707 Class Association - Light Winds/title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link href="main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" /> <script language=javascript type='text/javascript'> function change(){ var randomnumber=Math.floor(Math.random()*35); var filenam="url(../assets/topbanners/banner"+randomnumber+".jpg)"; document.getElementById("outer").style.backgroundImage=filenam; } </script> <script src="jquery/jquery.js"></script> <script src="jquery/jquery.dropdownPlain.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-3674030-18']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script> </head> <body> <div id="outer"> <a class="logoanchor" href="index.php"> <img class="logo" src="assets/logo.png"> <img class="title" src="assets/classassociatio.png"> </a> <div class="topspacer" onclick="javascript:change()"> </div> <div class="menu"> <ul class="dropdown"> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="index.php"><span class="menustd">Home</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="about.php"><span class="menustd">About</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="#"><span class="menustd">Owning</span></a> <ul class="sub_menu"> <div class="dropbox"> <div class="menuhead">Owning</div><li><a class="menuanchor" href="buying.php"><span class="menustd">Buying</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="sharing.php"><span class="menustd">Sharing</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="chartering.php"><span class="menustd">Chartering</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="maintaining.php"><span class="menustd">Maintaining</span></a></li> </div></ul><li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="#"><span class="menustd">Racing</span></a> <ul class="sub_menu"> <div class="dropbox"> <div class="menuhead">Racing</div><li><a class="menuanchor" href="results 2011.php"><span class="menustd">Results 2011</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="crewing.php"><span class="menustd">Crewing</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="lightairs.php"><span class="active">Light Airs</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="tuning.php"><span class="menustd">Tuning</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="teamwork.php"><span class="menustd">Teamwork</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="handicap.php"><span class="menustd">707 Handicap</span></a></li> </div></ul><li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="#"><span class="menustd">Association</span></a> <ul class="sub_menu"> <div class="dropbox"> <div class="menuhead">Association</div><li><a class="menuanchor" href="classrules.php"><span class="menustd">Class Rules</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="constitution.php"><span class="menustd">Constitution</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="contact.php"><span class="menustd">Committee Members</span></a></li> </div></ul><li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="fleets.php"><span class="menustd">Fleets</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="gallery.php"><span class="menustd">Gallery</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="calendar.php"><span class="menustd">Calendar</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="forum.php"><span class="menustd">Forum</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="joinus.php"><span class="menustd">Join Us</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="forsale.php"><span class="menustd">For Sale</span></a></li> <li><a class="menuanchor" href="contact.php"><span class="menustd">Contact</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="bar1"> <div class="bar1text">Racing - Light Winds</div> </div> <div class="inner"> <div class="left"> <h3>Updates</h3> <div class="seperate"></div> <p class="squeeze"><b>Boat For Sale</b> <br> <a href="forsale.php">Big Boys Toys</a> </p> <p class="dateannotate">28th January 2012</p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p class="squeeze"><b>Events</b> <br> <a href="calendar.php">Calendar page updates</a> </p> <p class="dateannotate">23rd January 2012</p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p class="squeeze"><b>Boat Share</b> <br> <a href="forsale.php">Now available at Scarborough</a> </p> <p class="dateannotate">27th December 2011</p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p class="squeeze"><b>Gallery</b> <br> Scottish Nationals & Nationals images added to <a href="gallery.php">gallery</a>. </p> <p class="dateannotate">15th October 2011</p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p><b>New Website</b></p> <p>Welcome to the new 707 Association website. This website is gradually being improved. New content is constantly required. Please forward any news to the webmaster </p> <img src="assets/placeholder1.jpg"> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>Forum :</b> Visit the forum, see what's happening in the fleet, ask questions, comment and check out the latest news. <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>This website</b> needs NEW content. Please send articles and images for addition to the webmaster. <a href="contact.php">Contact here</a>. </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <img class="sidebarimg" src="assets/new.jpg" alt="new"> <p> <b>New to the 707</b> <br> Check out the articles on <a href="crewing.php">Crewing</a> and <a