I am a TERRIBLE Finn sailor!

[bamamick]

For the first time in many years we had a Finn fleet at a regatta on the northern Gulf Coast, at Southern YC in New Orleans.

Four boats sailed in five-six knots, three races, two windward-leeward courses. Well, I made a terrible mistake earlier in the month by opting to get my rudder rebuilt rather than spend that three weeks practicing. I could have and should have bought a new rudder for $150 and used this old one for sailing until after this regatta. I got smoked. Not just beaten. Smoked.

I could not tack the boat. It was terrible. In the first race, with a solid third, I got stuck under the boom and did a 360 wipeout right at the second weather mark! The second race featured no real mishaps and I got a third. The last race was actually fun until we got to the first weather mark. I had a good second until I got too cute and tried to throw three tacks in in succession. By the time I was at the mark I had lost one guy, lee bowed another, lost my momentum and drifted into the mark. By the time I rerounded it was over.

On that last three legs I told myself I wanted to just sail cleanly. No more crazy tacks. Sail fast. Go the right way. Nah. Couldn't do that either. As a matter of fact my last two tacks were as bad as my first two. I had caught up some, but finished last.

Positives: I had fun sailing the boat. It is going to be a fun class to race in. You really have to be tuned in all of the time, and that's going to help me in my other sailing. The guys I raced with were very nice. I had good starts. Had a good feel for the timing and speed of the boat. Every now and then I was o.k. with my speed. I learned alot about the sheeting angles. I survived and made it home o.k.. My family still loves me!

Negatives: I have no idea what to do with myself on this boat. As long as I was going in one direction I was o.k.. My jibes weren't too bad, really, but my tacking was like something out of a comedy film. My sail is terrible. Everyone else has pentex and kevlar, I have dacron. I guess that I need to spend $1k pretty soon. Still a little early to know if my boat is o.k. or out of it. It is an old boat but I am a long way from the point to where the boat is holding me back. My mast is ugly, but I can fix that.

To be fair to myself (or giving myself an excuse, one or the other) it was only the second time I've been in this boat. These other guys have been sailing together for six weeks, a couple of times a week. I've got to do that, and I will. I've got to practice. I need some kneepads for the boat (odd, but my knees are cut to pieces). I need a new sail(actually I need at least two new sails). But most of all I need to practice.

Unfortunately my next Finn regatta is not until October, but once October hits we will be in Finn sailing heaven! A regatta here locally, then it's off to Savannah for the Savannah Finn Cup, back home to Fairhope for the Finn North American Masters championships, and finishing up in Clearwater for a week of Finn clinic and racing at the North American championships. By the end of that I will either have bled to death, hate the sight of a Finn, or will love it 'til death do us part.

My next race report will come from the Cleveland Race Week Dragon fleet.

Mickey Lake

[rbgarr]

It's hell when reality comes face to face with fantasy, isn't it?? ;)

I tried sailing with the local Sunfish fleet in Savannah after twenty years away from racing in the boats... and got my ears pinned back most embarrassingly. I had to laugh it off though, putting it down to lost agility and as you say, lack of practice.

Good luck!

[Ian McColgin]

Well, it's been 35 years since I sailed a Finn and I'm sure some things are done a bit differently but you're right about the shere athletic coordination it takes to tack competativly. It's like all that goes into setting your skiis correctly if you try a slalom race.

I'll bet there are videos that break down the techniques and might help you sort of self-coach. Especially if you can safely block the boat and practice the moves dry, maybe even being video taped to compare.

Back then the modern (at least some fleets) sports PFDs that also carry water ballast were not developed. We used to wear four or more sweat shirts and take a swim before sailing.

Pure strength is a huge help. Our whole team could all do 50 sit-up holding a 50# barbell behind our necks. We also had a strap and rail arranged to hook ankles under the strap and sit rail just past the knees. Then roll out full extension and down let head touch the floor and back up sitting and on and on and on.

Since you're shaping up in the summer, you can do all this on the boat and sail as well.

Have fun and enjoy the abs.

[Venchka]

Whoa, Cuz.....you were sailing, right? Beats the pants off of what I was doing less than 10 miles away. You set the bar low and now you have no where to go but up! :D The worst day spent on a boat was a zillion times better than almost anything else.

