I've only been doing GPS for 6 months and now I've learnt to bear off more I'm, getting some nice wide planing gybes but they are too wide for alphas ( my alphas are always the worse gybes out in the chop.. ) . I am now starting to come back up to more of a reach after my run and then gybing,..Any tips to improve or get more likely to get PB's..? Got 19.6 so far and I'd like to get a 20..

practice going directly from a reach into the turn :)

if you take too long on the bearaway preparing for turn you will blow the circle too wide.
Its better to initiate the turn leaving you more room to bear away on the exit.

Alphas are more about how fast you exit (and can get back up to full speed) than how fast you enter the turn.

The best alphas here are done using Tomski's alpha markers. There's 3 of them, two 50m apart at the gate, and another gybe marker 250 away in the flattest water.
This allows you to enter the gate at speed from down wind, then straighten up for the 250 run to the gybe marker, then aim for the outside gate marker. So you can keep the "U" as wide as possible, without markers you need to be a bit conservative with the 50m separation, so you don't overcook it.

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decrepit said..

The best alphas here are done using Tomski's alpha markers. There's 3 of them, two 50m apart at the gate, and another gybe marker 250 away in the flattest water.
This allows you to enter the gate at speed from down wind, then straighten up for the 250 run to the gybe marker, then aim for the outside gate marker. So you can keep the "U" as wide as possible, without markers you need to be a bit conservative with the 50m separation, so you don't overcook it.

Any diagrams? Hard to visualise this..
I used to enter my gybes from a reach as i never used to bear off enough and I was getting better alphas then ( but worse speeds..)

When you post your session on KA72.com you can click in (Google Earth Overlay) and the green U turn on that map is your
best alpha for that session. I tried to get a diagram but the page is no longer there

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Atomic13 said..

When you post your session on KA72.com you can click in (Google Earth Overlay) and the green U turn on that map is your
best alpha for that session. I tried to get a diagram but the page is no longer there

Maybe this will help i got it off Google images.

Yes I check mine out.Here's one that shows the sweeping faster gybes at the end of the run RHS and the alpha out in the chop..

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sboardcrazy said..
Any diagrams? Hard to visualise this..
I used to enter my gybes from a reach as i never used to bear off enough and I was getting better alphas then ( but worse speeds..)

Alphas will be done sailing 90 deg to the wind. slight entry and exit level adjustments will need to made for different water conditions
The right fin plays a big part in alphas

Thanks!

Count ! Have a look at the time to do a alpha not just the speed, most of mine are around 45 seconds so I get to full speed on the reach count to 20 gybe and count 20 back, here where I sail you leave a snail trail across the weed beds so just line up that on the out run. First day I was told this had a 25 alpha pb , you will be very surprised how far 20 seconds is.

Thanks Stu, I just drew a rough diagram but yours is much better.
Yep, Jimbob, if you don't have a 250m marker, a slow 20s count is just as good.
Without, it's very easy to ease off too soon.

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sboardcrazy said..

Yes I check mine out.Here's one that shows the sweeping faster gybes at the end of the run RHS and the alpha out in the chop..

Well, you can see the tracks crossing over themselves, this means at least one leg is much too high upwind! you'll increase by 1 or 2 knots, just by making those lines parallel.
But probably even better, closing the bottom ones up a bit.
The beauty of having your own software, (rather than ka72) is you can check for alphas at greater separation distances, that way you know how far you have to close them up.

As soon as I gybe I start to come upwind to cross my tracks and get back for another run..so I shouldn't do that? Like the idea of counting although i think I'd be too busy trying to gybe..

Doing speed runs and alphas at the same time, is not the way to get good alphas!!!!!
They need to be done separately for best results. Work out where the best area is for alphas and go for it. If you haven't got markers, you need something to sight on during the return trip. You can look over your shoulder on the way in and see if there's a distinctive object on the horizon. If there's nothing definite, you can pair up with a team mate, take it in turns to sail back to each other.
I find alphas quite tiring so a rest between each run isn't a bad idea.

No you count on the run in and run out, (to make sure you've done the full 250m leg), you can stop counting while you gybe!

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decrepit said..

Doing speed runs and alphas at the same time, is not the way to get good alphas!!!!!
They need to be done separately for best results. Work out where the best area is for alphas and go for it. If you haven't got markers, you need something to sight on during the return trip. You can look over your shoulder on the way in and see if there's a distinctive object on the horizon. If there's nothing definite, you can pair up with a team mate, take it in turns to sail back to each other.
I find alphas quite tiring so a rest between each run isn't a bad idea.

No you count on the run in and run out, (to make sure you've done the full 250m leg), you can stop counting while you gybe!

That's surprising..I thought when you were going fast would be good although I can see the gybe could be too wide.

Even if you can close it up enough, you're only going fast in one direction, unless you have some super ability to go upwind.

Sue, A speed run is done off the wind so throwing into a gybe while at maximum speed (130deg off the wind) will never see you close enough for the "return gate" of 50m downwind of where your entry was (because you are way downwind by this point). A great alpha is exactly what the above picture shows. Smooth water and markers are a help but don't be discouraged by the numbers.

You either go out to enjoy yourself and the numbers are what they are OR use the day to focus on hitting some numbers in a category - but this may not be so much fun. Although human nature tells us we want a new PB all the time.............

Cheers
Marty

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MartinF2 said..

Sue, A speed run is done off the wind so throwing into a gybe while at maximum speed (130deg off the wind) will never see you close enough for the "return gate" of 50m downwind of where your entry was (because you are way downwind by this point). A great alpha is exactly what the above picture shows. Smooth water and markers are a help but don't be discouraged by the numbers.

You either go out to enjoy yourself and the numbers are what they are OR use the day to focus on hitting some numbers in a category - but this may not be so much fun. Although human nature tells us we want a new PB all the time.............

Cheers
Marty

I used to get better alphas when I was slower..

Sue, what I'm about to say might sound silly but it does work.
I have found that there is a lot of information in the brain and when approaching the gybe your mind might have too much going on. So make a conscious effort to slow down your thinking as you approach the Gybe. Think about nothing and think about it slowly. Your gybing will improve if you slow down your mind.
You can thank me later.

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hoppyrat said..

Sue, what I'm about to say might sound silly but it does work.
I have found that there is a lot of information in the brain and when approaching the gybe your mind might have too much going on. So make a conscious effort to slow down your thinking as you approach the Gybe. Think about nothing and think about it slowly. Your gybing will improve if you slow down your mind.
You can thank me later.

I'll give it a go..

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decrepit said..

Thanks Stu, I just drew a rough diagram but yours is much better.
Yep, Jimbob, if you don't have a 250m marker, a slow 20s count is just as good.
Without, it's very easy to ease off too soon.

Hmmm............ I do a slow count to 10!

I must be a slow counter!!

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sailquik said..

>>>>

Hmmm............ I do a slow count to 10!

I must be a slow counter!!

I used to do a slow count to 10, but then I checked my maths and the time it takes me to run the legs, and it's any where between 15s and 20s. I found counting to 10 left me a little short, but then I'm slower than you.

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decrepit said..

sailquik said..

>>>>

Hmmm............ I do a slow count to 10!

I must be a slow counter!!

I used to do a slow count to 10, but then I checked my maths and the time it takes me to run the legs, and it's any where between 15s and 20s. I found counting to 10 left me a little short, but then I'm slower than you.

My old brain just works slower! I just timed myself with my stopwatch and it took me a good 15 seconds to count to 10!!