LSC Crew Notes - June 18, 2003

Information for Crew Involved in Racing with Members of the Lansing Sailing Club.

No Rudders Makes Sailing Interesting
With light winds it was a good time to work on sailing the boat with crew weight and sail trim. Crews that do this well in all winds are faster than crews that steer the boat mostly with the rudder. So the rudders came off during yesterdays Crew/Skipper practice session. After some initial experimenting, the crews were sailing their boats around the short triangle course with good efficiency. Now to see if this pays off when we race.

To Turn the Boat Toward the Wind Without Using the Rudder
keep the mainsail full of wind, let the jib luff and heel to leeward.

To Turn the Boat Away From the Wind Without Using the Rudder
Keep the jib full of wind, let the mainsail luff and heel the boat to windward.

Crew Racing
Winds were too light to do a crew race yesterday - we'll shoot for next week.

Practice Tuesday, June 24
Please feel welcome to join us for some practice next Tuesday - 6 PM to sundown. It is helpful to email Pat Dolan, LSC's Crew Coordinator ahead of time to let him know you are coming. This will help assure sufficient boats will be available to accommodate those participating. You can just show up - but no guarantees on whether there will be a spot for you. The goal is to to provide a structured opportunity for crew and skippers to expand their sailing skills. We will be doing this every Tuesday evening as long as there is an interest. Only lightning and very high winds keep us off the water. Assume we are practicing. If weather conditions are really bad, we have plenty of video to watch and "chalk talks" ready.