Excerpt from Winning in One-Designs
By Dave Perry
Illustrations by Brad Dellenbaugh and Mark Smith
- Available for purchase
     $20.00 for US SAILING members, $24.95 for non-members

Heavy Air Madness

Heavy air: It’s raw psyche, it’s adrenalin, it’s speed; it’s tightroping the jagged edge between hard racing and hurling through the water totally out of control. It’s the sailor’s Downhill. It’s 470 sailors Eric and Richie Leitner wearing hockey helmets and knee pads to race, because “Man, it’s war out there. Every tack you just got to put your head down and go crashing through the debris. I mean there’s stuff flying around everywhere. It’s like a jungle!”

When it’s time to go downwind, you’ll remember what you paid your money for! To me one of the greatest feelings is to be flying along and suddenly see the wave you’re on drop off under your bow. With one quick pump, the boat simply launches into the hole and seems to double in speed. Jumping way back and trimming as fast as possible to keep up with the apparent windshift, you often find it impossible to see the bottom of the wave through the stream of water in your face, so keep your arm up as a shield. Just before you submarine into the back face of the Big Momma in front, cut up and head for the crest. While climbing, simultaneously ease out and hike so the centrifugal force of your turn doesn’t heel the boat and bury your boom to leeward. Once at the top, hike hard, give a good solid pump on the sheet, and hang on as you take off on an even faster and longer ride.

While riding waves, remember to always keep the boat flat and continually play the sails. If the boat seems over powered, ease the vang. If your body drags in the water tighten your straps, cross your legs, or lean out sideways. Many boats have a tighter strap farther aft for the skipper downwind. As the boat accelerates, quickly trim all sails. Don’t simply aim for the lowest section of each trough. Aim for the longest ride on the wave, and especially try to ride waves down below the rhumb line rather than up. Concentrate on using the speed of one ride to catapult you up and over the next wave. And most important: if you’re trying to catch a wave but not succeeding, stop trying and wait for its little brother to catch up to you from astern.

Racing in heavy air often seems like madness, but to most sailors it’s our fix, our Dr. Feel Good, our champagne to the brain. It’s the best feeling to know we’re going to be challenged – by both the racing and the forces of the wind and the waves – and to feel our bodies slowly work up to a controlled frenzy before the race. Right then our muscles grab that extra ounce of strength, our nerve ends are electric, our senses become totally focused, and our inner timer starts ticking. We’re alive, we’re ready – and we love it. LET IT BLOW!

(End)

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