|
Tim Hills
"how to" on the Contender (copied from the
from the International website)...
Thanks to Tim Hill, Chris Sutherland and Greg
Barrington who have all helped supply this article
written by Tim. It contains Tim's thoughts about how he
sailed the contender and is a wealth of information.
01 SAILING
The
contender responds to experience — either across a short
period of time with intensive training; or across many
years of effort. I have not seen a sailor (yet) get in
the boat and immediately reach a high standard. In my
experience there are no short cuts; and the greatest
improvements are directly related to time on the water.
Most
difficult of all to improve is boat feel — it’s the only
topic I haven’t bothered to write about because it needs
to be felt — and everybody has to find their own way.
Steve Grimes describes the contender as very ‘groovy’;
get in the groove; no matter the conditions or wind
angle; and stay there. More than most boats, the
contender rewards an instinctive feel for speed.
This
summary documents the things I can readily communicate
on paper; boat set up, boat handling techniques, mast
set up and training routines. There is no ‘right way’ to
race a contender - there are as many ways to sail the
boats as people sailing them.
02 BOAT HANDLING
The
contender is a big, relatively heavy, narrow boat that
goes very quickly in a straight line.
Turning corners is not easy and is something I practice
all the time. There are many ways to tack and gybe the
boat; my routines are below — try them and see if they
work for you;
TACKING
LIGHT — ROLL TACKING OFF THE PEDESTAL
In
light air I sit as far forward as possible, usually
somewhere opposite the boom vang. In light weather I
tack behind the pedestal, facing forwards — starting
from a sitting position near the boom vang:
-
stand up; or squat up if it’s lumpy
-
take one step towards the rear of the boat, putting your
foot behind the pedestal; place your rear foot according
to the wind pressure so the boat leans gently to leeward
and initiates the tack
-
sit down on the side tank; at the same time uncleat the
mainsheet and let around 2 feet of sheet run through
your hand; at the same time put the helm across;
-
the boat will lean to weather as it passes through head
to wind; it’s important to roll the boat and I often use
my sheet hand to swing off the pedestal to exaggerate
the roll; it also stops me from falling backwards into
the water;
-
the boom should cross your back; you might need to push
your bum over the old weather side a bit because the
boom is very low
-
stand up; your feet will be in the new leeward side;
take a big step forward back over the bridle to the
front of the boat and sit down; swap hands once you’re
settled.
This
takes a bit of practice; but the boat should come out of
the tack as fast as it goes in; get tacks right and I
found light air became a whole lot more enjoyable...
In
light weather, Marcus Hamilton tacks in the front of the
cockpit; under the vang. He collapses and extends a
collapsible tiller extension behind the mainsheet during
the tack and rolls the boat off the boom vang. Keeping
his weight forward means the boat doesn’t dig transom in
and stop mid tack; but it’s more difficult to roll the
boat and harder to get it going. I opted for tacking
behind the pedestal after my first visit racing
contenders in Europe; both techniques work well with
practice.
MEDIUM - WIRE TO WIRE
Medium weather is all about keeping the power in the
rig; and spending as little time as possible in the
tack. In medium weather I tack facing backwards -
- I
trapeze just in front of the pedestal; so from this
position;
-
cleat the main in the upwind position; I keep the
mainsheet looped through my belt; so I drop the sheet
into my lap;
-
unhook and hold onto the wire; wait until you’re on top
of a wave
-
push the helm across; and roll into the boat; my tiller
arm touches the aft deck and my back leg sits against
the cockpit wall
-
duck under the boom; I switch tiller hands as the boom
passes over my head;
-
then I turn and kick off the pedestal; I usually push
out before I spot the handle which I grab with my new
forward hand;
- my
lead hand picks up the handle; sometimes I pump the boat
through the trapeze to get it going; it’s important to
get forward of the mainsheet pedestal quickly to get the
bow down and the boat climbing again...
- I
use my tiller hand to hook on
-
pick up the main from the trapeze belt; uncleat and off
I go...
