On the 5th day I wore a head cam, the same one I used at the Euromasters on Lake Como. It's a sealed unit with no sound but you'll get the idea of what it was like.
Other parts of the clinic included wave techniques, like how Sydney sailors use the ferry waves to go faster both upwind and down.
The equipment was first class with boats from the 2016 Laser Worlds.
And each day started with yoga stretching. Contact Lyssa if you're looking for a great instructor in Colombia or western Canada.
Ten lucky sailors are learning what people get by combining the ISA's ideal sailing conditions with world-class coaching from Brett Beyer. The great equipment, outstanding food, and the occasional dolphins and sea turtles make this the an excellent way to improve your sailing.
Outstanding food.
Brett explaining downwind techniques.
There are probably a dozen things that can be learned from this next diagram. To sum up, I'm undoing 40 years of downwind muscle memory to go faster. Challenging? Yes. Exhausting? Yes. Recommended? Definitely.
Analysis from another clinic.
Each day starts with a 20 km tow upwind and then a series of short downwind races. Notice how the wind went from northwest to southwest as the sea breeze filled in, so there were lots of different wave types.
Today's 40km tow upwind and then practice downwind.
Brett recently
won his 13th Master Worlds that you can read about here. His report included:
My downwind speed was exceptional. I for sure overtook nearly all my competitors downwind rather than upwind. This is still one of the biggest mysteries to Master Laser sailors and is not easy to understand or to train for – hence the massive speed differences downwind.
Brett is currently
coaching in Sydney which gives the Aussies an advantage, but he’ll be back in North America for two weeks at the InternationalSailingAcademy:
Brett Beyer (AUS) is a frequent contributor to our blog and has kindly shared some of the things that helped him win his 13th Laser Master Worlds – a record that ties the all-time record held by Keith Wilkins (GBR) as well as the consecutive wins held by both Brett and Keith.
Brett was coaching in China prior to his trip to Croatia. He’ll be giving much more detailed coaching about this Worlds via Skype, so contact him for more details. In addition, last April he was a guest coach at the International Sailing Academy which I missed last year but if he gets this close to the US again, I will definitely be there.
Here’s a quick summary of how he trained and what worked.
By Brett Beyer
2017 Worlds Summary
With the expected lighter conditions of Split, it was my first time I’ve made a deliberate effort to lose weight in preparation for the Worlds. At a weight of around 86kg, I could really notice the extra power of the new sail upwind as well as fantastic downwind speed.
Upwind speed in a breeze has never been a problem for me so the slight risk of this weight loss seemed worth it. With the light conditions, the risk of over-sheeting again becomes the biggest issue in destroying sail shape.
To mitigate this risk, a deeper outhaul setting and a boat with more mast rake is preferable. Given that we don’t have control of the mast rake on our charter boats, then simply being very aware of outhaul and mainsheet tension upwind is critical.
I look most often at the top of the sail as this is the area that gets too flat with the first sign of over-sheeting. I’m comfortable with carrying high rig loads to the point of the sail becoming too high drag and holding you in a high mode too long. Once I feel this occurring, it’s time to vang on and begin playing sheet to drive the boat lower and faster.
I don’t use marks on my set-up preferring to rely entirely on sail shape and feel. But with the new MarkII sail, I have introduced what I feel to be the most important reference on the boat and that is a minimum upwind vang setting. This mark on my vang is a great reminder not to have too much vang off as this just deepens the sail excessively and creates massive drag, resulting in no pointing and no speed. Not a good combination. So this vang mark is for say 4 – 8 knots where you need the smallest amount of vang to lock in sail shape.
In lighter winds than this and also fresher winds, then you will be requiring more vang. It seems counter intuitive to use more vang in 2 knots than you do in 5 knots but you won’t be using much sheet tension in 2 knots so are forced to bend the mast with vang tension alone. The new MarkII sail is quite vulnerable to upwind vang inaccuracy but is more broad in forgiveness downwind.
My upwind speed at these Masters Worlds was quite average in the lighter winds but as usual, once it was near hiking and some waves, then fitness and technique takes the lead role and boat speed amongst the fleet is quite varied.
Positioning yourself with some space to leeward on start lines and upwinds without a lightweight European sailor under your bow was one of my main strategies. I can’t compete with their height, nor do I want to as it’s a VMG disadvantage to be going high and slow. I once called out to an Austrian in my fleet at a critical moment to “go fast, go fast”. He replied, “I’m sorry. I do not know how to”. I laughed at his response, then tacked away for clear air so I could again drive the boat to my satisfaction. And this is the case with many sailors that are good at a high mode only, but haven’t the fitness, urgency or technique to go lower and faster at times. This is a skill that needs training. As a fringe benefit, a broader range of tactical options opens up for you.