href="teamwork.php">Teamwork</a> </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <div class="sidebarimgcontainer"> <a href="http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/home.php3?affid=759"><img class="sidebarimg" src="assets/bannerv.gif" alt="Noble insurance"></a> </div> <div class="seperate"></div> </div> <div class="content"> <div class="newsbox"> <h2>Light Airs - Mark Gillett - Pocket Battleship</h2> <p>Having snatched overall victory in the unusually light airs of this years Hamble Winter Series, I was asked to put together a few thoughts on sailing these boats in the lighter airs. Returning from the East Coast of the US in December 2000, this has been our first season racing the 707 in the UK. Sailing the East Coast in the US is a serious light air affair, so some of the points below are not specific to the 707 fleet … just some helpful reminders of what we already know!</p> <h2>Starting in light air</h2> <p>As with any one design fleet of reasonable numbers, getting clean air away from the start is absolutely paramount in light airs. This is almost 50% of the race won in the large 707 fleet on a short 45 min course, so in light airs we put almost as much effort into this as we do for the whole of the rest of the race. Although the line bias is usually a tempting factor in deciding which end to start, we concentrate on determining which side of the beat is favoured (wind/tide). We tend to pick the end of the line which will get us to this favoured side quickest, and protect that and all the clean air available. Take time to sail to windward and run back down before the sequences start to gain this appreciation and try looking at the other fleets to see which side they figure is favoured, especially the Mumm30's. Finally, whenever we get a poor start we try to escape to one of the sides of the course as quickly as possible to get back into the clean stuff and avoid all the dirt up the middle section. Just remember clean air is worth more when its light.</p> <h2>Downwind in light air</h2> <p>I've heard a few schools of thought on sailing the 707 downwind in light airs, but I'll choose one specific point we've been focusing on during this series in particular. That of boat speed, and the need to keep the boat moving to generate some apparent wind and drive from the spinnaker. This involves sailing higher than you would in a medium breeze to optimise VMG, but just how high do you sail and how best to gauge this ? I am a firm believer that the trimmer should steer the boat downwind in these light conditions, and I don't mean getting hold of the tiller ! The trimmer can best gauge the pressure in the spinnaker, so by calling this all the time (light / medium / good) the helm can sail higher or lower to maintain this optimum pressure. This works to maximise downwind VMG, sailing lower in the puffs and higher in the light spots to deliver rewarding gains. It's good to swap over the helm and trimmer when out practising in light air conditions, you need to calibrate your trimmer to protect that urge to sail too high!</p> </div> </div> <div class="right"> <h3>News</h3> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>The Edinburgh 707 Cup</b> - 28th April -See <a href="calendar.php">Calendar</a> page </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>Brittania Hotels</b> sponsor 2012 Northern areas at Scarborough. See <a href="calendar.php">Calendar</a> page </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <a href="http://www.elvstromsails.com"> <img src="assets/elvstromlogo2.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="30px"></a> <b>Elvstrom</b> sponsor 2012 Southern areas. Top prize - Spinnaker. See <a href="calendar.php">Calendar</a> page </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>Boyd Baird</b> and the Tallulah team take the Scottish National Championship.<br><br> <img class="sidebarimg" src="assets/newsimages/scottishnatnionals2011.jpg" alt="Tallulah"> </p> <div class="seperate"></div> <p> <b>Jon Powell</b> and his team aboard Betty retain the National Championship trophy at Scarborough<br><br> <img class="sidebarimg" src="assets/newsimages/betty2011.jpg" alt="Betty"> </p><div class="seperate"></div> <img src="assets/placeholder1.jpg"> <div class="seperate"></div> <p><b>Paul Gray</b> and the Beaver Hunter team take double honours by winning both the Eastern and Northern Area championships</p><img class="sidebarimg" src="assets/beaverhunter.jpg" alt="Beaver Hunter"> <div class="seperate"></div> <p><b>Boats For Sale</b></p> <p> <a href="forsale.php">Big Boys Toys</a> - £7000<br> <a href="forsale.php">A Grand Day Out</a> - Share<br> </p> <div class="seperate"></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"></div> <div class="footer"> <div class=footerleft> <br> ©2012 www.sail707.com <br> <a href="http://scabbydonkey.com">Design Chris More</A> </div> <div class=footerright> <br> The 707 logo and artwork is © the 707 Class Association<br> <a href="mailto:chris@staxton.com">Webmaster</a> - <a href="sitemap.php"> Site Map</a> - <a href="contact.php">Contact</a> - <a href =" javascript:void(null);change()">Change Banner</a> </div> <div class="footermid"> <a href="http://www.elvstromsails.co.uk"> <img class="mainsponsor" src="assets/elvstrombanner.jpg" alt="Elvstrom Sails" width="400px"> </a> </div> <br> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"></div> </div> <script language=javascript type='text/javascript'> change(); </script> </body> </html>