October 13, 2024
The growing pains of sailing
Sailing progression
Equipment and gear
Optimist
Optimist sailing happens to fall during a period when kids change A LOT. As you can imagine, that has BIG implications on the development of Opti sailors that can not be ignored. Sailors at the top of the fleet early on who start to fall back as they age or sailors on a great progression path who suddenly seem to stall. If you have an Opti sailor, you will experience some or a lot of this. Mine went from 5’1” 75 lbs to 5’10” 110 lbs in 3 years - 9” and 35 lbs difference. He has been able to stay fast even in lighter wind conditions but it’s taken a lot of work and small adjustments. Be aware, the process is frustrating and it takes a lot of constant monitoring and boat-handling work.
Like any other sport, bio-types make a difference and weight is a big facto. However, so is technique, maturity and the ability to stay focused. So, if your sailor is even 130 lbs, he/she can be very competitive in an Opti. Light wind conditions will be challenging, but they have the maturity to stay focused, identify the shifts and sail cleanly. In high wind, with good hiking technique, they will be hard to beat. So, here are a few bits we have learned.
When they are lighter, they don’t move the boat as much with their weight as they get heavier; they have a bigger impact on the heel (side to side) and tilt of the boat (front to back). The opti is more forgiving to body position for lighter sailors. It’s not very forgiving on heavier sailors. If they get it wrong, it will slow them down. At the same time, techniques that rely on weight get easier. For example, healing the boat while sailing downwind (known as kitting) a technique to reduce the drag and lift the sail to gain speed. Lighter sailors have a harder time maintaining the heel of the boat making it unstable and easier to capsize. Heavier sailors have a much easier time healing the boat and keeping it stable. However, if they sit too far back they drag the bow and slow down the boat, they have to sit as close to parallel to the daggerboard as they can - ½ an inch will make a difference.
Similarly, they will need to be much more precise on their tacks. They can heal the boat much easier on roll-tacks but they have to be very careful of how an where they cross the boat. Use their weight to their advantage, roll-tacking should be the norm for them even in windier conditions.
As they get taller, two things suffer the most, their tacks and their upwinds. They don’t fit easily under the boom and they start leading with their head shifting their weight back and slowing their tack. Also, their lower leg gets too long to easily pull on the hiking strap. The good news is that there are ways to work around all of that.
First, when sailors can keep their head forward on a tack they start leading with their head (rather than head and torso) - effectively tacking straight forward rather than sideways. This forces their weight back dragging the stern of the boat as they come out of the tack and slowing them down. This is particularly acute in low wind. You can do two things to help. Add a ring to the bridal as far forward as you can for low-wind conditions. This will give them more room to fit their head and torso under the boom and keep their weight forward. That said, don’t use that ring in high wind conditions. It can mess with the boom as the ring pulls unevenly between the two tension points. The IODA rules allow you to have multiple rings but prohibits a movable ring. The other thing to do is extending the lead of the main boom block, just make sure the main can sheet all the way in. This will allow your sailor to move their head forward and keep their weight in the center of the boat. It will also be important to practice tacking, looking forward, leading with head and torso, immediately pushing forward as they clear the main block, and staying on the balls of their feet - no knees, ever.
Second, their long legs will mess with their hiking technique. Tall sailors have two hiking modes, partially out of the boat and fully out of the boat. Depending on the wind and their sail, they usually don’t get on full hike until the wind hits 18+ most of the time they are on a partial hike. In that position, their lower leg is too long to use the forward strap. Start by tightening the straps to keep them lower but eventually that won't be enough. Most kids will put their stern leg under the leeward strap (for support) and another in the windward strap so they can still pull the corner of the boat out of the water. If they put both legs under the back strap, they don’t have the angle to pull on the corner of the boat which is critical for boat handling. When they go full-hike they move both legs to the windward strap. It will take a lot of practice to get used to that setup (or find what works for them). Be patient, it will take a while for them to find the best position. Good coaching will make a difference. Also, have them talk to other tall sailors and learn from them.
Finally, it will help a lot to get good hiking pants (e.g. Zhik Deckbeaters) with a lot of padding under the knee. The gunnel/rail will dig hard under their knee making it very uncomfortable to hike for long periods of time. This is particularly true for skinny sailors with less natural padding under the leg. We use a Zhik Super Warm V (4mm padding under the knee) for cold days, and the Zhik Deckbeater pants (4-5 mm padding under the knee) in warm weather. You will notice a difference on how long they can hike comfortably.
Follow the general weight guidelines for Green, Blue, Red, and Black sails - it makes a big difference. Green sails are flatter, Black sails are deeper. Deeper sails provide more power and acceleration but can’t point as high. The trick on Green sails is keeping them fast on the downwind, the trick on Black sails is keeping them fast in the upwind. Taller sailors or sailors who have a strong core can use a deeper sail if they are able to keep their boat flat in high wind. They should try a couple of sail sizes in different conditions and decide what works best for them. It’s ok to drop a sail size in high wind. However, it is always preferred if they can use the same sail in all conditions - conditioning and a strong core will make it possible.
So, how can you tell when it's time to try a different sail? The down winds are key, watch them carefully. My sailor has told me a few times - “I never see a heavier sailor be slow on a downwind”. Yes, heavier sailors on the right sail with good technique should never be slow on a downwind. The other tell-tale is their acceleration when pointing down-wind. If they have the right sai, they should ALWAYS speed up when they transition from a high point to a lower point - even on a light breeze. If they don’t, the sail does not have enough power to accelerate. You will hear sailors complaining about not being able to do their regular maneuvers at the start line or having a very difficult time keeping up with other sailors of similar size. Especially, if they were able to keep up with them before.
Spars can also make a big difference. The main principle is simple, harder material leads to less bending which leads to a more stable sail shape. Sails are designed for some spar bend in higher wind conditions. However, too much spar bend can deform and de-power the sail. This may be desirable to reduce the resistance of the sail and help the sailor keep the boat flat, but may be undesirable if the sailor has no problem keeping the boat flat. So, the best setup for your sailor depends on their skill, conditioning, and weight. Good coaches will keep an eye on their sail and spars and can recommend adjustments. The spirit is a particularly interesting variable, you will see a lot of sailors use a Hyperflex (the bendiest of spirits). The theory is that the sprit will bend with big gusts (or very high wind) opening the sail and letting some of the wind out, effectively de-powering the sail temporarily. Again, this may be desirable to help a sailor keep the boat flat with big gusts but undesirable for a sailor that can keep the boat flat and under control in big gusts. Also, the Hyperflex is very bendy so it can not take as much tension on the sprit halyard before it starts bending creating a corner to corner crease that de-powers the sail until the tension is released. If the sailor keeps asking for more sprit tension and more tension does not fix the crease, you should use a stiffer sprit (Mk3, Mk4).
Have them practice with the same sail and spars they are racing with, it matters. Many manufacturers have used sails you can pick-up inexpensively when you buy a new sail, just ask. Sails have different characteristics and they sail differently. It’s important for competitive sailors to sail the sail they use and practice with it. Switching sails or spars between practices and racing is like a downhill skier using different brand skis when practicing - it makes no sense. It should be more like using newer skis in competition and older ones during practice (both well tuned).
What I have learned is that unless your sailor gets to 130+ lbs, they are not ‘too heavy for Opti’. It’s a terrible excuse and a clear indicator of a mediocre coach. Older, heavier sailors need to be taught to change the way they sail to take advantage of their weight, adjust their boat handling, and make the equipment changes they need.
