Racing

Quanapowitt Yacht Club is hosting the May Madness Regatta on May 9th. This is a fun but competitive day with expert Laser sailors and beginners all welcome to come to the first race of the spring season. Usually 15 boats or so.

My club Laser fleet had a discussion this winter about whether we will allow “practice” sails (those made without Laser approval) to be used in club racing. The whole issue broke my heart.

I used to spend my winters working on my big boats. Winning meant having my boat’s bottom smoother and my sails fresher then anybody else. I spent all my spare time routing lines for most efficient use and installing better data readouts. Then I bought a Melges-24 and the sail makers broke my back. I couldn’t keep up with their deep pockets. I came to the Laser in part because it was strict One-Design.

I found it helpful to break out the major rule changes for 2009 and see them as a set. These are my rewording of the changes as presented by Dave Perry and the rules book. When I'm trying to learn, I find that if I engage different parts of my learning apparatus the information sticks better. So now I’ve read them, I’ve written them, I will discuss them with fellow club members on March 22^nd, I’ve looked at diagrams and I have created a visualization of me in each situation.

Racing pushes your learning curve along like almost nothing else, so think carefully before you decide on a boat that doesn’t have an active group of racing sailors supporting it.

Racing Lasers doesn’t have to be complex at the beginning, and neither do the racing rules. I suggest you attempt to learn them slowly. Many of them are very similar to basic rules of the road that will keep you safe when you’re around other sailboats, whether you're racing or not.