To kick off this new column in FINNFARE, who better to ask than the
current World and European Champion Ben Ainslie. Ben may not
reveal many of his winning secrets here but he does give some useful
tips and advice in getting the best out of your boat.
1 Ask as many questions as possible. I?ve found the Finn fleet to
be an extremely friendly class and the more knowledge you can gain
the faster you will improve.
2 Try to get a rig which suits your body weight. Obviously a stiff rig
will suit heavier sailors. Bend testing your mast will also allow you to
get the luff of your sail cut to fit the mast.
3 Fitness is a vital factor in being successful. The Finn is an especially
demanding boat to sail and fatigue will not only hinder your boat
handling it will also affect your mental awareness.
4 Training in the gym is really going to help in terms of putting on
or loosing weight but there is no real substitute for time in the boat
and ?sailing fitness?. It is only by getting afloat and hiking hard that
you will work the specific muscles you use whilst hiking.
5 When sailing in strong winds it?s really important to ease the kicker
during manoeuvres. I found this out to my cost at SPA regatta when
I capsized four or five times in one race. The boom catches the water
much more easily than on other dinghies so the kicker has to be
eased.
6 Find a good sailmaker you trust and sails you can rely on.
7 To save a lot of unnecessary pain whilst hiking get yourself a good
pair of hiking shorts. The best design are the wetsuit pants
with padded battens. Believe me they really make a difference.
8 Training with other boats is always more beneficial than sailing
on your own. If you can team up with some other local sailors you will
all get a lot more out of your time on the water!
9 If you don?t use a wind indicator try one. Finns don?t sail particularly well by the lee,
so making sure you?re on the right gibe and at the correct angle to the
wind is vital to sailing fast downwind.
10 The best advice I can give is to have fun and enjoy your sailing.
Yes, there are times when racing is very serious but it?s important to
enjoy it all. Oh, one more thing don?t lend anything to Brittle, he?s a
liability and you?re unlikely to see it again. (If anyone?s seen a brand
new, unbraked, two boat trailer please get in touch.)
Mastpostion / Decksring: Es wird vom gleichen Punkt wie beim Mastfall (Decksoberkante über dem Ruderbeschlag) nach vorne zur Mastposition. Als Messpunkt wird die Mastvorderkante genommen.
Basis Richtwert: 3.890mm (+/- 20mm) = 61 cm vom Bug bis Mastvorderkante.
Mastfall: Basis Richtwert: 6.730mm (+/- 20mm), bei Mastposition 3.890 mm
