Kleiman Shares Gems from Colgate - North U

by Pat Dolan
Based on an interview with Terry Kleiman

Terry Kleiman was one of several Lansing Sailing Club members attending the Colgate - North U Advanced Racing Course in April 2001. Terry is an excellent sailor, who devotes a lot of time to studying the details of sail trim, boat speed, strategy and tactics.

For Terry, I thought there might not be a lot of new material in this kind of course. That might have been true, but Terry points out that you often hear things differently with each repeated telling. In addition, there are always some "gems" that turn up. He found the week at Colgate/North U very helpful. The constant reminders by an instructor, reinforcing the details that are often forgotten or ignored on the racecourse, really prove how much difference in performance is available.

I asked Terry to share some of the "gems" and important points that were reinforced for him. Here are some examples from the discussion that ensued.

Downwind Gybing Angles

Sailing dead downwind is not usually as fast as getting to your downwind destination by gybing back and forth. This zigzag course may be longer than sailing directly downwind - but boat speed is so much greater that it more than makes up for the additional distance. In light wind up to 10 mph, the gybing angles might be as large as 70 to 80 degrees. As the wind speed gets greater, the gybing angles decrease until at about 15 mph, there is no advantage to sailing a longer course - just head for the leeward mark.

Avoid Rolling

Rolling, side to side movement of the boat - particularly downwind - slows the boat down. Keep the boat steady. All power generated from the wind that heels or is used up rocking the boat is lost forward motion.

Luff Jib Approaching Starting Line

Most skippers luff the mainsail to slow the boat when making the final close-hauled approach to the starting line. Luffing the jib is usually a superior boat handling technique. Having the mainsail in keeps the boat moving while avoiding drift down the starting line. Luffing the mainsail tends to make the boat drift sideways.

Shift Gears after a Tack

Most sailboats lose speed when tacking. To regain speed, put the boat in "low gear" - just like a car starting up. Do this by bearing away a couple of degrees on the new tack while letting the sails out just a little bit. Letting the sails out creates a more powerful sail shape. Creating a more powerful sail shape usually involves easing the jib sheet or main sheet only slightly, usually not more than an inch or two. As the boat picks up speed, go into "drive gear". Slowly trim the sails back in and bring the boat back up to the close hauled course. On a Lightning, this small trim change with the jib sheet moves the upper part of the jib leech (the part of the jib near the spreader) about 4 inches. In light to medium wind, the jib trimmer makes this trim change from "low gear" to "drive gear" over about a five second countdown period.

Shift Gears to Power through Waves

When you see some big waves coming, shift into "low gear" to power through the waves. Head down just a few degrees and let the sails out just a little. This should help keep speed up while going through the waves. After passing through the waves and boat speed is good, go back to "drive gear".

Anticipate Puffs

Heeling the boat is energy lost. Keeping a constant heel helps you sail faster. Anticipate the puff and "depower" the sails (make them more flat). Then, as the puff hits, play the traveler to let the boom slide to leeward as necessary to keep constant boat heel - and hike. Dropping the traveler, instead of easing sheet or using backstay, keeps the mainsail draft consistent and doesn’t spill wind energy off of the top of the sail.

Terry is always full of ideas gleaned from his Colgate/North U, reading and other experiences -- and best of all, he enjoys talking sailboat racing.