Hi All,
this report is very interesting and reminds me, that sometimes people forget, what Matias and Rudy pointed out: it could be also hard work, teamwork and getting the right shifts.
During this discussion at the Worlds in Toronto, it was clearly pointed out, that Georg Nehm was for sure the fastest boat downwind...and he was nearly the lightest crew.
So two extrems seem to be fast, what strengthen my theory, that mostly it`s a matter of teamwork.
We were getting faster downwind since we LOST a lot of weight: from our all-time-high of around 420 kilos now to around 355 kilos. Even this is too heavy, but I cannot cut off one arm or leg ;-)
Anyway, our target is to come closer to Georg with our weight, coz he is the one who is the benchmark downwind, BUT, it also shows, that my second theory is also right: technics. Georg won the worlds in Argentina with sometimes really strong winds...again with a very light crew! This shows, that his way of sailing a soling in heavy air with a light crew works very good. Nothing to learn in a few days...it`s hard training and, as Rudy wrote, lots of sailing the boat. There is no success from doing nothing or only talking.
If you know what to do, you can do it also with less weight.
Stu wrote about having the weight low in the boat. Funny, because when you have a look on the picture (and also on a lot more and in reality), you will see, that Gregor is standing in front of the mast, so our weight is high and far in front and in the back...nothing in the center, coz Maxl has only a two-number weight and this doesn`t count on our boat...hehehe...
In general, we have a lot of times problems with our weight on the boat: in light air and choppy water we are quite slow. No time to rebuild speed coz the next wave hits us. Same downwind in light air; we always need more time to speed up compared to the light weight crews, but we can survive the leg.
Don`t forget another point: I`m the one with the big weight and where I`m sitting? In a totally wrong place to use the weight in an effective way: at the end, at the helm!
BUT, as Matias pointed out, it`s more important to hit the shifts at the right moment and therefore you need again a good teamwork. My guys always tell me what`s going on around us and sometimes we do the right decisions.
When teams in front are quite far away, the first thing to say is always: they are so fast, but in reality, this guys hit the shifts more exact then most of the others...and playing the angles in a good way gives you some extra meters advantage.
One last, but very important, point: some people asked me after Stus report, where we get fuller sails from. Hey guys, we sail the same sails everbody else gets. Doyle has only one cut and we use this like most of the others.
There is only one sailmaker using two different cuts, but it`s not for heavy crews, so useless for us.
I will finish with very good words, Rudy pointed out: let us spend more time on our boat. I agree 100%. Go out to other races; not only on your lake (or corner of the lake) and keep your eyes open. Even we can learn a lot in every race and we enjoy this feeling very much. Nobody will ever reach the end of the ladder of experience...
See you asap
Roman