Racing Single Handed

[Guest]

I'm from fleet 128 in Morro Bay California. We have a very active 30 boat fleet of Odays and a very big shortage on experienced crew members. I am interested in a single handed racing class!
I have found that sailing the day sailer using the main, jib, and spinnaker very easy. The only drawback is keeping the boat level for speed in winds above 12 knots and there is little or no advantage in light air.
We have many sailors in our fleet that their family members do not sail and are left on the beach watching the races. This does not seem fair since the Oday is not a true one design (every boat in our fleet is different in rigging, masts, booms, rudders and centerboards).
I would like to see some changes in the class rules regarding crew exceptions so we can get more boats on the water so we all can have fun. We do have people in our club that would like to "go for a ride on race day" but don't know the first thing about sailing so this does not help the situation any!
I try to do away races such as divisionals but have to decline on most because a possible crew member can not leave the local area. This is true in the case of a junior crew or a married female crew, etc!
I don't want to quit or sell my Oday so there just has to be a way with sailing a regatta without crew and still be qualified.
What can we do?

Victor Nigro (neronigro-at-aol.com)

[Guest]

I don't really have a solution, but I wanted to voice my enthusiasm for your idea. I too often have a hard time finding crew. My Fiancee' likes to sail, but her 7 year-old doesn't, that often leaves me looking for crew. For me, fortunately, our club is pretty forgiving, and several of us often end up "flying solo" once in a while, so it usually ends up ok. But if we could get something going on a more formal basis, it would be great.
I think one of the fleets in Mass. usually has a single handed race as part of their regatta. I think they only use mainsails when they do. I usually do it all, (even fly the chute if it isn't too windy.)

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-hotmail.com)

[Roger]

How do you manage the tiller alone, when it is time to launch or douse the chute? I have single handed a few times, with jib and main, but have always wondered how I would manage the spinnaker alone.

[Guest]

Actually I cheat, and don't use the pole. I just fly it with the sheet and guy. It is a balancing act.

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-hotmail.com)

[Guest]

I looked after I posted and I didn't really answer your question. I have it set up so the halyard is run aft to near the mainsheet. I make sure everything is set up before I leave the dock. And I have a telescoping tiller extention that I wedge against one of the seats to keep it steady when I have to let go. I wouldn't fly it in over 10-15Knots of breeze, or on a short cross-lake leg in a race. (I sail on a lake that is really more of a dammed river, and not very wide.)

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-hotmail.com)

[Roger]

J.P.

I can understand how you can launch from the cockpit with your arrangement, especially without having to set the pole. But when you wedge your tiller extension, and move forward to douse the chute, does the trim not change enough to 'unwedge' your tiller extension, and cause the boat to head up into the wind, or does the pressure on the tiller extension increase?

[Guest]

The trim usually stays ok, you just have to move with a little more "grace" than normal, and when you are moving be ready to reach back and steady the tiller. I sail on a small, usually flat lake, where I don't have to worry about waves etc. Also, I usually sit pretty far foreward when I am single handing. I'm a lot bigger than I should be, and too much weight in the stern is not a good thing. On my old DSII, I used to have a tiller tamer, that I could lock and keep the tiller steady that way. It was a good investment when I was teaching my self to do this.

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-hotmail.com)

[Guest]

