{Stus-List} Downwind laylines??

[Ronald B. Frerker]

Excellent writeup Dennis.
At the risk of muddying up a clear explanation, I'd
add that if the mark is not dead downwind, one must
mentally adjust their thinking regarding sighting the
mark.
However, the system Dennis mentioned is a great start.
Ron
Wild Cheri

--- "Dennis C." <captbuy at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Keith,
>    
>   On the surface, a simple question.  In reality the
> answer is complex.  At the risk of restarting a
> recent thread, here's some thoughts. 
>    
>   First, for our boats, the downwind layline will
> vary with the wind strength.   For our design boats
> to be competitive, we have to sail to maximize VMG. 
> This means when sailing downwind, we have to sail
> hotter (wider) gybe angles the lighter the breeze. 
> As the breeze picks up, we can sail closer to dead
> downwind and thus narrower gybe angles.  Thus, under
> breezy conditions, the laylines will be a smaller
> angle, for light conditions, a wider angle.  Without
> fancy instruments that calculate VMG, you'll need to
> develop your "eye".
>    
>   For starters, here's a simple trick.  Go out for
> practice in light to moderate winds and set your
> chute for dead downwind - pole back as far as you
> can carry it, windex pointing at windward tab
> (hopefully tabs are set fairly close to your correct
> angles).  Note your course for a few minutes then
> gybe.  Note your course for a few more minutes.  The
> difference will be close to your MINIMUM gybe angle.
>   That is, the gybe angle for breezy conditions.
>    
>   Now place a line of tape in the center of your
> seahood along the centerline of the boat.  Then,
> from the aft end of the tape, lay out two more
> peices of tape at 1/2 your gybe angle, one to port,
> one to starboard.  You will have a shape that looks
> like this \|/ .  
>    
>   Now, you can use these tape lines as a sight to
> judge your gybes.  When on starboard gybe, simply
> sight down the port tape line, when it lines up with
> the mark, you're on the layline for breezy
> conditions.  For light to moderate conditions, you
> will sail somewhat past the layline sight line, gybe
> and sail a hotter angle to the mark.  As you get a
> feel for it, you might add lines outside the first
> two for light wind conditions.  If you have a GPS,
> set the downwind mark as a waypoint and track
> waypoint closure velocity.  It may be called VMG or
> WCV.
>    
>   Dennis C.
>   Touche' 35-1 #83
>   Mandeville, LA
> 
> keith morgenstern <mrgnstrn at hotmail.com> wrote:
>   Now, for the racers out there....
> How do you know where the down-wind layline is?
> 
>        
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