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Italian Team Accademy lessons
A semi-serious guide to SOL. The following notes were collected during hours of Soling by Gilles, during days (and loooong nights) trying to understand why the top SOLers, were doing what they did, and do. The only one that is mention here is "the Prof" , alias ita10267. I got the extreme privilege to be beaten, ops theached, by him an incredible number of time. But every time during the analysis of the race in chat I was able to collect few words/rules applicable either in SOL or IRL. Of course for each rule a book could be written but this is just a memo to stick in the cockpit. under the name of Prof´s Rules.
Chapter 1 - Strategy s1- Never sleep this is know as rule#1 in SOL s2- Cover like you see in match race of America´s Cup s3- Cover but here you should cover the entire fleet... this means that sometime you need to pick "your" opponent. s4- Depend where one´s want to go To select the correct point(s) towards you want to move yours dot is the essence in SOL and IRL. The "point" is (not) normally, the waypoint s5- Footing toward the wind shift technics also note as Wally. see also external source. s6- If the wind shift to the left go to the left, if to the right go right. Right? not for me... never got if it is meant the left of the wind or the boat or both.... s7- if there is a slow rotation stay outside to use the slingshot effect. s8- The Horses are counted after the line. The ranking after the start and in the middle of a race stay for cosmetics
Chapter 2 - Tactics t1- Cover always cover... t2- If you made a wrong decision the faster you correct it the better it is. The risk is that waiting the situation evolve in a even worst direction. t3- Tactics degrade the strategy to the fastest routing. (Ok, this one is taken somewherelse...) t4- Surprise weather can screw up everithings. Even the perfect strategy t5- To cover sometimes is necessary a rebecchino Like the name of the sail Genoa is coming from the italian city with light wind, "Rebecchino" is a nautical term originary also from Genua indicating a double tack/jybe within a really short distance just to ensure to cover the opponent. Chapter 3 - Weather w1- Keep the weather slider ahead. is more important to know where you want to be and how you will go there than where you are now. w2- Decide where you want to be in the middle. Weather instinct is required here, the router will confirm your feeling (see 76 article routing for not routers) w3- The angle is more important than the pressure. This is usually the strarting point for endless discussion.
Chapter 4 - Polar Curve p1- VMC (see rule s4 & w2) a lot of post and reference in 76 and AGage blog explain that. You just MUST know it. p2- VMG This one is normally easier but is just a special case of p1. p3- Use polar hop What to do when the polar has holes and bumps....
Chapter 5 - DC. Delay Command and command d1- The sign of a DC must be checked 3 times. More than one safe win was blown away by a wrong DC.... d2- If the WX is stable and you plan to be away long time (3 wx update...) put the DC in CC and not in TWA. Better to move slowly in the correct direction than going back to the start. d2.1- If you are going through a windshift have the boat on cc and not twa... otherwise the result could be impredictable, specially with WX update d3- ensure fully awake before making slight course adjustment........ Chapter 6 - Murphy applied to SOL M1.1 The big mess will happen during the weekend... :-) M1.2 the crucial phase will be at 3:00 AM... whatever fuse. M1.3 the crucial phase will be in conjunction with a dentist appointment booked since 4 months. M1.4 A short meeting will be just to long so that you will miss the turn or hit the land. M1.5 If you are distracted (by a short nap, a meeting, dinner, or family...) the boat/boats you are covering will tack or gybe while you are away.
/also known as Watson paradigm) M2- Internet connection will be broken when you should make a turn around a cape or mark... M3- Internet server worldwide will collapse o in the most interesting phase of a regatta o just 2 hours before the arrival of a regatta lasting many weeks. M4- Rich get richer
Knowing the rules is easy... Knowing when to apply which one is ART, and this is the domain of the best. (excpet when rule t4 is enforced)
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