posted 29 Nov 2009 15:01 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
This article is reprinted from the Hawk 20 Owner’s Manual and appears by kind permission of Reid Marine.
Starting.
The start is one of the most, if not THE most important part of the
race. Generally this is where the good guys jump the back markers and
within a few seconds of the race starting it’s all over. Why is this?
Because the good guys have thought about where they want to start,
which is the favoured end of the line (you must find out), is there any
tide, they have the sound signals accurately on their stopwatch, they
are not frightened to get on the front row of the grid and be bang on
the line when the gun goes. They have anticipated what is going to
happen at the start and know the rules. The back markers don’t.
Don’t
be afraid to start with the good guys, don’t be intimidated by them,
you have as much right to be there as they do. So next time you go
racing, know the rules, get to the starting area early, get organised,
think it through and start with, or ahead of the good guys. It’s easy!
Generally
the boat speed between Hawks in clear air is very similar, so where you
position your boat on the race course is very important. The good guys
win not because their boat speed is twice yours but because they don’t
loose time/distance around the race course. The secret to winning is
not to make any mistakes, by mistakes I mean, bad starts, not sailing
in clear air, bad boat handling, going past the laylines, bad mark
roundings, etc….
If
you are first off the start line you are in a great position to be
first round the windward mark. You can tack where you want, you have
clear air, you can cover your nearest challengers and you can call the
layline. Only a few boats have this luxury.
Before
the start you must have a game plan of which way you want to go upwind.
If you come off the start line in the pack the first thing you need to
do is get clear air, don’t ever sit in dirty air,
you are going nowhere. You must tack into clear air, even if that means
ducking a few transoms, it’s worth it. Once in clear air you can tack
back to the favour side of the course or keep going but never sail in
someone else’s dirty air. Don’t be afraid to make a small loss in order
to make a gain.
Boat
handling is really just down to practising with your crew. If you’re a
bit rusty make sure you have a practise before the start, try some
tacks, always hoist the spinnaker to see if it goes up without any
knots or tangles, try gybing it, you’ll need to at the wing mark.
Practising before the start is a great way to get you and your crew
fired up for the race, you’ll have a much better feel for the wind
speed and direction as well as tide and wave conditions.
Know
where the first mark is, don’t loose time over laying it, if unsure
tack early, you can always tack again when you can see the mark.
Mark
roundings are very important especially when there are lots of boats
around you. You need to anticipate what the others boats around you
will do and react accordingly.
At
the windward mark you should try to arrive at it on starboard and be
the inside boat, you are then in a great position to bear away quickly
and go where you want.
At
the wing mark you must be the inside boat so you have rights to the
mark and you can gybe when you want and power away. If you are the
outside boat you’re in trouble because you can’t gybe until all the
boats inside you have and when you do, you’ll find yourself below
everybody and in their dirty air.
At
the leeward mark you must also be the inside boat so you have rights to
the mark and you can head up when you want and power away upwind. If
you are the outside boat, again you’re in trouble because you can’t
head up until all the boats inside you have and when you do, you’ll
find yourself below everybody and in their dirty air. This is a
hopeless position to be in because you often can’t tack, all you can do
is watch the other boats sail away. Never find yourself in this position!
Racing
is great fun and the better you do the more fun it will be for you and
your crew. Don’t shout at your crew, anticipate each situation early
and tell them what you are thinking and what your plan is. Good
communication is essential.
Read
and understand the sailing instructions. Get a course sheet. Buy a
rule book - you don’t need to know every rule, but a basic
understanding is required.
Don’t
get involved in incidents with other boats. It’s sometimes much better
to anticipate an incident before it happens and steer round it, even if
you are in the right.
Sail
against others in the same way that you wish to be sailed against. The
unwritten rule is the best way of preserving friendship and encouraging
participation in racing.
Sail fairly and cleanly and when you win everybody can share in your joy.
Tim Reid
©Reid Marine |
posted 29 Nov 2009 14:19 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
Article first published Friday, 15 August 2008 on the original hawk20.net, now moved to this site.
