Taking WD offshore this weekend for a short (32nm each way) race. Forecast calls ~6' seas on Sat. and Sun. with winds in the mid-teens. This means:

Sat: either reaching or broad reaching, wont know if we can carry spin till we get out there; seas will be on the beam or on the quarter.

Sun: broad reach to close reach

My offshore racing experience starts tomorrow I've read about steering tactics on a beat (steer up the wave face and fall off on the back side).

But what about on a reach or downwind with spin up? I would assume the same kind of thing. Any quick advice for our all-lake-sailor-crew?

Thanks - Dan

Make sure that you have the foreguy on and tight. The pole is going to want to ride up and down as the boat pitches over the waves. Depending on the wind, if the air is stronger, you may want to oversheet the spinnaker. In this long distance, you may want to rig a gybe preventer on the boom. Unlike buoy races where someone can hold the boom out, you'll be doing long stretches and want the safety of knowing you won't accidentally gybe while headed off the wind with the boat rolling in the wave motion. A makeshift one can be made by looping a sail tie around the boom near where the vang attaches. Tie a line to this loop, through a turning block on a stanchion base near the shroud, then run back to a point aft that you can cleat (primary winch would work). You can rig turning blocks on the stanchion base near the shrouds and run lines aft.

It depends on how steep the waves are, whether they are just rollers or too steep to take them on the beam. I would generally keep the waves on the forward or aft quarter, sailing higher than the rhumeline for a period of time, then lower. I have raced up the Washington coast a few times and it has always been a beat to weather which is not very comfortable, then turning the corner into the Straits of Juan de Fuca is usually a run so I don't have a lot of experience reaching in the slop. You will figure it out pretty quickly what you will be willing to put up with vs where you are trying to go. Be sure to keep those on deck in their PFD,s and teathered. Good luck and have fun.

About gybe preventers; they are very helpful when sailing low, just be sure you do not backwind the main with the preventer attached. I had an inexperienced driver during a delivery that back-winded the main while I was trying to fix a jammed spin halyard. The boom snapped at the prevener attachment point. Ouch!

The key is to get in rhythm with the waves - beating is different than running and reaching with a sea. You will obviously have a heading you are following so that will dictate how you drive the waves depending on the direction of the waves relative to your direction. So when you get out there figure out how you drive the waves best to 1. Not fall of waves and pound the hull 2. Stay on course the best you can. Then work with each driver to understand what you are doing.

I find most people over drive the waves - it takes only a very little change of direction and then drive the boat back to your original heading. You have to really pay attention when racing in waves because it is very easy to steer your way off course.

Also make sure you have a good amount of twist in your sails so you are powered up all the time when cresting waves.

"I find most people over drive the waves "

I totally agree with the above. When beating into the waves, a wave will knock the bow to leward and the tendancy is to push the helm hard to get back on course. I use very subtle rudder pressure and gradually let the boat accelerate back up to the beat. Something like, accel, accel, accel, buoosh, down we go, then repeat. Constant heavy handed steering is really slow.

I think I'd be trying to surf down those 6 ft puppies. Head the boat slightly up as the wave builds behind, then, before the wave passed under your transom, kick the rudder over to head down more square to the wave; simultaniously give a guick tug on the main sheet. As the boat starts to surf, head back up to ride the wave as long as possible. Be carelful not to drive over the wave in front of you - shouldn't be a problem with wind only in the teens. Instruct crew to sing Surfin USA!!

a lot depends on distance between waves... long storm waves are easy to steer ... shorter wind driven waves are harder because there is more boat motion. You will develop a feeling for when to anticipate motion and and try react a bit early to keep on an edge. With the storms currently going on south of you ... no shuttle landing in FL. ... you may get a combination and puffs of wind.

On beam reach especially with good wind ... you need to remember to control round up by acting a bit early ... fall off and then recover. just oposite of upwind where you can pinch and recover ... with beam spin you fall off and recover.

You may not have time to "think" this out ... it will be pure reflex. keep someone on the traveler to blow it to keep from rounding up and then bring it up to keep max power. Broad to beam spin sailing is where all the adrenalin kicks in.

With a lot of boat motion you don't survive long dead downwind. You can get a good feeling on broad reach to tune your reaction ... then as you move to beam things will get a bit more serious.

This is where the fun is especially if you hit the 20s.

v