From Graham Cook to Youth Race Group:
I thought you might enjoy the video below. It is the medal race from the 2011 Laser Worlds in Perth. The coverage shows all of the skills that we have been working on over recent weeks. Tick them off as you watch it:
Tiller jabs and double tacking at the start.
Tigger pull to accelerate off the line.
Notice how much down haul they have pulled on to flatten the sail in the strong wind.
Speed across the boat when they tack with hands swapping after the tack ( managing roll tacks in a strong breeze).
Releasing the kicker and outhaul as they approach the windward mark to assist the quick bear away. Picking up waves by heading up to accelerate and then quickly bearing away down the wave to stay on it – all the time trimming the main sheet. Notice how long they manage to stay on a good wave by heading up if it starts to slip under the boat. Running by-the-lee with a ‘soft’ leach that pumps the sail as they move their body weight or trim the sail. Not too many gibes to watch but Tom Slingsby gybes just before the finish – notice how quickly he crosses the boat. Wide in, tight out as they round the bottom mark have adjusted all of their control lines on the way in to the mark. Lastly, notice how hard they are working all the way around the course both upwind and down.
Hope you enjoy it.
Graham.