You may have read
Tim Reid’s notes on race preparation and that you should lose
excess weight to become more competitive. We've all intuitively done this by deciding to race 2 up in light winds. However racing with less crew is one
thing, but losing crew weight is another. Fortunately there are
other sources of weight that are easier to shed and don’t involve less beer.
The reason you want to lose excess
weight is because it reduces acceleration. Pah, I hear you say,
we’re not in a Caterham Super Light sports car, so weight doesn’t
really make a difference. But it does. Every time you come out of a
tack, every wave you surf down, the boat accelerates, and every time
you don’t accelerate as much as your competition, they gain a bit,
or stretch out their lead a bit further. And that is why you need to
put your boat on a diet. If round the world racers are
cutting handles off their toothbrush to save a few grams, then there
might be something in this losing weight.
The obvious things are when you go
through the lockers and turf out spare fenders, the boat hook, the
brush used for cleaning the underside of the hull, that second spare
long warp, the spare anchor, unnecessary chain, etc. I have even
heard of a barbecue being taken out of a cruising Hawk!
Then, have you considered;
A 4 stroke engine generally weights
6-8Kg more than the equivalent 2 stroke. Then if your 2 gallon fuel
tank is full, it’s probably 1.5 gallons more than you need to get
to the start line and back, which adds an unnecessary 4-5Kg. So in
the engine department you can win 10+Kg. Shouldn’t 2 strokes with
integral tanks be prized possessions?
What about that bit of water
sloshing around in the main locker? A friend parked his trailer (Hawk
on it) so the bow was lower than the stern. Even though the locker
was dry to start with, a significant puddle gathered when the bow was
kept down. Using a sponge he took out nearly two full 2 gallon
buckets, so there’s another 10+Kg.
Look at your sailing clothes. Do you
really need everything? Yes, you certainly need to be safe, but
perhaps you don’t need the spare set of dry clothes.
Sail bags, boom cover? I think
you’ll be surprised when you add up all the non-essential bits and
bobs you carry. Boats, like their owners, put on weight with
increasing years. So look around your boat and ask, “What do I
really need?”
If you found water in the front main
locker, you should ask how it got there? If you see any pooled
water or evidence of tide marks in the front locker, you need to
check the following three items.
Firstly; look at the holes cut for the
speed log and depth gauge transducers, and check for leaks around the
transducers in the hull collars.
Secondly; if you are getting water
ingress after checking the transducer cut outs, then check the
SIKAFLEX sealing around the self bailers. In my opinion the sealant
needs to be replaced every two or three years as it becomes
“un-bonded” and allows water to get in. The two separate
mouldings of the hull meet in the self bailer well; the hull exterior
moulding, and the interior cockpit moulding. There is a fine
un-bonded gap around the inside of the self bailer mechanism where
water can penetrate into the hull between the two hull mouldings. The
boat needs to be out of the water to work on this. From inside the
boat, undo the 6 small nuts at the bottom of the self bailer well.
You will likely need a friend to be under the boat and use a
screwdriver to stop the countersunk bolts rotating. Then drift out
the bolts, use gentle strength to pull up a corner of a self bailer,
and then pull it all out. Clean up the bailer and hole, then apply
liberal amounts of SIKAFLEX 221, taking care to spread it over the
un-bonded gap between the two hull mouldings, then form a bed for the
self bailer, reinsert, and bolt down.
Thirdly; some have found the seal
around the “pintal hatches” needs to be replaced. Failure
of this seal allows water to get inside the transom, whence it will
pool between the hull and cockpit mouldings, and drain to the front
locker via the two tubes you can see inside the front locker, either
side of the centreboard casing. The “pintal hatches” are the 5
inch circular grp pieces on the transom, inside the engine well.
Check the pintals while you have the hatches off, and reseal the
hatches with a thin line of SIKAFLEX 221. Make sure its a thin line
or you'll never unstick the pintail hatches in the future.
