, it passes to 2nd, if 2nd has written it before, it passes to 1st, then 4th, 5th, 6th etc. I know it’s a bit more complicated, but it would be good to give repeat authors the chance to opt out and to hear more voices.

Meanwhile, happy Thanksgiving and see you next Sunday!

Steen

2023-2024 PRSA Frostbite Series #1

Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers

2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #12

Yes my first time ever writing the Third Place write up hopefully not my last!
The day was Cold, Windy, and Raining the whole day with sustained winds NNE starting 10-15 gusting up to 25+ especially at the end of the day.
My goal for the day was to have clean starts and clear air both a challenge.  Especially being slow off the line and becoming the marshmallow for the better sailors sailing over me. So after the starts was always looking to tack to port for clear air…
Thanks for tips from other better sailors was able to keep bow down and did not pinch as I have done  in the past. Also still learning the controls and shape of the newer MKII sail and starting to dial it in by not keeping the out haul tight in heavy air but 3-4” out.
As the races went on the waves got bigger and more challenges sailing in waves up wind.  Need to do more S patterns rather then sailing into the waves slowing down the boat.
Downwind was fun trying to catch waves but having a lead from third to eighth after the death roll I promised to LJ.
The last race I had a great start with a nice lift on the left and saw other sailors getting tired and went all out to pull in a second. Great day of sailing!
Thanks to RC for setting up Olympics and giving tips after the races. Also thanks to the other sailors who helped me with their spares so I could get on the water. (Note to self buy extra vang keys and drain plugs.)
Great to see the Team efforts to get everyone in safely to the Docks. Sailflow at this time was gusting to 32. Excited to sail with all you frostbiters. See you next weekend.
Kevin ie Pingu. #4508 Go B Fleet.

See photos curtesy of Steen on RC!

Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers

2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #11

It was a nice, breezy day to go Laser sailing. The air was warm and the water wasn’t. I found that there were some oscillating righties coming through, so I decided to start generally next to the boat. The upwind was very short, so it was a matter of hiking hard and usually tacking twice to get some space to the windward mark. For the reach leg, I had a hard time because some of the boats behind wanted to attack high and I felt that I had no choice but to defend. The problem is that then boats can take you on the inside and pass low. I’ve found when racing in college and elsewhere that the few boats ahead generally work to gain distance from the pack, rather than ruining each other’s races. In this way, they gain such that they are more assured of a better finish instead of the pack ending up on top of them and making everyone’s life, and finishing place, more difficult and worse. On the upwinds, the right paid if one wasn’t too close to the really shallow stuff. I tended to use more downhaul upwind than I thought I’d need–the eye was at the level of the boom, which let me keep the boat pretty flat. I want to thank the race committee and everyone who raced for a great day!

Anson

2022 Frostbite Series #11 Results

2022 Frostbite Series Results as of 02/05/23

2022 Frostbite Series Results Totals only as of 02/05/23

Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers, News

2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #10

Somehow an out-of-practice clown show landed 3rd place on Sunday’s score sheet. My day was more about recalling than performing. Here are some recollections. The current was flooding, the wind was southerly, and the starting line was a comfortable length, so getting off the line with a good lane was relatively easy. I typically found myself below the boat at 1 minute, danced a bit up to the line with others, then cranked on the vang at ~10 seconds and bore off into my hole for speed. I likely started too far off the line because I never remembered getting a good line sight. There were gains to be made by being in phase with the wind, in retrospect. Clearing the mainsheet so it will run out at the windward mark; yeah, do that. Getting into proper position in the boat and looking over your shoulder for wind on the downwind leg, probably ought to do that too. Ensuring clear overlap communications and being practiced at pulling in the mainsheet with both hands at the leeward mark jibe, ditto. Overall, well-run races on a nice windy day, thank you Tyler and Jim. It was fun cranking the vang and working that ease, hike, sheet cycle to keep the boat flat. Now, where did I put the ibuprofen?

 

-Len Guenther

2022/2023 Frostbite Series #10

2022 Frostbite Series all as of 01/29/23

2022 Frostbite Series all as of 01/29/23 totals only

Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers, News, Results

2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #9

It was another light and variable day on the Potomac, but with enough wind to get in 6 races I have no complaints. Wind was 2-6 out of the south, then southeast, with strong current flowing out at the start of racing, then trailing off. I tried to start towards the pin end of the line (and on time, a personal challenge) I think most of the earlier starts in particular had a pin favor, and going left tended to pay off as the wind shifted to the east throughout the day. It was a challenging day as no one could quite predict where the next puff would be on the course which definitely helped me claw back to the pack after some less than ideal starts. The puffs were shifty as well; staying laser focused on my telltales on the upwind really helped.
The course had a leeward gate which made things interesting, but is always a challenge to keep straight. The [course starboard] side mark was favored for most of the early races and I definitely lost boats by trying to avoid the mess over there and going to the clean, but further gate. I’ve been using far more vang than I used to in light air and it seems to be helping. I also played with my outhaul in the puffs and lulls on the upwind (it was so light I often had time to fiddle), letting it off downwind. Kudos to Dave and Morgan on the race committee for keeping things straight as they could and banging out 6 races in some tricky conditions.
Ethan
Frostbite, Lasers, Lasers, News, Results

2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #8

You should have been there. It was a beautiful winter day for frostbite sailing.  The temperature was in the low 40s. The sun was out. According to sailflow the winds were in the 15 to 20 range with higher gusts but it did not feel that high to me.  There were waves that were not aligned with the wind when we first went out but they flattened out.

My goal was to sail conservatively and stay upright.  I succeeded!  One time I “tea-bagged” but I I kept my cool and my feet in the hiking straps trimmed in and bore off some and the wind pulled me back up.   I did lose a boat but it could have been worse!

Jim Klein and Michael Liss ran the races for us and they set an olympic for the first race and two-triangles for the next four probably because they wanted to keep us from sailing dead downwind, rocking and rolling (and capsizing).

The course was skewed left, so that starboard was the long tack upwind.  I started every race at the boat end with speed and was able to use starboard rights to keep people to leeward of me from crossing me.  My vang was pulled to the block-to-block mark and I kept the mainsheet eased a bit so that I could sail relaxed, flat, and fast.   This worked as I was first to the windward mark four of five times.  Plus, I noticed a left shift as I got closer to the Virginia side which was perfect for tacking and getting up to the layline.

Downwind, I was conservative.  At the windward mark, I was careful to bear off and gain speed before bearing off more.  I did not completely ease the vang.  I did not bother easing the outhaul or raising the board.  I wanted to feel and respond to the gusts instead of messing around fine tuning.  At the gybe mark I experimented staying on port and extremely by the lee.  It felt fine and stable but probably a bit slow.

The weakest part of my sailing was rounding the leeward mark.  With the extra pressure from the wind, I pulled in the mainsheet with my left hand only instead of using both my left and right arms, so it took what seemed like an eternity to get up to close hauled.  Something to work on.

Nabeel

2022 Frostbite Series #8

2022 Frostbite Series all as of 01/15/23