Roger asked about handling of the tiller. There are 2 easy solutions. (1)A Tiller Tamer can be found in the West Marine Catalog for under $25, or (2)simply use a round bungie cord and 2 eyelets. Attach the 2 eyelets on the transom either side of the tiller about 30 inches apart. Attach the bungie to one eyelet then make one loop around the tiller arm then attach it to the other eyelet. The tiller will move very easily but will maintain it's position when let go. You are now free to roam the DaySailer. You can further steer the boat by placing your weight to port or starboard (heeling the boat to port to turn starboard or heeling starboard to turn to port). You are now free to set you spinnaker and even the pole if you wish. I went one step further to eliminat the spinnaker pole by adding adjustable tweekers on the spinnaker sheets. I placed a micro pulley on a 4 foot line attached to a small V block. I now leave the guy tweeker pulled close to the deck (acts like a spinnaker pole) and let loose the other tweeker to allow the spinnaker to fly. It works even on a reach and you can change sides almost in seconds. When the spinnaker is ready to come down I pull in both tweekers which makes it very easy to go forward, garb the sheet, pull the spinnaker around, loosen the halyard and pull down the spinnaker in one swoop. Hope this all makes some sense since it really simplifies single handed sailing and using all youn sails if you wish. PS, once you set your tiller to center you can steer the DaySailer from any position in the boat just by heeling. Victor Nigro Fleet 128.

victor nigro (neronigro-at-aol.com)

[Roger]

Thank you Victor, that bungee cord and heeling really makes a lot of sense. The tweakers... just a line with a micro block at one end? that simple? Where do you place the v blocks that cleats the line? How big around is the line?

Roger

[Guest]

Roger, good question! For the tweekers I used a micro block with swivel on a 3/16" line. I run the line through the deck (with 1/4" press in through holes) just forward of the shrouds. I attached the small V cleat to the side of the gunnel just aft of the cutie. This allows me to reach forward to either side and set the tweeker. I originaly allowed the tweekers to extend out for 6 feet from the deck and found that 4 feet works better. When needed I release tweeker in one motion allowing it to stop at a double overhand knot tied in the line with at least 12" of extension line hanging free at the v cleat to grab on to and pull back in as needed. The micro block and line should be as light as possible to sllow the spinnaker sheet to fly with ease. Hope this works for you. Victor




victor nigro (neronigro-at-aol.com)

[Roger]

Victor, thanks for the reply. I have a further question if I can strain your tolerance. You stated that you ran "the line through the deck (with 1/4" press in through holes) just forward of the shrouds and attached the small V cleat to the side of the gunnel just aft of the cuddy."

Short of replying with a picture, can you trace the path of this line, when you say through the deck, I assume you are talking about the horizontal side deck, as you indicate that the location is just forward of th shroud. This would send the line down under the deck and into the space behind the seat back on my DS II!? Which is where you loose me! Then you loose me again when you identify where the v cleat is. Are you meaning the combing when you say gunwale?

As well, is this set up on a DS 1 or DS II? Sorry for the confusion. If you are talking about a DS I, I think I understand, what you are saying, but if you are setting this up on a DS II that line is gong into a blind space on my boat.

[Guest]

Roger, sorry for the confusion. Yes I have a DS1 with an open forward compartment and seats. I forgot that you may have a different configuration. What will work real simple for a tweeker in place of running it through the deck, etc. is a "small cam cleat with fairlead". You can mount it anywhere inline with the spinnaker sheets and aft fo the shrouds so you can easly access the tweeker. The idea is having good access to it yet it not getting in the way of your jib sheets or cluttering up the gunnels and hampering your crews position for hiking out (that is when you have a crew). On my DS I have complete and easy access with control lines, halyards, etc., exiting the forward compartment since it is all very open. Victor

victor nigro (neronigro-at-aol.com)

[Roger]

Thanks for that exchange of information. I particularly like the idea of being able to get rid of the whisker pole and replacing it with two tweakers, with the gain of being able to fly the chute single handed. Even double handed, it reduces the work of the crew significantly. I'm looking forward to giving it a try this summer.

[Peter McMinn]

Impressive, Victor. I'm going to try this out, too. Especially like the bungie / tiller idea. Legal question: do the class rules allow for a floating spinnaker (w/out pole)?

[Guest]

Peter, I believe that the class rules on spinnaker poles only state the length and placement of pole on the mast. Refer to Racing Rules of Sailing; 50.2, 50.3, 50.4. I have never been to any regatta that I was called on by not using a spinnaker pole while flying the spinnaker only why wasn't I using a spinnaker pole. Victor

victor nigro (neronigro-at-aol.com)