Gary Reeves - Running (with double luff spinnakers)

Running square and broad reaching can certainly sometimes be a chance to take a breather from the more hectic demands of the upwind and tight reaching legs, but alert skippers and crews can nevertheless make significant gains by concentrating on their technique on these legs. This is particularly the case when running square, so I'll concentrate on this in my comments below. For the more experienced sailors, some of my comments may seem pretty basic, but I hope the less experienced sailors can pick up a tip or two.

Square Running:

Firstly, after many years of sailing in the MG's, I think it has been proven many times over that, if the leg has been set so that it is more or less a dead square run, it almost always pays off to run as square as possible to the mark. With our modest sail area, the gain in speed from gybing downwind on a series of broad reaches does not normally compensate for the extra distance sailed. However, while this is true in most wind conditions, there are exceptions. In very light and near drift conditions, it is very difficult to maintain any pressure in the sails when running dead square, and reaching at a slight angle, perhaps 15-25 degrees from dead square, is usually beneficial. Another exception is in very strong, gusty conditions, when running square can be difficult and dangerous.

Finally, other local and specific circumstances can invalidate the "rule", such as when sailing against a strong tide. This is often the case at my home club of St George, where at times it is necessary to sail right out to one side of the course, and then gybe back on a broad reach to the mark.

In most conditions, the first thing to do when running square is to get the sails as square to the wind as possible. This sounds obvious, but I continue to see boats running square with both spinnaker and main set in broad reaching positions.

The brace should be pulled on enough to bring the pole almost, but not quite, square to the wind. Depending on the position of the front deck, it may be necessary to ease the windward tweaker to allow the pole to be pulled back far enough. The sheet, with the leeward tweaker pulled completely to the deck, should be trimmed so that the clew of the sail "floats" perhaps 20-40 cm from the forestay (on the pole side). The whole sail will then be exposed to the wind. Don't ease the sheet too far, as the wind will exhaust out the trailing edge, thus losing power. The boom should, in most conditions, be eased right out as far as it can go, against the shroud.

In light to moderate conditions, I usually lower the topping lift perhaps 10 cm from the "normal" or reaching position to achieve a greater projected area to the wind.

Like all adjustments on the boat, once you find the ideal spot, you must mark the best positions with black texta or similar, so that you can repeat the settings. I don't worry about easing the halyard - I'm not sure if it achieves anything, but it is just one more thing to remember to reset if the next leg is a reach.

The leeward shroud should be eased forward on the track to allow the boom and mainsail to set squarer to the wind, and to ease the rig tension, allowing the mast to rotate more easily.

Running - Light Winds:

In light conditions and smooth water, the windward shroud can also be eased a little to allow the mast to rake forward slightly, which exposes the mainsail at a squarer angle to the wind (which is not parallel to the water but instead blows at a slight downwards angle). The vang should be eased as much as possible, with only just enough tension to keep the mast rotated. The luff should be eased to make the mainsail as full as possible. in light weather, I don't worry about easing the foot tension, as the bottom battens hold the bottom of the sail out flat and prevent the foot from sliding in, while I ease it a little in moderate winds.

The skipper and crew should move as far forward as possible to raise the stern and reduce drag, and the centreboard should be raised most of the way. The crew should hold the boom against the shroud, and the skipper should pull on enough mainsheet to keep it from dragging in the water.

In light winds where boat speed is insufficient to ride the small following waves, I concentrate on keeping the boat still, and on steering an essentially straight course. I steer by alternatively watching the spinnaker and the masthead wind vane, and assuming that the leg is dead square, I try to steer as square a course as possible while keeping pressure in the spinnaker. Assuming a gybe is going to be needed at some stage of the run, I try to steer a slightly lower course than the boats ahead and behind. in the lulls, you have to steer fractionally higher to maintain pressure in the sails, while each puff allows you to bear away again as square as possible. I find that if I can do this while maintaining essentially the same boat speed, I'll gain several boat lengths by the time I gybe as I'll have sailed a shorter distance.