The
boat shouldn’t stop; if you really get it right you
should be going just as fast out as you went in.
I
don’t use tacking sticks; Marcus Hamilton and Matt Hosie
have followed Arthur Brett’s lead and use thin PVC tubes
to make the trapeze tackle a solid rod. This allows them
to use their trapeze hand to hook onto the belt while
the tiller hand continues to steer; and gives them a
much bigger thing to grab onto following tacks and
gybes. I don’t use this piece of equipment but it works
very well for them.
HEAVY - EXTREME WEATHER; VANG OFF
I
tend to use the medium air technique right through the
range; but I introduced a small variation when it’s
really windy. Sometimes at the top of the range in big
seas; the boat doesn’t have enough speed to get through
the tack; I throw the vang a little just before I unhook
and go into the tack. Without the vang the boat has a
wider groove and will happily power off onto the new
tack without trying to round up. Once on the trapeze on
the new tack; the first thing I do is pull the vang back
on; and then uncleat the main. It’s a little bit slower
because you lose height into and out of the tack as the
vang comes on and off; but it’s very safe when it’s
howling with a big sea running.
GYBING
LIGHT — ROLL GYBES
I
use two sorts of light air roll gybes; in front of the
pedestal and behind. The boat will slow when you’re back
behind the pedestal; but you can complete the gybe more
quickly and roll the boat more effectively on the way in
and way out.
I
gybe in front of the pedestal only when it’s very light
—
-
before I start; I put the tiller extension to leeward of
the mainsheet; so that when I’m on the new gybe it’s not
tangled; once I’ve done this I
- I
start the gybe by moving my body to windward; I face
across the boat, looking at the boom;
-
I initiate the roll and the boat will steer itself into
the gybe; I try to balance the boat on the windward
chine;
- As
the boat passes through the wind I reach up to the boom
which feels like it’s pointing up into the air as the
boat rolls to windward;
- I
pull the vang across and step across to the new windward
side; the batten pops if you swing on the vang a
little...
I
gybe behind the mainsheet when there’s a little bit of
pressure in the rig; or if the gybe mark is crowded;
it’s easier to manoeuvre the boat when you’re behind the
mainsheet —
- I
step from the front of the cockpit to behind the
mainsheet
- I
sit on the windward side and swing off the pedestal to
pre-roll the boat over to the windward chine; the boat
will steer itself into the gybe;
- as
the boom comes towards me I slide across the boat and
move into the forward part of the cockpit...
MEDIUM - CRASH GYBES
Crash gybes are risky and not useful if you capsize; but
if you get them right you can make up lots of ground at
the gybe mark. It has two big advantages —
-
the boat planes through the gybe
- I
leave the vang on and so I don’t have to stuff around
getting it on and off... So, for this, speed is
everything; in fact, the faster the boat’s going the
better... so, approaching the gybe mark on a fast,
trapezing reach I -
-
transfer the main into my tiller hand and hold it;
- I
unhook with my lead hand; usually I’ll be somewhere
towards the back on the boat; then I trapeze off my arm
and wait for a wave;
-
when I am heading down a wave I steer into the gybe and
pull the boat over to windward using the trapeze handle;
at the same time I start to step across the boat; the
main runs through my tiller hand onto the shrouds; at
this point I am more or less standing upright in the
boat;
-
the boat sits on the windward chine and steers itself
through the gybe; I bend down facing forwards; there is
no weight in the rig and the bow should be sitting up;
the boat is still planing...
-
the boom floats across the boat; I go for the hook with
my new hand; hook onto the belt; pick up the main and
kick out onto the wire; dragging the main on as I go...
This
only works when you keep the boat moving fast and there
is no weight in the rig. Once the pressure comes onto
the rig the boat usually capsizes on the way out of the
gybe; if I have any doubt I opt for the following
technique...
HEAVY- SAFETY FIRST
When
it’s windy; and this really means any breeze or sea
condition (or fatigue) where I don’t feel up for a crash
gybe I opt for safety first; which means getting into
the cockpit before the boom’s moving across the boat.
