Wind Strategy for Sailboat Racing on Lake Washington

(Content provided by the J24 Fleet ‐ Harry Dursch, Keith Whittemore, etc)

To do!

1) Which breeze is the mark in? Maximize time in that breeze

2) Connect the puffs/shifts to get there the quickest

3) If you get to decide when to tack after a start, will finish in the top five.

4) Felt pens are your friend. Mark the trim settings on the lines.

Question to Bill Buchan .... "Isn’t Puget Sound a good training ground for racing in crapshoots"?

"Lake Washington is better. In Puget Sound there's too much tide. You sail right thru wind shifts, right thru everything

just to get to better current. If it hadn't been for my Lake Washington years, I don't think we'd be as nearly as good as

sailors. I've heard Buddy Melges say the same thing about lake sailing. The first 15 years I raced were all in Lake

Washington so I had a really good feeling for light airs and shifty winds. We'd go out and beat these guys in a breeze and

I'm sure they think "if we get a light breeze we're going to get his number" and we'd go out on a light day we beat them

by more. Not always of course. A little bit of sailing on Puget Sound helps you understand currents. You work on your

boat speed out in the sound."

Lake Washington Racing General

There really only two true breezes in the Seattle area, northerlies and southerlies. The rest are transitional. Off the

coast the wind is mostly westerly and in good weather it comes down the straights as a westerly sea‐breeze and heads

south down the sound as a northerly. In bad weather the southerly comes through the Chehalis Gap and works its way

north.

The winds on the lake (and sound) are very much affected by the land masses they need to work around. The northerlies

are more consistent because from where we race, the end of the lake to the north is much further than to the end of the

lake to the south.

The lake is a great learning place to sail because you can see the wind on the water unlike a lot of other places.

Try to get out early and do wind checks at the center of the line to check the line and get a feel for what the wind is

doing. From the middle of the lake you can see the flag on the Two Union Square building. This is a great indicator.

On Wind direction and conditions.

The lake is the lake and layline corner shooters will always win some races. The goal is to win the series, not the race.

Series winning boats go up the middle and hit shifts. But in some wind conditions you just need to be in certain areas. In

these conditions try to work the shifts but favor and protect these favored areas.

NORTHERLIES

Good weather northerlies always fill from the sound so you can get a good idea what will happen by calling a friend with

a view of Puget Sound or checking West Point on‐line websites.

Wind Direction: Northwest (out of the Tennis Club)

Do you go chase the port tack lift or is the weather mark out in the middle of the lake? Sometimes the Race Committee

will move the course marks close to shore, impacting port tack lifts.

This means that the breeze is filling from the West and there will be a port lift inshore up the beat as you approach the

tennis club. This is because the wind is coming from the northwest and it can flow through the lower terrain that is

north past the tennis club. It is more north to the south by the moorage because it funnels down the lake in these areas

where the hills are very high.

It will be lighter on the beach. The "lane" is the key, too far out and boats get lifted off you, too far in and you run out of

air. The port layline is too far.

Downwind you want to get off the shore but this can be difficult with the boats on the lay line. If you have a big westerly

shot, sail real low.

Wind Direction: Due North (Bow is pointed at the middle of the 520 bridge)

This means that the breeze is mature and you can go either way with the shifts but it is safer to favor the left side.

Downwind you work the shifts and puffs.

(If the first beat is short you need to be cautious not to start too far down the line for fear of not being able to cross the

boats when you want to tack back to the mark)

Wind Direction: North East (Bow is pointed at the east end of the 520 bridge or further east of that.... the Bill Gates

northerly)

While this can be a solid breeze, the most likely change is for it to go west. For this reason we almost always go left and

try to start where we can hold our lane. The boats that get forced right usually come out behind as there is less wind.

Downwind bear away to go out in the lake but at times boats will jibe quick and jump you. Also a westerly shift will hurt

so it is a bit risky.

Finishing upwind on North East wind. On that part of the lake it almost always pays to go right. The boats forced left do

extra tacks, are in the wakes and wind shadow of the boats coming down wind. There are a lot of things you can do in a

pack to go right, such as slowing down, going below the guy in front or doing a "coast up" after the mark. Likely you will

pass boats in front of you that were forced left.

SOUTHERLIES

Southerlies are much puffer because the wind is coming down from over the hills. Puffs hit the water and spread out

like a fan. You will get lifted up both sides of the fan. If the puff is above you, there will be a lift. If the puff is on or

below your bow, you will get headed. Keep the puffs over your forward shoulder. Watch the clouds they will give you

great indications of what is happening.

Wind Direction: South West (Bow is pointed at the west side of the I90 bridge high rise)

This means that the breeze is filling from the West and the puffs will likely be starboard lifts. (Lift and wind...good!) In

general just below the starboard layline is a good spot but depending on where you are in the fleet it is easy to go too

far and this is real bad. It will be lighter on the beach.

The "lane" is the key, too far out and boats get lifted off you, too far in and you run out of air.

Down wind you want to get off the shore but this can be difficult with the boats on the lay line. Ifyou have a big westerly

shot, sail real low. (We tend to bear away on the first rounding and gibe sets on the second when the fleet is spread out

more.

Wind Direction: South (Bow is pointed at the middle of the I90 bridge)

This is a solid southerly and you can hit the shifts but favor the direction that you think the wind may go (or come from).

One side will win but probably not be by that much. We tend to protect the right. Stay in front of the puffs and hit the

shifts.

Wind Direction: South East (Bow is pointed at the East end of the I90 bridge or close to that)

We hate this breeze as it can be all over the place as the wind works its way around Mercer Island. We like right to get

back out in the lake but have had a lot of boats lift off of us.

The "lane" is again the key, too far west and boats get lifted off you, too far east and you run out of air. Layline can show

up quickly as often weather mark isn't far enough east.

Finishing ‐ On that part of the lake it almost always pays to go a bit right. After the mark you need to go straight at least

until you get above the traffic.

THE "FAKE WINDS"

Easterlies and due Westerly's are not real. They are transitional and are challenging to sail on. Thunderstorms

anywhere in the area will really screw things up.

Wind Direction: Westerly's

The breeze is likely filling and is falling over the hill. We always favor the side with the most wind and the side that we

believe the wind will head. This is checked by the flag on Two Union Square Building. It is very light inshore so you need

to come in to the mark hot and fast.

For downwind, take the gibe that gets you off the beach fastest. Finishing ‐ Same advice as upwind.

PS: Westerly's can go either way ...

Wind Direction: Easterlies

This is the most unpredictable direction and typically favor the side with the most wind and the side that we believe the

wind will head.

Finishing ‐ Same advice as upwind.

PS: Easterlies go south a lot...but can go north too

Other sailing notes ‐

Get down to the boat early and get out on the water.

Clean your bottoms (Mclube, Cheap Diver and swim) even with fresh bottom paint

Check your standing rigging every race day

Always put your spinnaker up before the race!

Get out of the back of boats (helmsman forward of traveler as much as possible

Downwind: We have someone stand up by the mast and call the puffs so the helmsman can concentrate on

driving. Do this ASAP, save the clean‐up for later!

Start towards the favored end but not in the jam ups as there is more that will be lost than gained and as you

are picking your line location, think about the first shift.

Have someone continually watch to see if you are gaining or losing (Falling in or lifting off)