So, hopefully, your boat is now lighter
and able to accelerate that bit faster. Remember “Every little bit
helps”.
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posted 29 Nov 2009 14:03 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
[
updated 29 Nov 2009 15:39
]
Class Rules first published on the original hawk20.net in November 2007, now moved to this site. The Class Rules are maintained by Reid Marine and appear here by kind permission of Reid Marine.
INTENTION The Hawk 20 is a one-design class. The intention of the Rules is to ensure that all boats are as alike as possible and that boats are raced as supplied by the manufacturers, to achieve the closest competition and maximum fun. RULES 1. HULL AND DECK. No additional fixings or fittings may be added (other than safety harnesses), altered or moved in any way. However, fittings of similar design from another manufacturer may be used as a replacement in case of breakage. 2. The intention is for the crew to sit in or sit on the side deck. No toe straps, no hoops or any other devices to aid hanging out may be fitted, nor may rigging or any other parts of the standard boat be used to achieve hanging out. 3. SPARS AND RIGGING. To be supplied by John Reid & Sons Ltd. No modifications or additional fittings and fixtures are permitted. The backstay crane must not be modified. All standing and running rigging must not be removed. A downhaul of no more than 4-1 may be fitted. A length of elastic or rope may be attached to the ‘P’ bracket and run aft to the shroud to prevent the spinnaker retrieval rope getting caught. Modifications to the jib halyard are permitted to prevent slipping. Lazy Jacks are permitted. 4. SAILS. All sails are to be those manufactured by Sanders Sails Ltd and must comply with the dimensions held by them. No additional fittings or alterations to shape or size may be permitted, except for Tell Tales. 5. FOILS. As manufactured by John Reid & Sons Ltd. No modifications or additional fittings are permitted , nor modifications to apertures. 6. TILLER. Tillers and tiller extensions must not be longer than those originally supplied. Different makes are permitted. A ladder type is permitted. Extending types are not permitted. A quick release cleat for the downhaul is permitted. 7. An outboard motor of not less than 3.5hp shall be carried in the outboard well with fuel at all times. 8. Modifications to boarding ladders and fitting of a grab handle is permitted. Ladder, if fitted when boat was new, must not be removed unless replaced with a suitable alternative agreed by John Reid & Sons Ltd. 9. Any make or type of electronic device may be fitted. 10. Hawk 20 may be raced with any number of crew in any race. The number of crew can vary from race to race in any series. Weight jackets, including absorbent clothing externally worn, are not allowed. No shifting of ballast, water or otherwise are allowed except for crew. The boat must finish with the same number of crew that it started with in any one race.
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posted 29 Nov 2009 13:56 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
Article first published Sunday, 23 March 2008 on the original hawk20.net, now moved to this site. The following
notes are a supplement to Tim Reid’s excellent racing guide
published else where on the site. I have found the following mast set
up to give good speed across the range of conditions.
Mast
Rake
1. Attach a tape
measure to the main halyard shackle and pull it to the top of the
mast.
2. Ensure the mast
is vertical in the boat by measuring the distance to each chain
plate. Leave the inners slack.
3. Take up on the
forestay to the same tension as normally used for racing. Release the
main sheet and kicker.
4. Adjust the
outer shrouds so that the distance between the top of the main
halyard and the outer edge of the transom is 9150mm (see sketch).
5. As an over
check I pulled the tape measure up on the spinnaker halyard and used
a measurement of 7090mm to the bow roller. However this will depend
on the exact arrangement of swivels and shackles on your spinnaker
halyard.
Mast
Bend
1. Take up on the
forestay to the same tension as normally used for racing. Release the
main sheet and kicker.
2. Cleat the main
halyard and pull it taught so that it just touches the back of the
spreaders beside the mast (see sketch).
3. Now look where
the taught halyard passes the mast at the height of the goose neck.
It should be in line with the front of the mast at this point.