The boat slows; then I throw a bit of vang; and then I
go through the gybe, pull on the vang and get onto the
trapeze as quickly as I can. It’s much slower; but
better than capsizing when conditions are marginal.
02 MAST SET UP
The
contender is a simple rig full of compromises. It’s easy
to get lazy with it because adjustments in one area
often lead to reduced performance in another. It’s
important to mix adjustments in mast tune with
adjustments to on the water sailing techniques. My
advice is to experiment with a training partner and
share information; but there are some fundamentals I
return to...
RAKE
As
much as humanly possible — when the vang is on hard,
during gybes and tacks, the boom should clip either the
tiller or back tank. If you can’t fit under it; learn to
breathe out as the boom goes over your head; or work out
a way of becoming more flexible. Sadly in a contender
it’s pretty brutal - more rake equals more speed.
SPREADERS
During Arthur Brett’s time in the class; rig tensions
increased and the centre of the mast became rigid. I
have reduced spreader lengths to allow some movement in
the rig; the standard length is 42.5 cm, my spreaders
are 37.5 cm. This isn’t for heavier sailors but works if
you’re light and the hull will hold rig tensions through
the range. I am still experimenting and may shorten them
again...
LOWERS
The
key control in the rig; lowers tension radically affects
leech tension. When the lowers are on tight; leech
tension will be high. It is important to assess the
effect of the lowers with mainsail luff round. For
example, if you want the leech to be more dynamic then
let off the lowers; but make sure the rig isn’t starved
of luff round in the bottom third of the sail — because
this makes the bottom of the sail flatter and opens the
bottom of the leech; magnifying the lowers change and
perhaps stuffing up the sail shape. You may need to
adjust luff round in the sail before you decide whether
the lowers adjustment is appropriate or not
Lowers make a huge difference to upwind performance when
the rig is set up for it. I tend to set and forget the
tension; but will reassess when I arrive at a new venue.
My lowers settings range from 12 right up to 25 (when
measured on a loos gauge) depending on the venue
conditions.
Different things work for different sails and different
weights; once again; it’s important to have a training
partner, share information, and experiment.
RIG TENSION
I
keep the rig relatively tight — with no slack in the
leeward shroud up to just over 20 knots. When the
leeward shroud goes slack the mid mast starts to move
around; which helps the boat respond to gusts and waves.
This is great when I’m completely overpowered but makes
me go too low when it’s lighter. I keep my rig tension
consistent; when I adjust the lowers; I adjust the
shrouds to maintain the same tension in the rig.
03 BOAT SET UP
Boat
set up on the contender is a matter of personal
preferences. What works for me may not work for you —
it’s essential that everything works properly.
Simplicity is essential; less moving parts means less
opportunities for tangles and breakages. I have set up
my boat to try and get around the course with a minimum
of fuss -
MAINSHEET
The
most important control in the boat; I try to hold it as
much as possible: which; in practice, means I probably
cleat 50% of the time. It’s important to hold it so you
can feel what the boat needs; what it’s doing; and how
it’s responding to the wind around it.
I
set up my main in the normal way — 3:1 on a block bridle
with strops from the boom to the first boom fall. A
couple of things are critical —
-
make the bridle as short as possible; this needs to be
bar tight when sailing
-
make the boom strop as long as possible: this length
governs leech tension when I sheet the main — too long
and the boat doesn’t point in marginal trapezing
conditions and I have to get on the vang too early to
keep the leech up (which reduces the rig tension making
the boat go too low) — too short and the main will come
on to the centerline too quickly, with too much leech
tension and the hard leech will drive the boat too high
and it will stop
SAIL CONTROLS ~
I
have set up the sail controls (vang, cunningham and
outhaul) to minimize time required for adjustments. I
lead them to the side tanks through blocks at my feet;
directly across the boat; then I splice both tails
together. This gives three advantages —
-
when I want to adjust the controls they’re always in the
same place
-
when I pull them on they always cleat
- I
can re-cleat the controls from both sides of the boat;
this means when I let the controls off at the windward
mark I don’t need to re-cleat until I reach the bottom
mark; when I’m on the opposite gybe. This is fool proof
on a crowded course when you never have enough time to
do what you want.
