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The improvers gather again and rigged with a strong force 3/4 westerly promising some exciting sailing. Some reefed while others started to estimate how many capsizes they would be performing. However in the time it took to get changed and have our briefing the wind dropped to a sedate force 1/2. The plan was to sail a short triangle composed of a beat, broad reach and run. The challenge for us was to continue to sailing flat while being fast round the marks. However once we got out the wind shifted so we switched to a figure of eight course combining a beat and broad reach across the out going tide. During the briefing Laurie had us focus on gybing, the plan was to break the gybe into three phases, transitioning from the broad reach into a training run, gybing back onto a training run then into a run. However because of the change in course we went from the gybe into a closehaul. Before entering the gybe we were looking to heel the boat over onto us and allow the hull and sail to pull us with minimum use of the rudder. I found this took a bit of getting use to, having faith that I could let the Laser come over onto me and it would not capsize before I could move across the boat. Move too early and you had to use lots of rudder to get round the gybe with a loss of speed. Move too late and it would be a dip in the water. As the session continued I built more confidence and let the boat come over onto me more and cross later. Still a way to go but certainly could feel I was carrying more speed through the gybe by the end of the session.
Key lessons from this session were sail flat, and heel the boat onto you at the beginning of the gybe, use as little rudder as possible and let the sail pull the boat round. The next improvers session will be on the 25th July and it is a great opportunity to brush up old skills, learn some new ones or just take advantage of safety boat cover and have a sail. If you fancy joining in then you need to message Nathan (nathan@hudsonsfish.co.uk) ahead of the session saying that you wish to sail and the boat you would like to sail. Please be down the club with boat rigged by 1030 and remember your £10 (£5 if sailing your own boat). Improvers present: Howard & Fuzz in a Vision, they would like to point out they did not capsize this time! Bridget, Sean & Steve in Qba's Ben in a Laser A big thank you from all to Jonathan, Tom, Laurie & Herbie for running the session and manning the safety boats
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