4. If the halyard
does not pass in front of the mast then the mast is too straight so
loosen the inners. If the halyard passes ahead of the front of the
mast then straighten the mast by shortening the inners.
5. Finally check
that the mast is straight (not S shaped) by sighting up the front
edge.
Jib
sheet
The single most
important thing I have learned about racing a Hawk is not to over
tension the jib when beating. This is especially important in light
airs.
Even in heavier
conditions it is worth releasing a bit of sheet and bearing away a
fraction to power through short choppy waves.
After tacking do
not tension the sheet too quickly before bringing the boat back up to
full speed.
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posted 29 Nov 2009 13:44 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
This article is reprinted from the Hawk 20 Owner’s Manual and appears by kind permission of Reid Marine. Racing is fun, but winning is fantastic. However, this will only happen with effort. When you win for the first time you will realise the effort was worth it and you’ll never want to be a back marker again. Here is a short account of how I go about preparing and racing a Hawk 20 to win. The first thing to do is to prepare the Hawk 20 for racing, this is a slightly different set-up from cruising or sailing for fun. A cruising set-up is for ease of sailing and generally you sacrifice some performance for convenience. A racing set-up is for gaining the best possible performance even if that means sacrificing some sailing comforts or luxuries. Boat preparation for Racing: (not necessarily in order of importance) 1) THE HULL must be completely clean, free from weed, barnacles and river slime. Any foreign bodies on the hull will slow you down. 2) THE LOCKERS Remove all non-essential gear. It’s just dead weight and will slow you down. 3) THE CENTRE PLATE must be smooth and corrosion free. Check it goes up and down freely. Does the clam cleat work? Calibrate the rope with a black pen so you know how far the plate is up or down. 4) THE RUDDER Check that all the bolts are tight and none broken, thus eliminating excessive rudder slop (it’s not fast and feels like you’re stirring a jelly). Always race with the blade fully down. (The downhaul rope should be as tight as possible to prevent slop) 5) THE MAST should be slightly raked aft with a small amount of pre-bend in. Check that the mast is straight, side to side, if not adjust the upper and lower shrouds until it is. Always tighten the lock nuts on the bottle screws, otherwise they will undo. The rigging is tensioned when the jib is raised and the halyard winched tight (very tight). To avoid lost halyard tension you may need to knot the halyard rope around the jammer to prevent it from slipping. When the jib is raised look up the main sail track on the back of the mast. You should see the mast is bending back (bow to stern) never forward and is straight (side to side). If it isn’t, adjust the shrouds until it is. The forestay (with jib raised) should be slack, floppy slack, to remove slack wrap a piece of shock cord around the forestay and ‘P’ bracket several times then knot. Tight but not too tight. The reason you do this is to prevent the forestay from taking any load because you want the jib luff to be as straight as possible so it must take all the load. (The ideal arrangement would be to have a foil track or remove the forestay altogether but both of these are against class rules.) 6) THE KICKING STRAP needs to be adjusted along the boom so it has enough travel for all conditions. Undo the bolt on the kicker slider (under the boom) so it can move, push the kicker together until there is no more travel. Slacken the topping lift allowing the boom to drop until it is about a foot (300mm) from the deck. Tighten the slider bolt on the kicker, now completely slacken the topping lift, the boom will drop a small amount until the kicker strut takes the weight of the boom. The end of the boom should still be about a foot (300mm) from the deck. If not adjust the kicker slider forward or aft until it is. Hoist the mainsail fully to check that there is enough travel in the kicker. When you are completely happy with its position remove the slider bolt, mark its position (approx 855mm along boom) and drill a 6mm diameter hole for the bolt to go in. Now your kicker will never slip down the boom again when it is windy. 