Battle with the J24's
Moderators: sderby, Tim Bosma, Tom Elsen
Re: Battle with the J24's
Dang. Just saw the posted results. There were 9 J24's in our fleet last night. The second place boat was 3 minutes 16 seconds behind us on a 5.1 mile course......
Re: Battle with the J24's
I reiterate... we need a like button.
Re: Battle with the J24's
If I were you and anticipating grief from the J's I'd keep a little log for each race with comments like "we won the start" and the "J's were bunched up and battling while you had clear air". Those are just the things that make for a win. Enjoy yourself above all.
Re: Battle with the J24's
Update from last night. Same course as last week, wind was lighter from 5-10. Backed the rig tension down, but left it up a little as we were 4 up and light on the rail. Fleet was 8 J24's and us for 9 total.
Super pin favored, port tack, tight reaching start, (could not fetch line on stbd). We went for the low percentage pin start and won it. This was a good thing as the boat seems a little more "sticky" than the 24's in the lighter stuff. If we'd had to fight the dirt behind the port tack train to the first mark it would have hurt! Having the lead we still lost 1 spot as a 24 worked his way out from underneath us.
The play at the first mark was to go right for current relief. We followed the first 24 that direction and the others had to tack out for clear air. We were looking great until the front J24 decided to go back left and bounced us back with him, (I should have ducked him and kept right even though it would have been a big duck).
Other 24's were trying to come back right and we ended up getting pin balled a little in the middle of the channel where the worst current is so we quickly fell from 2nd to 6th.
Were finally able to clear out and get back toward the right with a lane. This allowed us to pick back up 1 spot before the weather mark.
Rounded the weather mark in a close 5th on the heels of two 24's and went for the deep low road for current and vmg. The 24's took each other up just enough to give us a clear, low road, lane. We pulled up the board 75%, got our weight forward, opened up the barn door and went into passing mode.
The top 2 24's were well extended and out of reach, but we consolidated the 5th place boat pretty quickly and when the 3rd place boat had to slide down to make the mark our initial low road gave us a hotter angle on the bottom 1/4 of the DW leg. We were able to slide up just in front of him close to the the 3 bl zone and secure 3rd place.
Dropped the board, raised the jib and dropped the chute for a tight, but clean rounding for the leg to the finish. It was a beam reach finish leg for us to pull out the 3rd place.
4 more races to finish out series #1, but we're leading the series by a few points for now....
Super pin favored, port tack, tight reaching start, (could not fetch line on stbd). We went for the low percentage pin start and won it. This was a good thing as the boat seems a little more "sticky" than the 24's in the lighter stuff. If we'd had to fight the dirt behind the port tack train to the first mark it would have hurt! Having the lead we still lost 1 spot as a 24 worked his way out from underneath us.
The play at the first mark was to go right for current relief. We followed the first 24 that direction and the others had to tack out for clear air. We were looking great until the front J24 decided to go back left and bounced us back with him, (I should have ducked him and kept right even though it would have been a big duck).
Other 24's were trying to come back right and we ended up getting pin balled a little in the middle of the channel where the worst current is so we quickly fell from 2nd to 6th.
Were finally able to clear out and get back toward the right with a lane. This allowed us to pick back up 1 spot before the weather mark.
Rounded the weather mark in a close 5th on the heels of two 24's and went for the deep low road for current and vmg. The 24's took each other up just enough to give us a clear, low road, lane. We pulled up the board 75%, got our weight forward, opened up the barn door and went into passing mode.
The top 2 24's were well extended and out of reach, but we consolidated the 5th place boat pretty quickly and when the 3rd place boat had to slide down to make the mark our initial low road gave us a hotter angle on the bottom 1/4 of the DW leg. We were able to slide up just in front of him close to the the 3 bl zone and secure 3rd place.
Dropped the board, raised the jib and dropped the chute for a tight, but clean rounding for the leg to the finish. It was a beam reach finish leg for us to pull out the 3rd place.
4 more races to finish out series #1, but we're leading the series by a few points for now....
Re: Battle with the J24's
Good for you. Again, if you're anticipating rating complaints and appeals I'd be keeping these posts handy as they explain how you've been out sailing the J's.
Just the sort of thing you'll need and they'll have no excuses.
Just the sort of thing you'll need and they'll have no excuses.
Re: Battle with the J24's
Thanks Pete. We're keeping a little log going.
