BBBS Sailing Reflections (SB20 9 and Byte 7)

SB20

Helming

Steer according to telltales on jib - depending on what mode you want to achieve, telltale positions would be as follows: high and slow mode - windward telltale 30 deg up, leeward telltale streaming straight, middle mode - both telltales streaming straight out, low and fast mode - windward telltale streaming straight out, leeward telltale 30 deg up

Also easy mnemonic, when the telltale is pointing up and/or waving around, you can imagine that the telltale is waving frantically at you, warning you that you're turning too close to that particular side

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BBBS Keelboat Regatta Training Session 1 (22 Aug 2020) (SB20)

Item 1: Rigging Observation: Rigging boat was slow. Reflection: Unfamiliar with the procedures and the specific parts of the keelboat. Sub Points: new parts of the boat for me: outstay (line at the back to control curve of mast for depowering the top of the sail) Head of mainsail connected to main halyard via shackle. Item 2: Main Sail Control Sub points: - Learnt traveller tuning to keep boom centred. (traveller used as fine tuning after sheeting in on the main sheet) - Keeping top leech telltale streaming out straight (unable to do that even after loosening outstay and sheeting out. Next thing to try: tuning the vang) - Main sheet, outstay and traveller controlled by the same guy usually. Need to get accustomed to the ergonomics and movement within the cockpit. Sometimes might need to manage spinnaker also. Item 3: Spinnaker Observation: I am very unfamiliar with the spinnaker as I have never used one before. I am also unfamiliar with the SB20...

TQL: Navigating with Scorpius

Navigating with Scorpius (The "Today QiYun Learnt" Digest: Celestial Navigation Series) On the way back from my run, I stared into the night sky and saw a couple of stars that looked like Orion's Belt (belonging to the constellation Orion) at first, but found that it was a bit dim. So I used the app Sky Map to search it up, and found that it was Scorpius, and what I saw was Scorpius' tail, not Orion's belt. In fact, Orion and Scorpius will never appear in the night sky together as they are opposite sides of the sun. As the myth goes, Scorpius will eternally chase Orion around the Earth but will never catch him. In the Summer night sky, in the Northern Hemisphere, you will see Scorpius, and in Winter, you will see Orion. I searched it up a bit more and today I learnt how to use the Scorpius constellation to navigate and find one's direction. Finding South with Scorpius To find South, there are two conditions/scenarios to consider: 1. When the head is more o...

BBBS 10 Sailing Cycle 1 Session 3 Reflections (Byte)

Conditions: Gusty storm winds, but approx 7-8 knots. Wind shifts sometimes, so need to ascertain new direction accurately. Still a little unsure about whether I am reading the wind correctly. Maybe might put a wind indicating device that is within the field of view of the camera and review footage afterwards to assess quality of sail trim. Sailed in my first storm today. Hiking out a lot more today. But the problem encountered was that sometimes right when I hiked out, the boat "un-heeled", and continued rolling the other way. So I'll have to immediately sit up and in. Two possible reasons: maybe I hiked out too much, or when I hiked out, I unknowingly/accidentally slightly pointed the boat, which reduced the side force pressure and resulted in the rolling back towards me, past the neutral point. Need to find a way to solve the twitchy controlling and keep the rudder centered even as I move around the cockpit. Going downwind presented another challenge. Boat felt diffi...

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