I see too many Rhodes with their boom angled up and bouncing around downwind. The top of their sail is twisted off and wind is spilling out.
Use the vang to flatten out your leach and keep your boom stable. The top batten should be parallel to your boom in most conditions.
In very heavy winds, keep the boat under control downwind with more vang to prevent the boat from spinning out to leeward (death rolling).
This one sounds very Zen-like but it works. In the shower, or while you’re eating lunch, or while you’re driving to work. Go through a race in your head. The starts, the mark roundings, the sets, the tacks, the gibes, winning. It’s a crazy simple thing but this works! It’s kind of the same as going over a trip on…
Yup, it’s that time. The new 2013-2016 Rules are official. The rules book comes in a regular paper and waterproof edition. Always helpful are Dave Perry’s “Understanding the Racing Rules through 2016” and “100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes” Of particular interest are the updates to the rules on penalty turns. Don’t be that guy that doesn’t know the new rules!
Huge Thanks goes out to Jud Smith, who managed to get some decent photos and deliver a killer tuning clinic, despite the conditions. Here’s the link to photos.
Now is the time to learn the new rules, fix what’s broken and plan your summer schedule of racing. Soon, the weather will be warm and your free time will be less.