Interlake Tuning Tips

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Tips by Skip Dieball

This is the second of my hair-brained ideas on how to sail/set-up the Interlake.

I am going to focus on Big Breeze sailing and will break it down into three areas: Set-Up, Upwind Technique and Downwind Technique. Like my previous article on preparation, I could go in much greater detail, but my PC only has so much memory (which is far more than the author, by the way). Should you have any questions, feel free to fire away....

SET-UP
When looking at the Interlake, in general, I focus on these primary controls:

Mainsheet, Boom Vang, Jib Sheet, Outhaul, Cunningham and Cloth Tension.

MAINSHEET & BOOM VANG
When going Upwind in Big Breeze, I work the Mainsheet in and out through the puffs and lulls. It is an incredibly large Main, so having good pulleys will certainly help with endurance. Have you ever noticed, though, that sometime when you ease the Main, the first little bit actually overpowers the boat? That is because you don't have enough Boom Vang. That's right, the vang is an incredibly important tool to de-power the mainsail upwind. Often times, you hear sailors talk about Vang Sheeting. On the Interlake, this is certainly a FAST way to sail the boat.

Here is how my team would go upwind and some of the dialog that goes back and forth (this is with a 3-person crew).

Forward Crew: "Puff coming in 5" (by the way 5 is just a relative number) Skipper (to middle Crew): "Get ready to pull on some Vang"

PUFF HITS
Middle Crew: "Vang is on medium-tight"
Forward Crew: "More Puff behind this one"
Skipper: "Main is eased, bring on more Vang"
Middle Crew: "Vang on HARD!"
Forward Crew: "Less breeze behind this juicy puff"
Skipper (as he/she is playing the mainsheet through the puff): "Get ready to ease the vang in the light stuff"

This kind of interaction should be common. The vang can help you a great deal, but can hurt you if you aren't quick to ease it when the wind goes light. It is critical to ease the vang in the lulls.

JIB SHEET
Another technique that can be used in really, really big breeze is to work the jib sheet in unison with the mainsheet. By easing the Jib 3-4", you create just enough "twist" to open the slot between the main and jib, which de-powers the boat. Greg Fisher and I did this at the Flying Scot Midwinters this year and we were clearly the fastest (and flattest) which led to our opening race victory.

The other controls: Outhaul, Cunningham and Cloth Tension are all used to flatten the sails and "shift" the draft into a more efficient foil. As with the vang, you've got to be quick to change in the puffs and lulls. In general, you should always be less aggressive as pulling things on too tight will kill speed. Consult your tuning guide for proper adjustments and reference points.

UPWIND TECHNIQUE
How you sail the Interlake in Big Breeze kind of depends on where you sail. For example, if you are sailing at Hoover and the breeze is puffy from the radio tower, you can get away with "pinching" the boat a little because there are no waves at Hoover (even though my good friends from Hoover actually claim they have waves!!!). You see, once you get in some wave action, the "squareness" of the Interlake will promote slamming/slapping of the waves. So you need to "power" through the chop by sailing a little "fatter", that is, sailing the boat a little lower and easing the main/traveler to counter-balance the boat. What becomes critical at this point is not identifying the waves (they are everywhere), but identifying the flat spots! Once you find a flat spot in the water, crank the sheet/traveler back to a power position and sneak the boat to windward. This will allow you to gain height on your competition. Mark Kelley and I did this effectively this past weekend at he Cattail.

One of the problems with the Interlake is when the wind picks up, you develop quite a bit of helm. The helm (or resistance) that builds with the wind is a sign that you are becoming overpowered. You should go through the steps of tightening the controls (Outhaul, Cunningham, Vang, Cloth/Rig Tension, etc.) and see how that effects the helm. If you still have some resistance, try pulling up the Centerboard 4-8" on the pennant. This will move the center of resistance more in line with the center of effort and alleviate the helm. Be careful not to pull it up too much as you'll induce leeward helm (counter resistance) and start sliding sideways.

Another way to de-power your Interlake is to move you Jib leads back. BUT before you do, make sure you know the signs. First, check out the "backwind" in the mainsail. Backwind is the bubble created by the breeze coming off the jib and forcing it into the backside of the mainsail. If you have a lot of backwind, chances are your lead is too far forward. Slide the lead back and monitor the backwind. It may never go away, but it should help make the Interlake easier to sail.

Sailing the boat as flat as possible should be your goal. Have your crew hike hard and make your adjustments. Sailing in breeze is tough and typically it is a physical contest. Make sure you know the cause and effect of your controls.

DOWNWIND TECHNIQUE
Hang on.....

No, really there is a few things you can do to save yourself from a wipe out. First, have that 3rd crew calling the puffs. When you know a puff is coming, you are way ahead of the game! You will be prepared. Next, make sure your 3rd crew has their hand on the Vang. If you get a puff and become overpowered, you need to dump the vang to allow the boom to rise above the water. If the tip of your boom hits the water, start climbing over the side!

The best thing to do is be incredibly aggressive while driving the Interlake. When the puff hits, steer the boat down 20-30 degrees (on a reach). The boat will pop on a plane and you'll be in control. Keep your eye on the next mark. Sometimes you won't be able to make it. It is better to sail the boat on a plane as long as possible rather than trying to make the mark and risking a capsize. When I race my family's Lightning, I am constantly reminding myself of this technique. They have much larger spinnakers and it is twice as difficult.

Set up early for your gybing maneuvers. Make sure everyone is on the same page and knows what they need to do. When you are ready to gybe, find the first wave to surf. Make your maneuver on the surf as the "load" will be reduced greatly. Execute the "S" gybe by stopping your turn as the boom comes across. Sometimes you can reverse the turn as the boom comes over. One thing is for sure, you have to do everything possible to keep the boat under control. If it means taking the spinnaker down then re-launching on the other gybe, do it. The distance lost will not come close to what you lose when you capsize.

Always remember that the Mainsail on the Interlake is the driving force when sailing in breeze downwind.

Hope these tips help.

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