Weight equalisation
One of the great innovations of the past decade has been weight equalisation. I can't quite remember who came up with the idea first, but my recollection is that the Laser 5000 and the Iso were the first to market with some form of weight equalisation. The 5000's system was very complex and involved the crew weighing in on scales to determine the amount of corrector lead to carry in the spine of the boat. But the crew then lay on a plank with the top end placed on the scales, to determine righting moment. It produced very even boatspeed out of crews that were very different in size, and I haven't yet seen a system that has improved on it. The only trouble was that while crews were undoubtedly very close in speed in a straight line, in short course racing the heavier crews had to work much less hard for their success. If they could get their weight on the gunnel after a tack or a gybe, they would probably be safe, whereas the smaller teams had to be a good deal more athletic. I remember the Richards brothers, who now sail an 18-foot skiff, sailing on the widest racks imaginable, meaning they had that much further to jump when going through the boat for a tack or a gybe. If they just parked the bums on the side of the gunnel out of a tack, the boat probably would have tipped over, so their boathandling had to be exemplary. Fortunately, it was, and they won the 5000 Nationals a few times, suggesting the equalisation worked pretty well.
But the spread of weights that the 5000 was attempting to accommodate was too large. The ‘skinnies' had to carry around an excruciatingly large amount of lead in the boat, not such a problem for the racing itself, but not much fun to drag up the beach at the end of a hard day out. The 49er adopted a much cruder equalisation system, with only three broad bands of weight and wing width. It was really stuck on as an afterthought, as one of the criteria in the new Olympic boat was that there should be weight equalisation. That said, the 49er system has helped broaden the competitive range of the boat, even at the highest standards of Olympic racing. But professional sailors are so obsessive about every detail of their campaign that they all end up converging at the same point. The heavy guys go on a diet and the lighter sailors eat until everyone converges around 148kg combined weight for helm and crew. This represents the heaviest weight that you can be while still holding full wing width.
However, this is all set to change imminently, as the 49er class has voted to get rid of its weight equalization system, a decision that just needs to be ratified at the forthcoming ISAF conference in Copenhagen. So weight equalisation at the highest level of racing might have had its day, although it is still alive and well at national level, as a note from LDC Racing Sailboats' Martin Wadhams pointed out to me in a recent email. "Interesting to hear about the 49er. As you say, at that level it is less needed because sailors are prepared to change their weight to suit their sailing, whereas most sailors find a pie and a pint harder to resist!
"What the 800 and 700 fleets discovered was that the level of equalisation they were using helped, but did not go far enough, so really the old situation continued to exist where small sailors were disadvantaged in a breeze and vice versa (albeit less than with no system at all). Both classes have increased the equalisation system (800 to 100% and 700 to 66%) and have seen a genuine step change in ability for different size teams to race competitively. The enthusiasm from those who were previously struggling because they were too light or too heavy is very infectious.
"As far as buying decisions are concerned, we find that with two-person classes some of the higher level people are able to choose their crew or helm in order to hit the right weight and they are the least affected by the importance of equalisation. For teams who are locked together (longstanding partnership, husband/wife etc) it can be crucial - without equalisation a class may be completely closed to them in competitive terms.
"With singlehanders, the situation is more stark. No opportunity to balance the weight with another person, so equalisation is a fundamental deciding factor on choice of boat - unless you happen to be the right weight for the boat you want to sail, or within feast/famine range, which as we've said the average sailor is not interested in getting involved with.
"Without equalisation that works, there is another common trait. People buy a boat because they ‘fancy' it - they get to a certain level having fun in the boat - then they get frustrated because they're not competitive. Some realise the problem and do something about it - change crew or leave the class. Others soldier on, frustrated and become disillusioned. This is why we believe that done right, equalisation has a big place in the sport for many sailors. I also think that the inequality of various weights is sometimes hidden during the first few years of a high performance boat, because differences in technique and boat handling hide the issue. Then, when the general standard of sailing climbs, the problem becomes obvious.
