light air tips for s/h

we had light air in yorkshire this weekend just gone and surprisingly I managed to win both the Beaver and the Yeadon traveller events.

The following tips are in my black book for future S/H reference, use them if you want, practice if you can.

Sit well forward to get the stern out of the water and reduce wetted surface area.
Have a generous leeward tilt to keep shape in the sails.
Keep a firm outhaul, let the gusts push the boat not flap the sails.
When reaching or running, set your main and jib first before thinking about using the spinnaker. In fact only use the spinnaker when going for a broad reach or run and only when little wind shifting going on.
GET AWAY from any dirty air FAST
Follow the burgee, sorry you'll get a sore neck.
If you get a header when approaching a mark assess your boat speed and consider drifting forwards while head to wind to make the mark rather than tacking and possibly loosing ground.
Finally - make sure you love your boat, give it a polish!

good luck.

Im sure you have loads more tips Angus that you could post. This is the sort of thing that I would expect to be posted in the single handers forum. Well done and thanks <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>
How long are single handers tiller extensions ?

Thanks Angus (and well done in the travellers too)
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only use the spinnaker when going for a broad reach or run and only when little wind shifting going on......

....GET AWAY from any dirty air FAST
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Advice I was given once when struggling in light air was to move very slowly and cautiously around the boat to avoid "shaking the wind out of your sails" - so that rules me out from struggling with the kite straight away!!

Avoiding dirty air is a big issue for me as I race amongst much bigger, faster boats. One boat will mess up my wind, causing me to lose all momentum and steerage..... then the next one expects me to be able to get out of his way! <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> Bullies!!

pigs might.....

They wouldn't be RS400's would they ? They insist on overtaking to windward, too fast to luff and steal all the wind from our tiny sails, the blighters !!

Thankfully not, on our shrinking puddle. Alba(rge)cores, Laser 2000s, 470, RS200s are quite enough to contend with.

pigs might.....