Pratice!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[John B]

did you expect to go out and whup the fleet there Mickey? :D Good on you for doing it. Now they won't take you too seriously and you can pounce on em.
we got trashed in our sunday keeler race this week. 25 ... 30 knot gusts, storm kite up, I was on the sheet and when the skippers voice went up 2 octaves I would ease it. then we'd cycle into a near death roll( a few times)and get going again. No broaches!!. Sailing back upwind against the tide later( they made me go helm),the rain squall killed the wind and we ended up tacking, underpowered in about 5 or 7 knots of breeze. frustrating as all hell. I didn't enjoy it. Not a good day.
so I know where you're coming from. :rolleyes: .

[Concordia..41]

Yeah, well we were the first looser - by 18 seconds - any of which could be due to a half dozen crappy tacks and/or twice using the kite as a shrimp net. :rolleyes:

Oh well, unable to execute a simple tack or not, we gave the guy that protested us in St. Marys a fine show of our transom from various angles and various tacks, so all in all it was a good day ;)

- M

[ 05-30-2005, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Concordia..41 ]

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I am a TERRIBLE Finn sailor! Ummm.. Mickey, didn't you have a thread a while back that wondered whether you could physically face the demands of even sailing a Finn? Now you're pissed that you're not competitive as a racer. :D :D :D :D

[bamamick]

Uh, thanks for the encouragement, guys (I think?).

I am lucky enough to live about 10 miles from one of the best Finn guys in North America, and he called and wants to practice (he called ME?). The other guys have had six weeks in the boat. I want to be at least where they are in six weeks. Once I do that and spend a little money then I'll be fine. I will do this. I can really see where this is going to help me with my off the wind sailing on the Star and Dragon.

Cheers.

Mickey Lake

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by Peter Malcolm Jardine:
"... Mickey, didn't you have a thread a while back that wondered whether you could physically face the demands of even sailing a Finn? Now you're pissed that you're not competitive as a race ..."

That was me who said, "I don't have the upper body strength to stay on the money." in a Finn Class, on Mickey's thread. Don't blame Mickey for my lack of strength.

New Finns have pussy pads. Real men don't need pussy pads. Mickey you don't have pussy pads do you, on your older Finn Class? Wilke advertize, that all their Finns now come with toe straps and pussy pads, :eek: .

Gone are the days young Skippers ... when one could always count on a Finn sailor to have his own fat arse ... as a plus. Pussy pads indeed? One might conclude that in a Finn Class nowadays, that without the pain there there will be no gain, :( .

Work the sail like crazy, that's where the power comes from ... and don't get caught fanning

Warren.

ps, Mickey is playing with this Forum, he knows exactly what's going down, PMJ. I find this very curious.

[ 06-01-2005, 04:21 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[bamamick]

Wha? Warren, I can assure you that I am not 'playing with the forum'. I'm not even sure what you mean. I AM a terrible Finn sailor, at least after two days of it. I know that it will get better. Practice is scheduled for tomorrow, and I just spent an hour taking weight out of the boat. It's an ongoing process.

As per your question, yes, I do have hiking pads in my boat, and straps, and I will put any other aid to my navigation on the thing that's allowed. I used to droop hike as a Star crew before hand holds and vests were legal. Hey, if I had my way they'd lash a lawn chair on to the side of the boat if it's me having to do it.

I enjoy reading about racing. Thought you guys might like it, and I do enjoy trying my hand at writing this stuff up. I assure you, I have no ulterior motive whatsoever.

Mickey Lake

[Harry Miller]

I like reading about your racing Mickey. Please keep it up. In 1971 the Finn Gold Cup was in Toronto in October. My brother in law was in it and he got us to billet a couple of guys. One was from the U.S. Jim Hahn and he did quite well. Hey I googled him and there he is (or was) winning the U.S. single handed Sailing Championships in 1973 web page (http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ussailsingleh.shtml)
But the other guy, Howard Lee was from Bermuda and when he dumped in the first race in Lake Ontario in October he decided to not compete very hard for the rest of the week. He said he'd never been so cold in his life.
I also remember droop hiking. I was asked to fill in as crew for someone from Long Island in the 1973 soling North Americans. The week before we went out to practice with Hans Fogh. The first time I drooped out there I told him I couldn't even visualise what muscles I needed to recruit to get back in. Hans said not to worry I'd find them pretty quick when he tacked. I guess I did.

[ 06-01-2005, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Harry Miller ]

[Wild Wassa]

Mickey, I've read some of your earlier postings that have left me in awe, thinking to myself, "how does Mickey know that?" ... unless he has done it. I've got the feeling you hide your light under a bushel Mickey. I think Noah does too.