Re: Battle with the J24's
I would say that if you can beat the J's consistently you would be toward the top in most any 7.9 regatta - upper half for sure, and likely top third at least.
Re: Battle with the J24's
OK. Now you're the club statistician, and you consistently beat the J24's. How do you think they will take that?
Stef
Odyssey #146
Odyssey #146
Re: Battle with the J24's
Stef knows of which he speaks.
Re: Battle with the J24's
We're eyeballing FL next winter....As for the 24's. Out of 8 races since March we've won 3. Then it goes 6,5,3,3,2. We are currently sailing "level" with the 24's. Someone wins every race. Usually a 24. They never ding the best sailed 24 from year to year. Unless we're running away with things, (which we've only done in one race and there were tactical reasons as to why) then we're no different than a well sailed 24 in the fleet. IMO. We'll see. The season has a long way to go...
Re: Battle with the J24's
Latest results...Last night, 8 boats. 7 24's then us. 3rd off the line at the start. Sailed a nicely set windward/leeward course with 6 legs total, (reach leg to finish).
Rounded first weather mark in 3rd. Nice set and more direct route to leeward mark got us past 2 and into 1st. Windward douse and shrimping exercise put us back in 5th. Using upwind leg to get boat back together for next DW leg put us back in 6th.
Another good set and we're behind a cluster of 3 24's. We chose to gybe away from them on a small shift with pressure. Several more gybes on shifts and pressure allowed us to pass the group to their leeward side and take a hot reach to the leeward mark rounding in 3rd.
First 2 boats were pretty far in front and the next weather leg was static. Rounded the last mark for the reach leg home on a dying breeze and into falling tide current. 2nd place 24 set chute with nice knot and then their guy let go of the chute. They poled out the jib and we sailed through their lee for a pass into 2nd.
We'd raised the board too far which slowed our forward progress on the tight reach which allowed another 24 to catch up to us before we figured out what was wrong. It was a neck and neck 200 yard race to the finish. We had the edge, (according to the guy who called the finish) but I drove the bow down too far thinking I was pointing more directly at the line. I simply drove a bad course in the last 30 feet and we slipped into 3rd for the finish.
The good news is we have speed. We were our own worst enemy, but we're still leading the series with 3 more races to go.
Rounded first weather mark in 3rd. Nice set and more direct route to leeward mark got us past 2 and into 1st. Windward douse and shrimping exercise put us back in 5th. Using upwind leg to get boat back together for next DW leg put us back in 6th.
Another good set and we're behind a cluster of 3 24's. We chose to gybe away from them on a small shift with pressure. Several more gybes on shifts and pressure allowed us to pass the group to their leeward side and take a hot reach to the leeward mark rounding in 3rd.
First 2 boats were pretty far in front and the next weather leg was static. Rounded the last mark for the reach leg home on a dying breeze and into falling tide current. 2nd place 24 set chute with nice knot and then their guy let go of the chute. They poled out the jib and we sailed through their lee for a pass into 2nd.
We'd raised the board too far which slowed our forward progress on the tight reach which allowed another 24 to catch up to us before we figured out what was wrong. It was a neck and neck 200 yard race to the finish. We had the edge, (according to the guy who called the finish) but I drove the bow down too far thinking I was pointing more directly at the line. I simply drove a bad course in the last 30 feet and we slipped into 3rd for the finish.
The good news is we have speed. We were our own worst enemy, but we're still leading the series with 3 more races to go.
Re: Battle with the J24's
This weeks race was very similar to last week except we were able to hang on for the win!
Conditions brought a few more knots of breeze than last week. Same W/L course. 10 boats out, (8 24's and 2 7.9's).
We won the start. Slightly over stood the first windward rounding which let a 24 inside. Rounded with a set and quick gybe which set us up nicely inside the 24 and we overtook them. Nice leeward mark rounding and 2nd upwind leg to extend our lead. I grossly over stood the 2nd windward mark rounding which allowed another 24 to get ahead.
Another well executed quick set and gybe on the chute put us in front of those guys as their set was not good.
We had a poor leeward mark rounding when the jib sheet got caught in the main sheet, (It's hard to explain, but trust me it happened) and we slipped into 3rd as 2 24's rounded well inside of us. The 1st 24 rolled us to windward with the 2nd one on their heels.