My downwind speed was exceptional. Rig set-up doesn’t play as much of a role here and the specific timing on each wave is where the most value lies. I for sure overtook nearly all my competitors downwind rather than upwind. This is still one of the biggest mysteries to Master Laser sailors and is not easy to understand or to train for – hence the massive speed differences downwind.
The waves were not large or offering great rides like Mexico. Rather, they were smaller and more compressed, but no less important to boat positioning and making gains. I apply some simple formulas for comparing boat speed and wave speed downwind and this is the way I train my Olympic sailors as well. This focus keeps the boat speed and technique more consistent.
My traditional weakness in the Laser is racing in winds of around 5 – 8 knots.
Before the regatta I practiced some techniques that provided me with great power feedback and confidence. Despite now winning 13 Master Worlds and taking sailors to the past 4 Olympics, it seems there is always something we can all get better at and practice. What a sport!!
Brett Beyer (AUS) just won his 12th
Laser Master Worlds and is on his way to breaking the all-time record of 13
held by Keith Wilkins (GBR). What makes Brett special is that he's not only a
great sailor but he's also a great coach, and is working with the sailors from
Singapore and South Africa for the upcoming Rio Olympics. This means that he
has very little time to practice but instead spends lots of time watching other top
sailors.
The 2006 Jeju Worlds was
different because we all sailed in one fleet, and it's the only time I've
actually been able to watch Brett compete. Here's what I wrote in my journal:
Followed
defending apprentice world champ Brett Bayer (AUS) on the port tack lay line.
Looks a lot like Olympic gold medalist Robert Scheidt (BRA) in the boat – tall,
smooth, and just more speed. Beautiful to watch. Brett rounded 2nd and went on
to win by 100 yards.
Brett is a frequent contributor to our blog and he has
kindly shared how he won.
Winning the final race, taken by Pam from the finish boat. Notice how flat Brett's sail is.
By Brett
Beyer
The Masters Worlds in Mexico was one of my most enjoyable
regattas for a long time. Sailing conditions that suited me as well as great
race organisation and on-site accommodation were all things I had been looking
forward to – and I wasn’t a bit disappointed.
My decision to compete with the old sail was always going to
be a little risky, but I feel it is a more versatile sail upwind once you get
some wind and waves, which was the expected conditions. I don’t regret that
decision but nor do I think it contributed in a meaningful way to any of the
results. I see the new sail as being an improvement overall but not in
performance, just in sail shape and longevity. Each of the sails have
advantages and disadvantages but it is impressive as to how close in
performance the sails compare to each other.
During and after the Worlds, I had many discussions with
sailors questioning how I can produce boat speed that is at times dominant.
Especially given it is not fitness nor training related. And it is a question
that I too have pondered, but don’t take for granted. I applaud Gavin and others that progress via the tried and trusted routine of hours on water
and analysis. But this routine is not unlike my own, with the exception that I
am not on the water sailing, but on the water coaching. Watching others in detail is ‘training’ for myself. My
Olympic coaching has me doing less and less sailing over the years but improves
my own sailing in ways I had not expected – mainly technically. And it is this
technical understanding and improvement that I rely on so heavily, as opposed
to on water training or fitness benefits.
ErnestoRodriguez (USA) is supremely fit and a great
sailor, he came 2nd in the regatta and is a good example. His fitness for sure
contributed to his performance and I wish I had the time and motivation to do likewise.
But I don’t and I know my best asset to rely on for performance will always be
to technically sail the boat well. What does this mean? Well in waves, it means understanding
shape and size of waves and attaching a specific technique and timing to each
wave variation. This is not a general upwind formula but a very specific way to
sail over/through each specific wave. In Mexico, the waves were different on Port and Starboard
tacks, therefore the technique differed, as did the rig set-up, where often I
was trying to sail faster on Starboard, compared to Port, which may seem
counter-intuitive. This different wave pattern also offers the same gain
potential for me downwind where applying a certain technique that has a
tactical outcome was key. I often made around 30 seconds of gain each downwind,
on the next fastest boat. This is something I simply can’t achieve with flatter
water, or for that matter, better fitness.
But the problem with technique is that the outcome has to be
measurable and quantifiable, and our sport doesn’t lend itself well to this
form of feedback. So you either get a coach that can help with the feedback or,
as most people do, ramp up the volume of training and learn via the trial and
error format. Both ways work if you are curious and/or analytical enough to
examine the outcomes. Boat speed is difficult to measure without a consistent
training partner so using other cues to measure outcomes is a really good way
to see if your technique is helping you or hurting you. For example:
Is
the rudder too loaded?