Running - Moderate Winds:

In moderate breezes, the extra pressure and the usually larger wave pattern means that you can make large gains by riding as many waves as possible for as long as possible. To do this, as you feel a puff and/or wave rising under the stern, steer a slightly higher course diagonally down the face of the wave, keeping weight forward in the boat. As the boat accelerates down the face of the wave, square away on the face and ride the wave for as long as it lasts. As the wind strength increases, you may need to move a little aft as you square off on the wave to stop the bow from burying into the wave ahead. If there's sufficient wind pressure, as you surf down one wave and catch up to the wave ahead, you can again luff slightly to ride up and over the face of the next wave, then again square off down the face, so that you sail a zig-zag course towards the mark.

If the leg is a dead square run, I still concentrate on steering as low as possible towards the mark, and try to get a little lower than the nearby boats.

In strong winds, and particularly in big waves, square running is particularly exciting and demanding, and when the wind is really strong, keeping control and keeping the bow out of the water are the most essential things on which to concentrate.

Running - Strong Winds:

In strong winds, I may ease just a little luff tension, or when its really howling, I don't touch it or the foot (there's too many other things to worry about). I ease the vang while hoisting the spinnaker, but, with the rotating mast, pull the vang back on reasonably hard once the spinnaker's set, as I'm told this is the best way to keep the mast where it belongs (ie. in the boat). Those with fixed rigs have it a little easier, as the vang can be eased to spill excess pressure from the top of the sail. The centreboard should be raised a little, but not too far or the result will be "death rolls".

The most important things in strong winds are keeping the weight aft as far as possible, and when the wind is really howling, to keep the main and spinnaker pulled in a little, so that the boom is not against the shroud and the clew of the spinnaker is behind the jib. This is important because, as the bow goes down a wave and into the one ahead, you can "spring",' a little of the pressure out of the main and spinnaker, allowing the bow to rise. If the main in particular is already fully out, in a really hard gust, as the bow starts to dig in, you can't ease the pressure, and the likely result is either a nose dive, losing the mast, or both. In really strong winds, it is also safer to not have the spinnaker pole as square as in moderate conditions, as this reduces pressure in the spinnaker and also helps to reduce the death rolls.

Unless the wind is really strong or the waves are enormous, I still like to run as square as possible, as its still the shortest and fastest course to the next mark. It just takes a lot of faith in your steering, your crew's reactions, and the strength of your rig! This is no time to be gentle on the tiller - you need to make large and firm tiller movements to buff up to ride up the back of waves, square off down the face, and before the bow digs in, luff up again to ride up and over the next wave.

Broad Reaching:

Broad Reaching: Broad or "three-quarter" reaching is perhaps the easiest leg for the inexperienced to master, but good technique is still important.

In light to moderate winds, it's very easy to oversheet the mainsail  on this leg of the course, which stalls the boat. As well as watching the masthead wind vane, it helps to have leach ribbons on the top half of the mainsail. With these, it's easier to see if you've oversheeted, as the ribbons will suck behind the leach instead of streaming freely. Glancing up at the ribbons also helps in setting the best vang tension. As the wind strength almost always varies a little (or a lot) at some stages of the leg, I ease or pull on the vang to vary the degree of twist in the sail and try to keep the ribbons streaming, without losing power from sheeting too wide. Except in really strong winds, I ease the luff and foot to achieve maximum depth in the sail.

I try to keep the spinnaker pole as square as possible to maximise the area projected to the wind, and constantly adjust the angle of the pole as the strength andlor angle of the breeze changes (this is where the masthead wind vane is invaluable). Particularly in moderate to fresh breezes, this is where teamwork between skipper and crew is vital. The crew has to watch the luff of the spinnaker constantly, sheeting in and easing out in response to changes in the pole angle and the wind strength and direction, as well as in response to the skipper's changes in course once there's enough wind pressure to ride the waves.

As the wind strength increases, riding the waves becomes the most important thing. While it's easier to get on the wave than when running square, and often no change of course is necessary to get on the wave, I still generally square off down the face of the wave, particularly during the puffs. This allows you to luff during the lighter patches to maintain boat speed. Except in light and relatively constant breezes, the fastest course is definitely not straight!

The stronger the wind, the more zigzag the course, particularly in big waves, where you cannot afford to be too timid on the tiller if you're going to both go fast and stay on top of the water.

Happy sailing, but please don't go past me on the runs!