CENTRE BOARD
Another important control; but a set and forget. I
usually don’t bother to lift the board on reaches or
downwind (unless it’s light) — and unless conditions
really change during the course of a race it stays in
the same position all the way around the course. The
main thing is the board must have no sideways movement
in the case. I have fitted an uphaul and downhaul to the
board — both lead to the side tank so they can be
adjusted on the trapeze.
04 TRAINING
Lex
Bertrand and Arthur Brett introduced a series of
training routines that have changed the way we sail the
boats. These routines are nice variations on the tedium
of training; for some you need a group of boats and
power boat; other you only need yourself.
The
philosophy is simple; get to know your boat better.
Unfortunately there is no magic bullet for sailing well;
the more you train; the better you sail. The better you
sail, the better you race. It’s time on the water that
makes the difference.
RUDDERLESS
Contenders are easy to sail without rudders once you
know how — having said this; sailing without a rudder is
an easy way to look like a twit. It’s important to bail
out before things get nasty (watch out for that pier,
boat, pylon or buoy), swallow your pride and get out
before you hit something hard.
The
basics are simple: get the rudder off and pull the board
halfway up; usually it easier when the vang’s off a bit
-
-
get to the back of the boat and the boat will head up
-
get to the front of the boat and it will go down
-
heel it to windward and it goes up
-
heel it to leeward and it goes down
It’s
important to have a little speed when you are
maneuvering without the rudder; this means getting onto
the trapeze — make sure the wire’s very high; so that
when the boat dips to windward you don’t end up in the
water.
Gybing rudderless is easy because it follows the pattern
of gybing with a rudder —
-
pre-roll the boat to windward to initiate the gybe
-
keep rolling it to windward through the gybe; get the
yang right off; if the boat’s moving fast it will be
dead through the eye of the gybe; before it spears off
to leeward running by the lee
-
the loose vang delays the main; when it comes across
you’ll be well into the new gybe
-
slide onto the new side weather side; try to keep the
boat from getting into death rolls...
Tacking is hard; you need speed; it’s better when you’re
on the trapeze. Arthur showed a bemused crowd at a Go
for Gold regatta this trick when he was World Champion.
He tacked out of the harbour at Black Rock into a 25
knot northerly (which is dead onshore accompanied by a
nasty shore wave); sailing up to and tacking off the
pier, on the trapeze, 3 or 4 times while a crowded
balcony of Olympic aspirants looked on in disbelief. So;
start on the wire; it’s important to be moving fast;
-
unhook; hang onto the wire with your arm, roll the boat
to leeward and pull on the main: step down to the back
of the boat onto the back tank; you have to get behind
the boom: the boat will start to go head to wind quite
quickly;
-
wait for the boom to cross the centerline; move in the
opposite direction; take the mainsheet under the boom;
the main will now be to leeward; you should be standing
up on the back of the boat; let go of the old trapeze
wire; and take a couple of big steps towards the front
of the boat; on the new windward side; let the main out
a lot; otherwise the boat will spin back into the
breeze;
-
get on the wire and swing out; pull on the main to keep
your body out of the water; the boat will move off onto
the new tack.
The
contender responds well to weight movement; sailing
without the rudder teaches you to use it less; which
makes the boat faster around the course. The rudder
should never be loaded and maneuvering the boat should
never feel forced; sailing without the rudder is a great
way of learning about this.
BALLWORK
Lex
Bertrand has a murderous routine; where he trains a
sailor to fetch. He’ll throw a succession of balls;
tennis balls, plastic balls, balloons, sometimes a
shuttle cock; into the water and demand you sail up to
them, flat out, in race trim; pluck them from the water;
throw them back to his stationary power boat which is
bobbing up and down on the water. The sailor usually
misses; which elicits a verbal tirade. The tired and
bewildered sailor has to retrieve the ball (again);
throw it back (again) and miss (again) and on the game
goes. It goes without saying you don’t need Lex to play
this game; in fact, it’s nicer to play alone.
