Helpful Hints & Tips For The New Guys

Hi everyone,

I thought it may be useful to share with the group, some helpful hints for the new comers to the game. So often we see the new guys floundering back there in the rear, sometimes over a minute behind the fleet. This was me too, until some of the more experienced players took the time to share some useful information with me.

Only some very simple things need to be learned by the new comers to VSK so that they can start doing a little better against other players online.

If some of our more experienced players would also like to share some information perhaps we can start a very informative thread of Helpful Hints & Tips for VSK Players to sift through and learn from.

Cheers all

Dan (Aussie XII)

FAST STARTS
Ive been sailing VSK a Little over three years. For the vast amount of that time it was on and off just a day or two with then long gaps of time away . I got back into VSK this year around April, and have been pretty steady ever sence.

Of all my observations of who wins and who follows up, the winners almost always are among those with the best starts. You have to be at the line at the gun under full power. Windward seems to be preferred but I have seen many a time boats to port take off and make the mark first. Your timing at getting to the line on time is everthing. When I start well I'm there, when I have a bad start it shows. I get into trouble with other boats and find myself maneuvering to stay clear. I need to work on my starts and believe it will improve my consistance.
HOW ABOUT A DISCUSION ON BETTER STARTS

LETS GO MATES CLUE ME IN.

I have one for you, when you come to the leeward mark hit the head sail button and if you can set it up to gybe just as the spin starts to come down it seems to come down faster. That way the spin isnt flogging around so much and the bow guy gets off the bow sooner. Im sure someone here can tell us how far from the mark we should hit the head sail button (1 or 2) at what speed as far as distance to mark. that would be helpful.

Dont come into the mark on port. some times I start in the middle of the line and wind shifts keep me way to the left, dont do it. set your self up to come into the mark on starboard, even if you have to duck a boat or two. Just last night I was in the top three then I got to the top mark and had to duck every one.

Good tips guys, Im glad guys are finaly starting to come out and share with the group. Me? I dont know much about VSK, sailing or anything like that, but Im keen to learn Im keen to share what I know and hope I can learn more.

I try to be a fair sailor, I try to abide by the rules and stay clear of everyone, I also try to win. But winning is only part of this game, I more enjoy hanging out with my friends and enjoy everything there is to know about isailing a fast racing yacht. I wont lie to you all, Im fairly new to all this and am always keen to learn more, so keep sharing your knowlege Im really getting alot out of it....thanks guys.

I am very grateful to all of you that have joined this site, Im so very proud of what has become of ACCEES and hope that everyone enjoys endurance racing as much as I do.

Cheers guys you are all aces, thanks heaps guys.

Dan

Watch your radar. It shows lay lines. Watch it to see the next course after the mark (ever get to a windward mark with an offset mark and turn too soon? me too) It will show converging boats, and some radars have lines at 30 degrees to help you figure out when you can lay a mark. You can tell if you will cross an opposite tacker. Plus more I havent thought of.

Starts. If you find yourself OCS ( On the corse side ) over early. You have to go around the ends of the line, that means around the pin or the boat. keep in mind whitch end is closer to you or the end that you can get to quickest. traffic can stop you from going to the closest end. The biggest thing I have learned is never quit. I have raced 471 races on outspan to date with a DNF % of 3.8. I dont quit. that 3.8% is mostly battery porblems, conection probs or my baby boy wakeing up crying in the midst of a race. No matter how bad it may look never quit. I have been doing poorly in races and lo and behold boats just quit or get penned or run aground or what ever you can think of. And then I find my self in good position in a race I thought of quitting untill I remember the motto my father tought me NEVER QUIT.

More helpful hints and tips guys well done. I was just reading through the previous posts and saw the post by Seahorse about "how about a thread on better starts". Well my advise is go for it. If you are unsure how to start a new thread just click on "New Topic" to start a different discussion.

If you guys would like to start a whole different subforum at any stage, you need only ask, if I believe it to be pertinent or useful to ARC I will start the new Subforum up for you....you need only ask guys.

keep those ideas coming, because out of all threads here so far this is the most useful to the new guys. I constantly see new guys struggling in the very same way I used to and it makes me sad that they wont open their minds to new thinking. Sometimes its all we need do to learn something new.

Like I keep saying Im certainly no expert and there is still so much I am yet to learn, but my mind is always open to something different, even if I am a bit slow to pick it up sometimes.

Cheers all, well done guys.

Dan

Heres one. If the hoast created the track keep an eye on him, he knows the current and wind shifts. If you ask your self why did he do that or why did he go that way most likely there is a reason. Last nite I went from second to third on the last beat. The hoast knew the current and going left early pays off. I went right and he went left. I had to do a short tack before the mark and he laid it on port.Being the gentlman I am I took his stern and lost a place. So keep an eye on the hoast.
Pat.

