Totally awesome racing course

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roblpm

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Just thought i would report back on the racing course I have just been on.

I have two seasons racing my Parker 275 on the Forth. Novice skipper. Novice crew. Second season consistently not last so some progress.

So decided to combine a visit to a friend in LA with a sailing course in san diego in the sun. Yay!

J World san diego. Expensive when you factor in having to pay for a hotel as on j80s so nowhere to sleep.

But omg was fantastic. 5 days with enthusiastic Americans! Great instructor, only 26 but loads of racing experience.

5 days:
Sail trim
Upwind
Starts
Downwind
Race day

Lecture in morning. 4-5 hours on the water each day. In san diego bay. 10-15 knots of wind. Sun!!!!!!!!

Four students. And one other boat for the start day and the race day.

Learned loads of new American vocabulary which i going to irritatate my crew with next year:

Driver instead of helm
Heat it up (steer higher going downwind)
Hot angle (same)
Rip it on
And everything is awesome!!!

Great fun.

Cant wait to go back!

I think the only possible equivalent in the uk is sailing logic??
 
roblpm said:
Learned loads of new American vocabulary which i going to irritatate my crew with next year:

Driver instead of helm
Heat it up (steer higher going downwind)
Hot angle (same)
Rip it on
And everything is awesome!!!
Click to expand...

The first three have been in pretty common usage this side of the Atlantic for at least a decade or two. Calling the helm the driver keeps him in his place. Spinnakers, even symmetrics, work on apparent wind angle so knowing the concepts behind heating it up is pretty essential to effective racing.
 
I did a Sailing Logic course and was most impressed - the guys teaching have a serious racing record as winners. And the bit where they were milling around trying to get an advantage pre start was awsome to use an american word. Unfortunately its a skill way beyond me.
 
birdseye said:
I did a Sailing Logic course and was most impressed - the guys teaching have a serious racing record as winners. And the bit where they were milling around trying to get an advantage pre start was awsome to use an american word. Unfortunately its a skill way beyond me.
Click to expand...

Good to hear I don't have to go all the way to the USA for my next course!! Although I am not sure the weather in the solent is quite as good as in SD!
 
Best place to go is Minorca Sailing, and spend 2 weeks in dinghies. Learn in the morning, race in the afternoon. Try out all sorts of boats.
 
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