Hello, That is a great photo showing the same boat for all of the young sailors in a learning mode. The basics of sailing a 14 foot Lido sailboat versus sailing a 35 foot ocean going cruiser is the same as form and function has its basic principles. Once learned the basic philosophy of sailing, the controls of the lines and what each does to make you go forward, then it is just time behind the tiller, (similar to time behind the driver’s steering wheel). My wife had never sailed before we both joined a class in the fundamentals. I had learned sailing as a teenager in an 8 foot dinghy with two teenagers almost capsizing it each time we took it out. My friend told me to watch him as he showed me the power and adapting the power from adjustments to the control lines and sails. What? No gas pedal to go forward faster? The time we sailed in this small boat was a precursor to both of us getting to sail his dad’s 18 foot Malibu Outrigger sailboat. Now, this was high performance sailing with the same style of controls and adjustments but the results were double to triple in speeds, when we did the right moves. Jnaki But when my wife and I were in the class, it was fundamentals again and we took to it like nothing else. Now in the small boat, we applied the techniques to the performance mode every time we pushed off from the dock. The first week was mass sailing down the Newport Bay channel in front of the waterfront homes and shops/resorts. The bay was huge for us in those small boats. But, we learned where the wind was best and what direction to make our adjustments. The second week we were in an advanced class with more free sailing, but now involving race techniques, such as starting line moves and planning/reading the course. And of course, the proper sailing moves when approaching others. The third and final consecutive week was 4 hours a day on the water in a competitive mode with various starting line contests to a specific point in the bay. Then it was another starting area in a different place in the harbor to get used to the wind direction. The final race was starting on the West end of the harbor bay near the Balboa Peninsula road, down the long channel, past the ferry crossing and out of the twin jetties at the harbor/ocean entrance. (Corona Del Mar on one side and The Wedge on the other side of the opposite jetty.) Note: The race was canceled by the patrol boat to tell us the harbor entrance was closed due to large waves breaking on the inside of the jetties. So, since we were in 2nd place, we decided to go out as far as the instructor and ride the swells back into the harbor waters. It was a challenging thing to sail up a swell and turn at the top to come back down the face of the swell, while finagling the control lines to keep us afloat. We made it and came in unofficial 1st due to no one else trying the swells inside of the two jetties. Ha! Surfing techniques came in handy for us. Awareness in driving a old hot rod all came back as we sailed around in the lead, but when we were in a close contact situation, pure defensive sailing or driving was put into play. Driving a hot rod puts you in control. It may look hard to sail, but the same skills are a part of direction, noticing surroundings and techniques in handling in tight quarters. YRMV
Its a sad commentary on New York with the filth in the streets. I must say it has gotten much better/cleaner though.
The Jalopy Journal