The 2nd 24 tacked away and gave us a glimmer of daylight with a small lane to tack into. We took the lane and ended up between J 24 1 and J 24 #2.
J 24 #1 tacked on top of us and a little bow out, but we had nice lateral separation. J 24 # 2 was far enough to leeward I could drive the bow down a bit for speed to punch out from under 24 #1.
Once we were out from under 24 #1 we went back to point mode and were able to climb up on him with speed and made him tack away. This put him in adverse current and pushed him back. We gained a lot of height on 24 #2 and we got back into first for the rounding of the final mark for a tight chute reach to the finish.
Our margin over the 2nd place boat was 14 seconds.
We've found a 5th gear going upwind in breeze that is solid 10 and up to about 13. We're higher and faster than the 24's. These guys are good and sail well equipped boats. DDW we do feel a slight advantage with 75% board up, but that typically doesn't last long. Our big gains come upwind.
Current standings after 4 of 6 races have us leading the series with 8 points. Two boats are tied for second with 13 points and the rest goes from there.
Conditions brought a few more knots of breeze than last week. Same W/L course. 10 boats out, (8 24's and 2 7.9's).
We won the start. Slightly over stood the first windward rounding which let a 24 inside. Rounded with a set and quick gybe which set us up nicely inside the 24 and we overtook them. Nice leeward mark rounding and 2nd upwind leg to extend our lead. I grossly over stood the 2nd windward mark rounding which allowed another 24 to get ahead.
Another well executed quick set and gybe on the chute put us in front of those guys as their set was not good.
We had a poor leeward mark rounding when the jib sheet got caught in the main sheet, (It's hard to explain, but trust me it happened) and we slipped into 3rd as 2 24's rounded well inside of us. The 1st 24 rolled us to windward with the 2nd one on their heels.
The 2nd 24 tacked away and gave us a glimmer of daylight with a small lane to tack into. We took the lane and ended up between J 24 1 and J 24 #2.
J 24 #1 tacked on top of us and a little bow out, but we had nice lateral separation. J 24 # 2 was far enough to leeward I could drive the bow down a bit for speed to punch out from under 24 #1.
Once we were out from under 24 #1 we went back to point mode and were able to climb up on him with speed and made him tack away. This put him in adverse current and pushed him back. We gained a lot of height on 24 #2 and we got back into first for the rounding of the final mark for a tight chute reach to the finish.
Our margin over the 2nd place boat was 14 seconds.
We've found a 5th gear going upwind in breeze that is solid 10 and up to about 13. We're higher and faster than the 24's. These guys are good and sail well equipped boats. DDW we do feel a slight advantage with 75% board up, but that typically doesn't last long. Our big gains come upwind.
Current standings after 4 of 6 races have us leading the series with 8 points. Two boats are tied for second with 13 points and the rest goes from there.
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LarryE-old
- Posts: 233
- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2003 12:06 pm
Re: Battle with the J24's
Back in the day when we were racing seriously, with a good crew, we were always hanging with the best J24.
Now we mainly do the Rum Races, with my wife and myself, small jib and still hanging with them. I have found that sailing with the small jib, two people, PHRF gives us a 12 sec mile credit, works well for us.
I have to add that my small class jib is a Doyle Boston sail and it is the best sail I have ever owned!
Now we mainly do the Rum Races, with my wife and myself, small jib and still hanging with them. I have found that sailing with the small jib, two people, PHRF gives us a 12 sec mile credit, works well for us.
I have to add that my small class jib is a Doyle Boston sail and it is the best sail I have ever owned!
Purr-Fect
262
262
Re: Battle with the J24's
The summer has flown by! We just finished the 2nd summer series last night with another bullet, (by 2 minutes 53 seconds over the 2nd place J24 on a 4.6 mile course) and secured 2nd place overall for the series. Breeze was 12-15 and fairly flat sea state.
We're sailing in an average fleet size of 10 boats with 8-9 J-24's in the fleet. Upwind continues to be our strong point.
Next week we'll sail the final race of summer series 1, (a makeup race). We're leading that series by 2 points over the 2nd place J-24. Fingers crossed for a strong finish and the overall series win!
We're sailing in an average fleet size of 10 boats with 8-9 J-24's in the fleet. Upwind continues to be our strong point.
Next week we'll sail the final race of summer series 1, (a makeup race). We're leading that series by 2 points over the 2nd place J-24. Fingers crossed for a strong finish and the overall series win!