All the discussion up to this point has been about sailing around the buoys. Mid summer is here and the Mackinac races are around the corner. We must shift our thinking from sailing fast around the buoys and focus on sailing long legs in offshore races.

Around the buoys we worry about critical tuning for each race, targets for different wind speeds and velocity made good. For offshore racing it's time to think about polar speeds, long term tuning for the rig and VMC. In buoy racing current, weather is critical while your racing, yet in a distance racing, weather and current is best used to make long term plans.

The mindset for offshore racing is similar to running a marathon than a sprint. Buoy racing is sprinting, yet to succeed in an offshore race it is important to plan and pace.

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Offshore List:

1. Preparation
1. CLEAN bottom, keel, rudder (smooth)
2. Prop in align or banded
3. Clean hull and deck and interior
4. Minimum fuel for the race per rules
5. No water in tanks
6. Soft coolers for liquid (freeze water bottles for ice)
7. Power bars for evening energy
8. Simple pre made meals frozen
9. Safety gear per category in race instructions
10. Simple tool kit, sail repair kit, electrical kit
11. Instrumentation calibration, compass calibration
12. Internet check, cell phone check
13. Backpack per crew at central location (limit the weight)
14. Inventory list below for:
• Sails
• Safety gear
• Food
15. Sails , look over for possible problems, luff tapes
16. Registration, race pack, class flags
17. Markings for all sails, tracks, halyard settings and backstay
    
    
    
    
    2. Weather
• Track for two weeks looking for wind patterns
1. http://www.intellicast.com/Sail/
2. http://www.sailflow.com/
3. http://cirrus.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet/
4. http://onboard.weather.com/ (subscription)
5. http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/
6. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/wxnow/lake_index.php
7. http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/mi/mi.html
8. http://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu/surface/grlakes.gif
9. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/EastGL.shtml

• Look at all the sites once a day and look for patterns in wind rotation, speed. Note the water temperature in the middle of the lake and the temperature on shore.
• Bring a cell phone and call a buoy. If you do not have internet service, call the different buoys to get up to date wind direction and speed.
  
  

           3. Make a plan

• Gather all weather and make a plan prior to the start that will be the strategy for the first evening. The plan should be based on:
• Course
• Wind speed
• Wind direction morning, day, night
• Boats in your class
• Weather predictions

I have a rule base on gradient wind direction. The weather information should give you a good guess on the day gradient, evening gradient and late night gradient. If the wind speed is predicted to be 10 true or less my rule is to sail towards the leeward gradient shore during the day from 10am-6pm, windward gradient shore from 12am to 5am, off each shore 5 miles during the off times.

For example the Chicago Mackinac race typically starts with an easterly based on the local thermal. I like leaning towards the Chicago, Racine shore during the day, as we sail north and get out of the thermal effect the wind will either clock, if warm, to the south or back if cold and rotate to the north. Either way it will give us an opportunity to either cross the lake if the night gradient is going to stay from the east or push harder to the Milwaukee shore if the gradient is more to the west. This is only in light air with the idea the middle of the lake would be calm.

Circle sailing

If the wind is predicted to be a low of 10 and a maximum of 17-18 I like sailing to the circles. This is polar sailing and allows you to get the most performance from the boat with out getting too far off course. I divide the race up in 50 mile points along the rum line and draw circles around the points. If light air, yet not calm, the circles are 10 miles in diameter, in medium breeze 5 miles and windy conditions the circles are 2 miles. The idea is to set a course that would intersect the circle fast. If the rum line was 15 degrees, yet the best speed to the first circle was 5 degrees and would allow us to intersect the circle before the course of 15 we would sail the 5 degree course. This is a simple system that should parallel your polar angles and speed. Unlike targets that provide a speed and sailing angle to get to a mark in close distance efficient, a polar speed and angle provides information based on sailing many miles for a long period of time to get up the ladder the fastest.

• Be flexible
• Based on competition and changing weather
• Based on an unsuccessful early plan
• Based on new weather information
• Create two teams
• Your boat and your team is one and the goal is to win, yet to get the very most from the boat it takes two teams.

We are all competitive by nature and even though we may be on the same team I have found the teams that divide the crew amongst two groups get the best results in a long race. Based on the number of your crew consider a watch system that divides the boat into two teams that compete against each other to get the most miles. Announce an award for the team that logs the most miles relative to the planned course and make a fun competition during the race. A typical crew of 11 would have two teams of 5 and the navigator or owner would float. This means they would spend equal time on boat teams. I like the simple of 4 on and 4 off. The on team should prepare the coffee, and have the boat ready to change 15 minutes prior to a change. During these 15 minutes the new team should understand:

• The plan
• Location of competitors
• Current and future weather
• Fast settings of sails
• Things that worked well and not

Prior to going off the team should look at the computer to log the miles sailed and the location up the lake. The key for the off watch is to rest, yet be ready to help if needed for sail changes. Also the off watch will pack all spinnakers/asymmetrical sails and will keep the boat in good order. The off team will also rest to help keep the boat in good sailing trim with their weight.

               5. Keep Track

• Use the hand bearing compass to keep track of competitors

I like writing down on wet notes each competitor and their location based on the hand bearing compass through out the race. Obviously if you can not see them it is harder, yet usually you have a good feeling where there are based on an earlier sighting. Make sure each watch has a member tracking the competitors. This will allow you to understand if your plan is working or not, if you are sailing the boat fast or not. It will also give you options based on the plan.

             6. Rotate

• Helmsman, trimmers, spotters, information

Every hour all the positions on each team should rotate. To sail the boat at maximum speed each job should be changed on the hour. I will usually take a short period to get comfortable, yet the concentration will be better if all the jobs a fresh each hour. This rotation also keeps the entire crew into the game and understanding of the plan. Every crew should know the plan, the current position and where all the competitors are. I always hate the first morning when a new crew member will wake up and start spotting competitors in positions that were impossible. The first morning will clearly split the optimist from the pessimists.

      7. Watch captain

This person should monitor the quantity and quality of each job. If it is obvious a particular helmsman is struggling, make a change. If the sails are not trimmed proper, again a change is necessary. The watch captain is responsible for the safety of his or her team and must encourage a constant push for success.

     8. Be Safe

Our sport is really not that dangerous, yet the weather can and sometimes will do anything. It is important to respect the weather and be ready for the extremes. Understand where the storm jib and mainsail trim. Get familiar with all the safety equipment and practice moving the life raft to the transom. Also it is critical to practice the man over board drill prior to the start. I like having a watch captain jump over when the crew is not expecting it during the warm up and then timing how long it takes to get the crew member out of the water. To enjoy the race means sailing safe and legal.

      8. Make Sure

Make sure your boat is legal with the coast guard and the race organizers. Make sure your crew is well rested the night prior to the race and you have the proper fluids and provisions to sail efficiently. Make sure you have the sun screen, bug spray and all the night equipment to sail fast. Make sure you remember sailing is fun.

...Wally Cross