Having read that you have raced Star Class, the premier Olympic Class, Dragons and Lasers (but I won't hold that against you) amongst others and now transitioning to the premier single handed men's Olympic Class, so when I read about you transitioning to a Finn, I'm not guessing you are coming from little experience.

I really enjoy reading about your racing Mickey, I also enjoy Noah's odd posting about racing in the Melges Class. As I wrote, you do hide your light under a bushel, ... to both of you Blokes, I'll say.

Hiking pads are what I know pussy pads as. Calling them pussy pads makes me laugh. Have you seen the Wilke Finn site? It shows the Finn very well on the site.

There are other good shots of the Finn Class (amongst the other Olympic Classes) on Giles Martin-Regat's site as well. Under 'Special Events' and in his 'Marine' section under 'Sailboat Racing'. Just in case you hadn't seen these sites. There are amazing boat images on Martin-Regat's site. This site is not just dedicated to the state of the art racing monsters, there are plenty of wooden boats as well.

I do enjoy your posts, I think they are cool and I feel that I'd only be telling you, to use that classic term, of 'sucking eggs', if I suggest much.

Droop hiking is what I do in a Seafly, when I've run out of strength ... I also call it wet bum.

Wet bum, is also a disease that kills Koala Bears and is not just for those on squid row ... rest-a-shore.

Warren.

[ 06-01-2005, 09:53 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[igatenby]

Star Class, the premier Olympic Class Someone is mistaken. Premier is normally used to mean "first" isn't it. The premier Olympic class is clearly the Tornado. :D :D

Ian

[Wild Wassa]

Ian, not for speed and performance because only a few Classes can actually match a Tornado ... but for having a fully ajustable rig and being a design that has changed little since 1905 ... because a complete design doesn't need to change. The Star has been an Olympic Class since Los Angeles in the '30. You Tornado jockeys are 'Johnny come latelies'.

... and to quote Dennis Connor (my favourite Skipper), "the Star is my favourite boat". Paul Cayard said, "A Star is a complete boat."

Have I convinced you? :D . I'll agree to disagree and give you another 10 Olympics to prove it. Those 49er kiddies have not said 'boo', they know their place ... unlike some.

Warren.

[ 06-04-2005, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[paladin]

"fanning"? izzat the same as 'pumpimg"?...

[Ian McColgin]

Ah the droop hike. A couple of years back at Edgartown there was a Shields had a woman as crew with fantastic abs and her cups certainly raneth over, especially when inverted. On the beat she'd hike out butt well below the gunnel and lay back so her whole torso was against the topsides. We called it the vacuum sphincter hike and envied her skipper.

[Hwyl]

Mickey, it seems from your first post tha you had "fast moments" severely diluted by "slow moments". All you jhave to do is work on eliminating the slow bits and it'll all be fast.

[Concordia..41]

Ian - :D

Ah - to be 20 years younger...ah - maybe not (couldn't afford the boobs then...) ;)

[ 06-03-2005, 09:42 PM: Message edited by: Concordia..41 ]

[Meerkat]

Now I know why they call you lot "dinghy" sailors... cuz' you're all just a bit... ;)

[Wild Wassa]

Paladin, are you interested in the kinetics of advanced sailing?

Although most consider fanning as cheating 'when the tip of the mast goes through the vertical', I don't view it that way at all. Some of my closest friends are oochers, pumpers and rockers.

Fanning is the only way to grab an advantage some days. It is actually called sailing with an advanced use of kinetics, by creating a touch more apparent wind. Adding a degree of stealth to this technique will greatly enhance your overall technique.

Having battened sails in light winds, when one tacks or comes about and the battens haven't snapped over, one grabs the boom to help the battens pop ... but the advanced technique is for the battens to not pop too soon, so you get at least three or four pumps, I mean attempts at correcting the sail shape. This is another of the advanced techniques which although it looks awkward is nothing more than again employing kinetics. Do not employ stealth with this advanced technique but curse your bad sail shape loudly.

Meerkat, don't be fooled or influenced by more conservative sailors who's boats are at their moorings or clogging up the boat parks as being the way to go. It is just that you don't see how truly conservative we dinghy sailors are. It is hard to see how straight and level we are because we are too far from the shore. Buy more powerful binoculars.

Warren.

[ 06-04-2005, 03:14 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]