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Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves #7786
08/24/09 09:37 PM
08/24/09 09:37 PM
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 190
Atlanta, GA, USA
whitedolphin Offline OP
Senior Member
whitedolphin  Offline OP
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 190
Atlanta, GA, USA
Finally taking #401 on an overnight race. Questions about strategy.

Looking at the forecast for the Charleston area, it looks like we will have something like 8-10kt of wind closer inshore, with 2-3ft seas.

But further offshore (within where we might reasonably travel during this overnight race), it looks like we might get closer to 15kt of wind, but with closer to 5ft seas.

If we were looking at a run, of course heading offshore would be the way to go, but it appears that we will be on an almost perfect beat if the forecast holds.

My feeling is that the J/30, being small and wide, will fare better in the lighter seas in spite of the less wind.

I'm wondering what the list thinks: what are the thresholds here? Are we going to be faster upwind in 2-3ft/10kt (with more shorter tacks), or 4-5ft/15kt (with just a couple very long tacks)?

What other variables should we considering?

Thanks!

-Dan

Last edited by whitedolphin; 08/24/09 09:38 PM.
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: whitedolphin] #7788
08/24/09 11:22 PM
08/24/09 11:22 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,668
Portsmouth, RI
Rhapsody #348 Offline
Past J/30 Class President
Rhapsody #348  Offline
Past J/30 Class President
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,668
Portsmouth, RI
How much weight will you have on the rail and what is the period of the swell? Long period may be ok with the higher wind. If the chop is short, you'll do a lot of pounding that will slow you down. The key is to keep powered up to drive through the chop. This may dictate different head sails for the conditions.

Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: Rhapsody #348] #7792
08/25/09 09:54 PM
08/25/09 09:54 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,234
Newport and Naples
Cap'n Vic Offline
Senior Member
Cap'n Vic  Offline
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,234
Newport and Naples
Major variable is if those forecasted conditions turn out to be anything near reality and for how long will they affect you. If you're on the edge of a decision ... sail in the middle to see if one or the other works best.

Another problem is with higher waves at night you end up sailing by feel as you really have trouble not being able to see the variation in larger waves. So what might work for you during the day ... may not work in the dark.

Have fun. attached photo summarizes what night racing is all about.
[Linked Image]

Attached Files
90lights.jpg [6.24 KBytes] - (621 downloads)
photo of last overnight race on Vee Jay last Oct.
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: whitedolphin] #7793
08/26/09 02:12 PM
08/26/09 02:12 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 649
Marblehead, MA
dbows Offline
Senior Member
dbows  Offline
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 649
Marblehead, MA
Originally Posted by whitedolphin


What other variables should we considering?



The experience of your crew racing at night, off-shore.

Stick to wind and waves that you are comfortable sailing in for your first race. Pick a good solid coarse that leaves you the most options should things not go well for the crew or the boat.


David Bows
Mallorca - Hull# 397
~~~~~_/)~_/)~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: dbows] #7806
08/31/09 01:16 PM
08/31/09 01:16 PM
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 190
Atlanta, GA, USA
whitedolphin Offline OP
Senior Member
whitedolphin  Offline OP
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 190
Atlanta, GA, USA
Thanks for the advice everyone. We ended up with a forecast of 4'-6' seas and 15kts-20kts wind, with a forecast shift of 90 degrees over night.

If the seas were not too bad, the higher wind offshore looked very appealing, so we ended up heading offshore planning to tack back in if things were too rough.

The boat seemed to be handling everything fine so we stayed on that tack, cracking of a bit for speed when the shift came. The crew mostly handled things well (a bit of time was spent on the leeward lifelines, including yours truly...)

The 90 degree shift came just as expected bringing us back inshore on the same tack!

A lot of people in our fleet stayed inshore and the shift really messed them up, so we were able to carry the day!

http://www.charlestonoceanracing.org/C2G/tabid/355/Default.aspx

[Linked Image]

Granted our competition was all larger spinaker-equipped cruisers, there were 6 of them and we were more than happy with the result.

thanks again - Dan

Attached Files
white-dolphin-results.jpg [313.93 KBytes] - (594 downloads)
Race Results
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: whitedolphin] #7807
08/31/09 01:52 PM
08/31/09 01:52 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,668
Portsmouth, RI
Rhapsody #348 Offline
Past J/30 Class President
Rhapsody #348  Offline
Past J/30 Class President
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,668
Portsmouth, RI
Dan - those are great results! First place over some pretty rough competition. Congratulations.

Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: Rhapsody #348] #7809
08/31/09 09:31 PM
08/31/09 09:31 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,234
Newport and Naples
Cap'n Vic Offline
Senior Member
Cap'n Vic  Offline
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,234
Newport and Naples
You proved what the J30 was designed to do best.
Bravo.

Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: Cap'n Vic] #7813
09/02/09 01:19 PM
09/02/09 01:19 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 649
Marblehead, MA
dbows Offline
Senior Member
dbows  Offline
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 649
Marblehead, MA
Congrats!


David Bows
Mallorca - Hull# 397
~~~~~_/)~_/)~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: dbows] #8759
01/18/10 11:21 AM
01/18/10 11:21 AM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 27
Amelia Island, FL, USA
Skimmer Offline
Southeast District Governor
Skimmer  Offline
Southeast District Governor
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 27
Amelia Island, FL, USA
Good Going. We have met Pied-A-Mer in the First Coast Offshore, why don't you come down south for this years event.

We like offshore and stronger winds. We find the Skimmer handles the waves and wind very well. It's the light air she doesnt like.


Graeme Nichol
Skimmer
OBYC
Re: Offshore racing - Wind vs. Waves [Re: Skimmer] #8762
01/18/10 01:11 PM
01/18/10 01:11 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 179
Apponaug Rhode Island
S
sonskyn Offline
Senior Member
sonskyn  Offline
Senior Member
S
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 179
Apponaug Rhode Island
Graeme, your preference for stronger offshore conditions must be due to having sailed southeasters off the cape coast?

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