Is
the rig too grumpy?
Does
the boat accelerate when flicking the bow away?
Does
adding more hiking feel like it contributes?
Do I
want wave direction downwind or go across the wave?
All these are reliable forms of checking to see if the boat
is happy to go fast or if I’m in a battle with the boat, where speed will be
the victim. This is the primary reason I haven’t got any marks on my ropes as I
rely heavily on what the boat is telling me and I trust myself to make an
appropriate change in sail shape or technique when necessary.
I am hosting Skype coaching sessions that started with Worlds debriefs as examples of improving technique and boat speed. The most requested topics I’ve received are: “Downwind
wave catching” and “Upwind speed/waves”. This is where sailors felt most
vulnerable last Worlds. Please contact me if you are interested for costs and
other details at beyersailing(insert at symbol)gmail.com.
Brett has just won the Aussie Laser Masters, again, beating 38 competitors (and discarding a 1st). While his speed downwind was good, he feels that his speed upwind was not. Here's his report.
By Brett Beyer
I used a brand new MarkII sail at the AUS Master Nationals. About half the fleet used the old cut sail, including some very competitive sailors. I’ve seen the sail in use many times line up against the old cut sail but this was the first time I’ve had the opportunity of using it myself.
Upon first impression, as expected, was the sail has very nice shape and produced more power (but more weather helm) than the old sail. This suited the flatter water and light breezes very nicely. The deeper head and firm leech really provides great feedback and feel. This was very nice upwind, on reaches and downwind. In fact, downwind is where sailors that struggle to precisely set-up correct vang will mostly benefit. It is simply easier to get right downwind and on reaches.
This is all very positive so far and is an easy decision in such conditions. It is when the breeze picks up along with the chop that things can begin to change around.
With most of our races sailed in choppy 8 – 15 knots, I found the sail too ‘sticky’ upwind and couldn’t release the power easily enough. This is usually done with either downhaul and/or vang, but this sail suffered when I pulled any of these systems on. Also, simply getting the sheet tension correct upwind took so much attention away from my sailing that it was difficult to have anything left over for tactics or technique. Any upwind speed advantage I used to have was no longer there with the new sail. At best, I could only stay with the top guys upwind and made all my gains downwind mostly due to technique and not the sail.
Brett in the middle - downwind speed was good.
The perplexing thing for me was that some of those ahead of me were using the new cut sail and seemed to make it work upwind. So whilst I was coming first across the line, I was quite disappointed with my performance upwind. After 3 days of racing I had made up my mind to definitely not use the new sail for Worlds, preferring instead to rely on the predictable performance of the old sail. On the last day of racing, I had my only upwind where I felt the speed was superior. This, in similar conditions with similar set-up. So why? It seems the sail, with its firmer leeches and better quality cloth needs more ‘break-in’ time than the old cut sail. This was the general agreement amongst those that have used the sail far more than I have.
So, what sail for the Worlds?
Answer 1: Old sail if you can’t get enough training time with the new sail.
Answer 2: Old sail if you are already comfortable with your speed/height/versatility upwind and wave catching downwind.
Answer 3. New sail if you think wind will be lighter, water flatter and you have good sheet tension skills.
Answer 4. New sail if you can get to use it in training for more than 1 week.
Answer 5. New sail if you expect good winds (14kts+) and have good upwind technical skills and fitness.
Brett in Kingston winning his 11th Masters World Championship
I mentioned to Pam that I wanted to
try to make it to the Florida Masters week in February. Her knee jerk response
was ‘then you better buy that new sail now and start using it and not waste the
opportunity.’ Oh, the joys of being married to a sailor. Even a
self-described ‘batshit crazy, menopausal’ wife seems to remain a sailor first
and a wife second. Or maybe I just got lucky.
So, before spending the money, I
decided to check with Brett Beyer and get his opinion on the break in time and
competitive life of the sail. His reply surprised me. He bought a new Aussie boat and
it came with the new sail, and he is currently on the fence about using it in
Mexico.
With Brett's permission to share, here are the
noteworthy points of our exchange:
Doug: From your experience, how long does it take to break in
and how many regattas do you think that it will remain competitive? I noticed
that the MK II is being made by both North and Hyde. Do you have a preference?
Brett: Most don’t realise that, at this point in time, there is a
third manufacturer. Neil Pryde made in China. The Pryde sail is the only one we
have access to in Australia. Time will tell if there is any difference.
I have a new sail supplied with my
new boat … I am having second thoughts about which sail to bring over [to
Mexico]. I have seen the MK II sail in a breeze and don’t think it is as good
as the original. Up to around 15 knots it is an easy decision, but over that, I
am not convinced as yet. For sure there are some variations in set-up with the
new sail and we’ll have to get used to that in the future.