So I
take out a tennis ball; throw it into the water; sail up
to it in race trim; pluck it out of the water; and throw
it again. It’s great for learning to turn the boat;
getting it going from standing starts; and training your
mind to rise above the detail of boat trim; speed and
all that miniscule stuff; and find a way of
concentrating on the bigger picture while your body does
the sailing.
Lex
and his power boat were especially useful when we had a
group; he used to throw in the ball and score pick ups.
If you have 5 or more it gets very congested as the
boats usually come at the ball from all directions; and
then you have to think about the rules, call them, pick
up the ball and throw it back (or miss). This routine is
excellent for sharpening boat handling skills; but you
must have good sailors otherwise it can get very
expensive.
A
handy variation when we got used to balls was a balloon
— it’s very hard to pick up off the water.
BLINDFOLDS
Blindfolds are awful. There are no two ways about this;
but very good for developing boat feel.
Have
a good look around before you put one on to make sure
you don’t hit anything when you can’t see what’s in
front of you...
Blindfolds teach a new dependence on hearing, balance
and boat feel, In a race; it frees your eyes to look
around the course for any other scrap of information to
get ahead of your opposition while your other senses
sail the boat.
It’s
important to try the blindfold upwind, downwind and
reaching. In fact, upwind is relatively easy and a good
place to start; downwind is tough, and reaching
extremely difficult. It’s important to try; and a great
way to improve.
SHORT COURSE
I
hate short course because a contender is designed to
lope away in a straight line — but the key to training
is to do the things you dislike so you get better at
them. Apart from the usual triangular short courses;
there are 2 variations worth mentioning —
- 4
buoys set up in a square around 5 boatlengths apart; a
number of boats enter the square, up to 5 — the idea is
to force the other boats out of the square; the winner
is the last one left inside...
-
boat in the center with a start/finish/gate line set
between the boat and a buoy directly to leeward. 2 buoys
set 50 meters from the start line perpendicular to the
line. 2 boats compete by starting in opposite
directions; each heading to the opposite buoy; both
buoys left to port. Both boats then pass through the
gate; around their respective buoy; and then to the
start/finish/gate line. Elimination heats with 2 boats
progressing to a final. You quickly identify fast
reaching techniques.
2 BOATS
Two
boats are a well known way to develop speed — I don’t
want to dwell on this except to say it’s very important
to do 3 things —
- find a training partner
- experiment
- share everything
Train in all conditions — light, medium, heavy, rain
hail, shine — and upwind, reaching and downwind.
05 OUR FLEET
The
contender is a boat that rewards time on the water. It’s
a challenge that nobody masters overnight; and is filled
with techniques that can only be learnt. Remember no
matter how frustrated or embarrassed you might feel
about your sailing; rest assured that the best sailors
have been through something similar when they learned to
sail their boats — and will usually be happy to share it
with you — which brings on the most important point —
nurture your fleet; share information and improve as a
group.
Winning is important; a good group shares it around.
When one boat becomes dominant it’s important for the
others to catch up — because smashing the opposition
becomes a lonely past time; there’s very little in it
for the victor; and nothing in it for the vanquished.
We
have made great efforts during the last 5 years to
preserve a sense of competitive sportsmanship in our
fleet; we are past the glory days of Arthur’s two world
championships that were conducted on a semi-professional
footing; and work together in a more modest group; but
the outcomes speak for themselves —
Our
fleet trains together, develops equipment and ideas
together; competes internationally and retains a shared
enthusiasm for racing that makes the fleet: first and
foremost; a strong community. We work at it - we do our
level best to beat each other; but most importantly, we
support and encourage each other as we try to improve.
This is the key; we are better pushing each other,
sharing our knowledge, renewing our enthusiasm and
encouraging each other; than we ever would be alone. It
is only through this collective effort that we continue
to enjoy and respect racing each other.
|
