Getting off the rust...

On Practice: This week especially is a training week we are trying to have more experience crews and skippers sail with the less experienced so take that as an opportunity to make your team better not a waste of a practice. Today was a classic Chicago spring day: a gusty southwesterly (warm unstable air) you guys will be sailing in the harbor for the first regattas so you might as well practice in there especially when there are so many of you and only one coach boat with a bunch of kids on it. Also while the range of the shifts may be smaller the velocity fluctuations are greater!


On Sailing: Up wind. It was important for both crews and skippers to have their heads out of the boat today. It was very easy to see the puffs if you were looking for them (even when they were coming from behind you). It is more important to carry speed through the lulls and be ready to adjust to the new breeze. Most boats had too much vang on. When you sail out of a big puff your apparent wind is going to go straight in front of you. That is when you have to ease your sheets, point your boat at the mark, and carry your speed for as long as possible waiting/looking for that next puff. When you don’t ease your sheets you are more likely to be improperly trimmed for much of the next puff.

Gear: some of you experienced what the water feels like today. While we strongly suggest dry suits, we accept spray gear with appropriate base layers or wetsuits but that is considered a minimum. We also, as always, require close toed shoes and preferably boots. You cannot sail a high school dinghy effectively without out them.

Housekeeping: You all have to do a better job cleaning up after yourselves. Having food is nice but if there are always wrappers and crumbs left around we’ll have to do something about it. Your gear can stay here but not on the floor of the classroom. Three boats didn’t cleat their jib halyards… that’s weird. Please take time to look over your boats you guys all know what needs to be done when de-rigging we shouldn’t have to keep telling you.

Finally, sailing on days like today can be frustrating but it will make you better.

Matt