"What are the downsides? You need to start with an ultra-light boat or the whole thing gets too heavy. Don't try to equalise across too wide a range or the wings end up too wide and the boat too difficult to sail - keep it a sensible range that covers most people in the relevant sector for that class. That is the reason why the 700 has gone to 66%, because we believe that kind of boat need to remain as easily handled as possible."
Couldn't have put it better myself, Martin. Despite the 49er's vote to discard their system, I think weight equalisation has made its mark and is here to stay.
Scotland the Brave
Alan Mackie, a 49er sailor from Scotland, got in touch about a new initiative that he has launched to get skiff sailors sailing together more regularly up north. Alan says the idea started with a flurry of email activity between the five Scottish 49ers, was rapidly picked up by Ian Renilson (former Contender World Champion and now fanatical Musto Skiff sailor) and soon spread to around 50 other sailors of high performance boats. "The question was how to drive better sailing across skiff type classes. This is hard to define but ‘fast with asymmetric kite' is as good as we have come up with." So Alan started a Yahoo groups forum which through the contribution and excitement from many others, should lead to the setting up of a Grand Prix circuit aimed at sailors in Scotland and the North of England. Alan and his mates have also set up a website to promote the idea and point to the forum: www.scottishskiffracing.com. The aim, according to Alan, is "to get some sensible sized fleets together, improve standards, promote high performance sailing and even have some fun".
This is another great example of likeminded sailors working together to build something bigger rather than trying to poach sailors off each other, very much along the lines of the Asymmetric Grand Prix. Good luck to the Scots with their new venture.
Team racing
I rediscovered the joys (and frustrations) of team racing for the first time in a long time. This was the first time I'd done it in high performance boats, on this occasion in International 14s on Chichester Harbour to contest the Fortitude Trophy. I thought I might have a clue after watching some of the recent America's Cup racing in Marseille and Valencia, but putting theory into practice proved altogether more tricky. It was a two-boat team racing event where ‘last boat loses'. In other words, it doesn't matter where you and your team mate finish in the race provided that neither of you finish last. 1st and 4th is not a winning combination, so there is no point in zooming off over the horizon to cross the line first if your team mate is bringing up the rear. It was also a ‘random pairs' event, meaning that you swapped team mates after every flight. Your colleague in one flight could well be your opponent in the next.
I didn't expect to see much actual team racing, and in the early rounds people seemed less aggressive. This was partly because there was a raging tide taking you upwind over the start line, so once you made your final approach to the line there wasn't any going back. This removed most opportunities for pre-start jostling. But as the current softened and then started to flow the other way, so the wind lightened and the level of pre-start aggression hotted up. Archie Massey is the nominated Captain of the Team Racing team for the 14 World Championships in Auckland early next year, and he was the greatest proponent of aggressive tactics. Very good at he was, too, so I found to my cost. I discovered that even in high performance boats, the principles of team racing still very much apply.
There's nothing more sobering than being taken out of contention in a race by good boat-to-boat tactics. Somehow it hurts more than being beaten on pure speed. You can always blame that on the age of your boat, or your sailmaker, or something other than your own lack of ability. But match racing and team racing are much more gladiatorial, leaving your ego nowhere to hide. But even when you're on the receiving end of it, team racing is great fun and an excellent way of putting yourself under pressure to improve your boathandling and your knowledge of the rules. It's also a great way of keeping warm on a chilly autumn day. If you're looking to sharpen up your skills over the winter, then I'd highly recommend it. With six boats you can do three-boat team racing, which is my preferred form; with four boats you can do the ‘last boat loses' format; or even with just two boats you could get stuck into some match racing. Now is a good time to swot up on the Racing Rules, as they go through their four-yearly update, and if you find the prospect less than thrilling, then try a bit of team or match racing. Suddenly, that rather dull book becomes your weapons manual, and you'll be keen to exploit every advantage the rules have to offer. And when it's time to get back to fleet racing, you'll be the better sailor for it.
