Open fleet drone footage from the Europeans.
The first of 2 videos from Garda by Neil MacGregor. This was race 7 and race 10. We’d requested longer shot sequences so sailors can study the techniques of the top guys, rather than the faster cut promo videos more commonly made. This is a great training aid. Neil has obliged!
Paul Larsen comments ‘These guys just hit the line fast and get into fast upwind mode quickly. See how quickly they get a lane where they can just focus on speed. Crap start or no good at getting into "mode" and you can spend the whole first leg... and most of the race being influenced by others. The front guys make most of their gains right off the gun and up the first leg. Down wind in breeze you don't need a full sail.
This race was fresh but not the windiest. A foiling A, in breeze, can foil down wind with a fully stalled sail but it's not fast. The centre of effort also moves somewhere near the centre of area (maybe a bit higher due to wind shear) and you move your weight accordingly. In order to unstall it you often sheet out a little and come up. With a twisted off head it can be the head that hooks up first. This pitches the nose down so you move your weight aft. In breeze the hook-up to attached flow on the leeward side of the sail can be pretty aggressive requiring a big dial down. Keeping your sails flat can make it less so. Wind usually equals waves which add to the pitch/balance woes. If you can hold this attached flow then you get sailings winning duo of depth and pace. Often this whole scenario can look a bit messy and it feels pretty frustrating onboard.
Footage like this is priceless. You get to see what others are doing and realise it's not just you. Stevie spoke of fast modes where he focused more on being smooth and skimming more whilst others went for full on foiling in breeze and rode the Bronco.’