We have our Aussie National Masters in
February and I plan to compete myself and use the new sail. I will decide on
which sail to take to Mexico based on that regatta.
… I see the new sail as being pretty
good straight out of the bag. The cloth is heavier and the shape better so not
much push and shove required for the sail. At the top level, we were upgrading
[the original] sails about every 30 sessions, maybe less if it those outings
were generally windy. I can only imagine the new sail to have better life with
the upgraded cloth quality and thickness.
Doug: … [Do] you mean that over 15 knots the original sail may be
better? I would have expected the opposite.
So if Mexico is under 15 knots you'll
probably use the MK II, and over 15 knots (which many expect) you're still undecided?
Brett: Yes old sail may be better over 15 knots. The Cunningham
doesn’t work on new sail as effectively so the concern is how to reduce power
on new sail. Vang on and ease/play sheet seems to be only option and this adds
another dimension to upwind. Whilst I'm quite happy to play the sheet to
balance power, I know many Masters will not/cannot.
And if Mexico has swell, then this
becomes even more critical and I’m not sure with my 88kg and ability that this
is the best option. …
Doug: … why is the MK II better under 15 knots?
Brett: The new sail has straighter and firmer leech and better
shape at top 1/3rd of the sail. This produces more power, and theoretically,
more speed. But only if you can manage that power. With good technique.....good
fitness......or enough lard, it seems you can manage this extra power up to
around 15 knots.
Brett is the current Master World
Champion, an event he has now won 11 times. He has worked with Olympic sailors
from multiple countries and is the best coach I have ever met. Brett has written
some of our most popular posts, including:
Brett has been assessing the new
Laser Mark II sail in Sydney. Here are his comments.
This
week, one of my guys tried the new sail for the first time. We had a range of
wind conditions from 5 knots to 15 knots so it was a good test. My initial
impressions are:
There is no leech flutter at all – so that will
be an improvement.
The tapered battens conform to the natural sail
shape better – so that will be an improvement.
There is less lower leech hooking – so that will
produce less weather helm.
The mid to upper leech really stands upright,
even with firm downhaul. This I feel will produce the biggest (potential)
difference. Bigger/stronger guys can enjoy better/more consistent sail shape
for longer up the wind range before depowering.
The use of downhaul now doesn’t need to be
excessive as this is not an effective depowering device, like on the old
cut sail.
The depowering will now be more reliant on vang
and outhaul – more like the Radial sail.
You can produce a flat/depowered sail and still
have nice consistent sail shape. ie no mismatch of shape.
There is not the amount of knuckling on the luff
when some downhaul is pulled on. Seems the sail is cut with less luff round
down low.
The top tapered batten produces rounder shape up
the head which will be more power for lighter winds/bumpy water.
There is still some diagonal wrinkles from mast
join to clew but not as bad/deep.
I’d
like to see a top class sailor use the sail in over 15 knots to see how the
leech responds. The old sail just stretched and with excessive downhaul did
twist off the leech a little. I’m not sure that will or can happen with the new
sail, hence the reliance of vang over downhaul.
So, I
think the sail will be an improvement in most wind and chop conditions. Because
of the very firm and upright leech, I’m not sure how it will go in 5 knots and
bumpy water and then in 15 knots or more. There will be some re-learning I
suspect of how to get the rig to be slightly more ‘elastic’ in bumpy water,
i.e. more leech movements.
Given all
that you have learned, do you plan to use the new sail at the next worlds?
I am
convinced the sail will be better in light to medium breezes and flatter water.
I'll wait to see a top sailor use it in a breeze to see how the leech opens up.
I suspect it won't and therefore you have to rely on excessive vang like the
Radial, but that is just a slight variation. So that only leaves light wind and
bumpy water where I think the new sail will be a disadvantage.
I
will use the new sail in Mexico as I think it will hold its shape up the wind
range and therefore suit bigger guys like me.
An update from Brett:
We
have just concluded the NSW States Titles over the weekend with around 50
Standard Rigs. Probably 10 were using the new cut sail. It seems to have a
slight downwind advantage as well. Not necessarily in raw boatspeed but the
firm leeches make getting the exact vang tension more forgiving and more
accurate over a broader wind range.
The
new sail does produce more weather helm and over-sheeting is more of a risk in
the lighter winds. But to me, these slight variations are not enough of a
disadvantage/risk to not use the new cut sail.
We
don’t have access to rolled sails in Australia so the choice of rolled vs. folded is
made for us. It is early days but I suspect the break in period will not be as
long or as critical as the original cut sail. Better and stronger cloth with
better shape means the sail is fine straight out of the bag.
