Friday, June 07, 2013
Should I Tack Like Fred?
Watch the body movement by Brown University's Fred Strammer as he completes roll tacks.
What is it actually achieving?
Is it torquing the boat back up to a close-hauled course after coming out of a tack lower than close-hauled?
Or is it some kind of Newton's Third Law effect to propel the boat faster forwards out of the tack?
If someone my age attempted it would I throw my back out?
I know college sailing has different rules about kinetics. Would this move be a Rule 42 issue at a regular Laser regatta?
4 comments:
Note how Fred's upper body is well forward when coming out of the tack--that helped get the bow around onto the new tack. It also perfectly sets the body up to torque back, heading the boat to closehauled while sheeting in. The combined action of body and sheet gives the boat a real squirt.
Given the flat water they're sailing in, he could probably get away with a more fluid flattening motion and be even faster.
Marc Jacobi
I just put my back out watching the video....
Try 20 minutes of prancercise, That should fix it.
After a certain age, to even think you can do this is wishful thinking.
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