7) THE BOOM Ensure the main sheet blocks are above the lower blocks and that the slider screws are tight. The first reefing line should be fitted but not the second reefing line, make sure this is tidy and taped onto the boom. The outhaul should be tight when it’s windy, slightly slacker when it’s not. 8) SETTING THE SPINNAKER. People often seem confused with where they should have the spinnaker pole i.e. on the forestay or nearer the shroud. A ballpark guide to remember is the pole should be a continuation of the mainsail boom. In other words when close reaching the boom is sheeted in and therefore the pole should be on the forestay. When going downwind the boom is right out and therefore the pole should be near to the shroud. The closer the pole is to the shroud the more effective the spinnaker will be because it is not blanketed by the main. The spinnaker sheet needs to be played constantly to get the most power from the sail, don’t over or under sheet it, let it breathe, much concentration is required from the trimmer. Don’t let him get distracted for a second! The spinnaker downhaul rope should have a stop knot 18” down from where it’s tied to the spinnaker. This helps the spinnaker to bunch correctly when lowering and stops it from poking out of the deck. The spinnaker pole. I prefer the jaw on the end of the pole to face upward - personal choice. With the uphaul and downhaul ropes attached check when pulling the pole out that it doesn’t twist, if it does you will need to turn the ball round on the end of the pole. (Undo the screws, rotate the ball to the correct position and re-drill two new holes in the ball and refix the screws.) The uphaul and downhaul ropes need to be cut to length and a knot tied in each one by the cleats so they can’t go beyond their correct positions. (These knots will stop some hairy moments with the spinnaker when it’s windy) 9) MARKING OF ROPES WITH A BLACK MARKER. Mark the spinnaker sheets by the jammer when the spinnaker is up and the pole is in its correct reaching position by the forestay. Mark the spinnaker halyard when fully up 200mm from the jammer. Mark the centreplate rope in up, middle and down positions. Mark the mainsail halyard by the jammer when its in the correct position for the first reef. 10)TAPE UP all split rings / pins and any sharp objects (don’t forget high level) that will snag and rip the sails especially the spinnaker. This will also prevent the usual bleeding flesh when racing. 11)THE MAINSAIL Ensure all the battens are in. To stop the top batten catching the back stay, cut 10- 15mm off the length and always tie it in as hard as possible with the knot hidden inside the batten pocket. It should now be flush with the sail. Check that all the leech tell-tales are still there. When hoisting the mainsail, take the topping lift off the end of the boom and tie it onto the halyard shackle on the mainsail headboard then pull up the sail as normal but don’t forget to pull the topping lift rope through. The mainsail halyard sometimes slips through the jammer so you can either sleeve it with a short length of rope 8mm diameter, or leave it tied round the winch when racing. A simple 2:1 cunningham is a useful addition. Don’t sheet the mainsail too hard in light winds, make sure it has some curve to it, (check the leech tell-tales are flying). In moderate to heavy winds the mainsail can be sheeted hard, very hard, (if it isn’t you won’t point) 12)THE JIB Always take the jib down after racing never leave the jib furled up overnight, or for long periods as it makes it go like corrugated sheet (very slow). To make it easier to remove the jib change the pins and split rings top and bottom for captive pin shackles. Don’t have too much rope in the furler drum as it tends to jam, 2 turns left on the drum when the jib is fully furled is fine. When furling the jib it’s much easier to do it going down wind particularly when it’s windy. Don’t sheet the jib too hard in light winds, make sure it has some curve to it. In moderate to heavy winds the jib can be sheeted hard, very hard (if it isn’t you won’t point). Make sure the jib cars are positioned correctly. When beating the jib clew block and the car block should be between 75mm to 150mm apart depending on the wind strength. Move the car forward in light winds and back in heavy winds. Tim Reid ©Reid Marine |
posted 29 Nov 2009 13:37 by Webmaster Hawk20 Sailing
[
updated 29 Nov 2009 13:42
]
Article first published Friday, 19 October 2007 on the original hawk20.net, now moved to this site.
