2019/20 NACRA nationals SA - write up.

Team Goose Marine has just finished in the recent Nacra Nationals with a 1st in the F18 class and a 10th in the 5.8 class.

The 5.8 was sailed by Leigh, who had his first 5.8 sail on heat 1. and was a good result for the future.

The Infusion was sailed by myself and has now had 2 back to back wins.

Conditions ranged from 1 very light wind race to a few in the 18-20 knot range. Most others in the 15-18 knot range.

My boat settings using the new DS mainsail.

I initially struggled with the new DS main until I laid the sail over the old square top sail and realized it had the same luff curve and same clew position, despite being fuller in the front third down low. Once I had done this I realized rig the setup was the same as the old sail, which I had won with the previous year in similar conditions. 

Speader rake - 47mm (crew weight 160kgs)

Mast rake - top screw

Rig tension - very firm.(tight) all conditions.

Diamond tension - very light day 38. Very heavy day 42, but most other days 40.

Centre boards upwind - as soon as we could double trapeze up 200mm, 12 to 16 knots up 400mm and >16knots up 600mm (yes the down wind position while sailing upwind).

I am a big believer in the depowering aspect of the centreboards and use this as a primary control.

Rotation - Other then the light race it was outside back beam to inside back beam. Again a great depower. tool.

Downhaul was almost maxed out at most times.

Outhaul - Flat foot. equivalent of 80mm max curve in the deepest part of the foot. Transferred setting from straight boom, as the clew is in the same position. Can be hard to gauge with curved boom, so mark the boom.

Mainsheet - full on in all winds except the lighter races, where it is easy to stall the top and you need to watch the top leach ribbons.

Jib car - mid way between the post end end as the base setting. Fully out on the heavy race and in close to post on the lighter race. Always setting back of jib, just inside spreader tip.

Note this was sailed on a lake with a short chop only.

We had good boat speed, as well as more height to windward than the others. As height comes from mainleach I can only conclude the others either didn't have enough leach tension or had too much rotation for the conditions or both.

We used standard foam battens in all conditions.

Downwind we had superior speed and depth. Due in part to running a polyester spinnaker and a light weight crew (68kgs). 

My motto is depower, depower, depower. and this allows me to drive hard when most others are fighting the boat.

When I attend the Nacra nationals, as opposed to club sailing I am able to find my inner attitude and self believe. This is switched on at the 5 minute gun and givens me the determination to want that perfect start, a good first work with clear air and then let the race unfold from their. It also gives the confidence to trust your judgment when in front. I see others that when they hit the front fall to bits as they don't know what to do next, and usually blow it. 

While others played with "hook" luffs at the start to unsettle me, apart from not giving room and opportunity to respond, just made me more determined on the start line. I didnt mind them being below me as I had superior height which was obvious all week. They would have been better trying to start to windward and restrict my ability to climb of the start line.

Any small errors or bad calls/settings I replay on the shore latter in my mind and attempt to improve and not replicate the same errors. Some thing the others could use as they made the same mistakes each race. Don't keep blaming the gear, look for opportunities to learn and improve. 

During the week despite winning all races except the one where I had a Trapizi break and subsequently broke 2 bones in my hand when being ejected into the water with the mainsheet wrapped around my hand, And then raced the next race with a broken hand to again win, I only had one competitor seeking boat setup advise. It is because of this I have published my settings.  

I am happy to discuss and detail any boat setup and hope by getting others improving it will improve me.

But until my broken bones heal I am out for the remainder of the season.

PS the boat is for sale. 3 years old, new DS main and jib, Polyester spinnaker as sailed in SA. 

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