I know I always say never quit but here is a good example. Last nite I started my first race of the nite (CHTs server standard tracks) I diddnt get a great start 6 seconds late and I had the wrong sail up. Took me a minute to figure that one out. So 1 min 20 sec, into the race I get the proper sail up and Im up to speed, sixth place with good sailors. Im thinking OK Ill just work my way up. Im on starboard and here comes two boats on port just ahead of my so I duck them. They both thank me for letting then cross. I know they saw me turn down to let them go.after a minute I got the shift I was waiting for, tacked to port and crossed everyone but CHT and Bebop. I stayed on port till I could lay the top mark (I over stood some) and CHT got a pen erom Bebop. Im thinking goog for me. any way I find myself in second with the two boats I let cross close with overlap at the top mark. I bare off and extend my lead some. We get to the turning mark and I think Bebop is gone. long story short the fleet gybes in to the land and I go off shore, I found big waves with a mile to go. so I point the boat down a few, roll a smoke and look up to discover Im now in first place. The boats that went inshore had flat water and bad air. So I gybe over point to the mark and start getting a better and better angle to the finish. Guys start saying WD Pat and Im thinking half mile to go a little soon for that. I ended up winning that race. So never give up and follow youe gut. It pays.
Pat

I find the tweeked instrument panel and the replacement transparent sails (in place of of solid white) for skins that have not loaded to be very useful. Find the downloads and the instructions how to install at the following link


http://www.northspace.co.uk/appearance.html#default

Sly & All,
How about making the Nadeo Sails Transparent. There is a way and I have completed that task today. Transparent Nadeo sails are great when a Nadeo comes up from behind you and blinds you and your boat.

I will put up some instructions and a link for everyone, Its a little technical but not all that bad of a job.

John

How many of us use the whole instrument panel? If you do not you are losing out on a massive amount of info around the course. Learn how to use the data displayed and results will follow and I speak from experience as I use to use the basic display.

I agree, at first it seems like alot of info but it is there for a reason. after you get used to it you will miss it if it is not there. I use the whole thing. In my book you can not have enough info.

Dear all

I'm using as well the whole display.
At the beginning the first display seems to me enough after now using the whole display it appears that i'm using most of the information provided and the first display seems to me very basic.
I'd be quite interesting to exchange our understanding and our experience of it

Cheers
SAF (Olivier)

Saf/Sly/& All,
Please review and redirect all your discussion to the instruction section /sub forum /instrument panel

Thanks John

Learn as meny first names as you can. keepa list if you have to. It helps, When you can say hi to five or six skippers I think people you dont know tendto respect you more and stay on the fair side. For me it is nice to see an ARC boat or two on the line plus a few guys I have raced with in the past, just say hello it goes a long way. I have made lots of frends this way, they will send me emails saying a sever is open. That makes me feel good and it makes me faster.

Dear all

I found this table which i think is quite usefull.
It gives for different wind speed the minimum wind angle to put the kite on.

Cheers
SAF (olivier)

https://i.servimg.com/u/f44/17/94/85/72/vmpspi12.jpg[img]

I could have used that last nite. I wants me to sign in.

I can't open the file
I'll try to solve it
Sorry

SAF (Olivier)

Lets me know if you can see it now

https://servimg.com/view/17948572/4

Cheers
SAF (Olivier)

Yes I can see it now. Thanks.

Hi All

I found this pdf on great tips and hints for VSK5 ACC boats

Click on link to download

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/upy75wtv92wjcb6/TheVskGuide_byBardy.pdf

Good one Legsy, cheers mate thanks for that.

Hi everyone,

Further to this discussion, Im not all that clued in on the different instruments and what they mean, even when explained to me I think I'd need to have some close support training on how they are used while actually sailing...if that makes sense. I understand that VSK Australia used to host training sessions where this was possible. I thought it was a great idea then and I still think its a good idea for "Us Visual Learners". It would be a great program here at the ARC if we were to ever incorporate it.

But I cant do everything so Ill leave that idea perhaps for somebody else to instigate...someone with alot more know-how than me perhaps. But I think it is the best way to teach some skippers that dont learn as well by text alone, or even by showing them graphics.

Like how I teach painting, some techniques just cant be taught this way they have to be shown.

I think its also pertinent to mention that guys should be patient with themselves and tolerate the literal cane'ings they will inevitably suffer when they first start out in virtual skipper. We have all been there and I have hardly ever come accross a new skipper that won races straight out of the box. Its a steep learning curve for most of us, and for the guys that have never actually sailed in actuality even harder still.

Cheers all...keep on keepin on!

Dan