I wrote these notes for a 78 year young friend who crewed for me. He read them every evening before bedtime to memorise the chain of events and what to do in a given situation. I hope the notes will be as helpful for you as they have been for me. SA FLYING THE SPINNAKER (hereafter referred to as the “sp”)
LAUNCHING THE POLE 1. Un-cleat sp guy (that’s the sp sheet on the windward side). 2. Unclip the forward end of pole from the boom. 3. Clip on the guy (keep the piston clip uppermost). 4. Launch the pole, un-cleating the pole uphaul/ downhaul as needed. The plastic ball on the pole must locate into the socket on the mast (it will clunk as it seats home). 5. Take up slack in the sp guy and re-cleat. 6. Cleat the pole downhaul so the pole is at 90 degrees to the mast, ie horizontal like the boom.
HOISTING THE sp
1. Lay the retrieve line to the starboard of the centreboard casing so it will go through the block cleanly.
2. Un-cleat the retrieval line and check that its not knotted.
3. Put two turns of the sp halyard around the winch.
4. Pull the halyard to launch the sp.
5. Hoist it till the head of the sp makes contact with the block in the mast, then release it a foot so the sp is clear of air turbulence caused by the mast.
6. Set the pole to be at 90 degrees to the wind (ie across wind).
7. Pull in guy (upwind side) and sheet (downwind side) to fill the sp.
8. Trim the sp. Ease the sheet until the leading edge (luff/ pole side) starts to collapse, then harden the sheet to fill the sp. Keep “playing” the sheet to trim for best performance.
GYBING (only done close to “dead run” point of sail. Needs teamwork with helm)
1. Let off the pole launch rope.
2. Retrieve the pole and unclip the guy.
3. Hand the pole to the new tack side and clip on the new guy (this may be at the same time as the boom gybing, so don’t get trapped).
4. Launch the pole (make sure ball goes into socket).
5. Set the pole at 90 degrees to the wind.
6. Trim the sp.
RETRIEVING THE sp
1. Remove one turn from the halyard on the winch.
2. Hold the halyard to stop it running out, and release the clutch.
3. While easing the halyard, pull the retrieval line from the block, not the ‘chute.
4. If the sp stops coming in, check what’s stopping it.
5. Un-cleat and let off the guy and the sheet (the sp will be entering the ‘chute when you need to do this).
6. Pull the sp home (head end and foot of sp will be just entering the ‘chute and the retrieval point will be touching the retrieval line block on the centreboard casing in the cockpit).
7. Close the clutch.
8. Tension and cleat the retrieval line (and maybe pull on halyard to tighten the line so it does not wrap around the jib).
9. Release pole launch, retrieve pole and unclip guy.
10. Clip pole to parking eye.
11. Cleat sheet and guy.
12. Tidy pole downhaul and launch rope.
13. Tidy sp halyard.
14. After a retrieve check the sp fabric is not trapped in the metal retrieve ring on the sp between the halyard and the retrieve ring. It cuts/ burns the fabric and you end up with small holes or weaknesses around the retrieve point.
POSTSCRIPT THOUGHTS (in no particular order)
1. Use your ‘chute cover if all you are doing is a long upwind slog. It avoids getting buckets of water into the ‘chute and the cockpit.
2. After sailing don’t leave the sp in the ‘chute. How would you like to be left damp and dark for weeks on end? You encourage mildew and hasten the loss of sp crispness.
3. Snap shackles on the sp halyard can let go at the most awkward time. I took off my shackle, put a bobble ball on the end of the sp halyard, loop the halyard through the sp head, and back over the ball. Its quick to attach and detach.
4. Ensure there are no sharp edges on the P ring. Also the ends of the rubbing strake (under the front roller) can be sharp, particularly the underside.
5. Cover the end of the front roller with a ball to keep the sp fabric away from sharp edges. I find large holey balls (like large golf practice flight balls) are ideal as they have less friction than tennis balls or duck tape. I had to buy a large quantity to get mine, so please make contact. I’m sure one can be provided at reasonable rates!
6. Should the piston clip at the end of the sp pole face up or down? I prefer my clip to face up but this is a matter of personal preference.
7. Use the winches for sheet and guy control in heavy weather.
END
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