Racing Manual V1.2 January 2014 Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3 The Boat ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Positions on a Sigma 38 ................................................................................................................. 4 Points of Sail .................................................................................................................................. 5 Tacking a boat ............................................................................................................................... 6 Gybing a boat ................................................................................................................................ 7 Essential knots all sailors should know ............................................................................................... 8 Bowline ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Cleat Knot ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Clove Hitch ................................................................................................................................... 8 Reef Knot....................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure of 8 .................................................................................................................................... 9 Round Turn and Two Half Hitches .................................................................................................. 9 The Racing Rules of Sailing............................................................................................................... 10 Start Line ..................................................................................................................................... 10 On opposite tacks ........................................................................................................................ 10 On the same tack, overlapped ..................................................................................................... 10 On the same tack, not overlapped ............................................................................................... 11 Same tack proper course ............................................................................................................. 11 What is an overlap? ..................................................................................................................... 11 Mark rounding ............................................................................................................................. 12 Pre-race check list:- ......................................................................................................................... 13 Pre start .......................................................................................................................................... 14 How to establish line basis? ......................................................................................................... 14 Mark position .............................................................................................................................. 15 Starting Sequence ........................................................................................................................... 17 The Start ......................................................................................................................................... 18 The ideal start position ................................................................................................................ 18 The run to the line ....................................................................................................................... 19 Race tactics ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Mark rounding ............................................................................................................................. 22 The Genoa/Jib ................................................................................................................................. 23 Running Backstay’s ...................................................................................................................... 23 1 | P a g e www.equinoxsailing.com Trimming a Genoa/Jib.................................................................................................................. 24 Genoa/Jib car position ................................................................................................................. 24 Upwind Sail Trim ......................................................................................................................... 25 Reaching Sail Trim ....................................................................................................................... 25 Downwind Sail Trim ..................................................................................................................... 25 Headsail Changes ......................................................................................................................... 26 The Main Sail ................................................................................................................................... 29 Halyard Tension ........................................................................................................................... 29 Cunningham ................................................................................................................................ 30 Backstay ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Outhaul ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Twist ........................................................................................................................................... 31 Upwind sail trim .......................................................................................................................... 32 Reaching sail trim ........................................................................................................................ 32 Downwind sail trim ...................................................................................................................... 32 True and Apparent Wind ............................................................................................................. 33 Main Sail Reefing ............................................................................................................................. 36 Why do we reef? ......................................................................................................................... 36 How to reef? ............................................................................................................................... 36 Symmetric Spinnaker ....................................................................................................................... 38 Bear away Set .............................................................................................................................. 38 Gybe Set ...................................................................................................................................... 39 Setting the pole ........................................................................................................................... 40 Flying the Spinnaker .................................................................................................................... 40 Spinnaker depth .......................................................................................................................... 41 Light Airs ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Strong Winds ............................................................................................................................... 41 Gybing ......................................................................................................................................... 42 The Drop ..................................................................................................................................... 43 2 | P a g e www.equinoxsailing.com Congratulations on choosing to go racing with Equinox Sailing Introduction Yacht racing is one of the most exciting team sports around, requiring skill and team work. One-design yacht racing offers some of the closest racing all boats are identical, so it is the skill, cooperation and communication between the crew which makes the difference to the boats ability to be competitive. We hope you enjoy racing with us and to make your time on the water more enjoyable we have put together some of the basics that we hope you will find useful. The Boat RHO is a Sigma 38 Ocean One Design