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 Principally the 4th dimension is sailing by the lee with a
single-handed boat that allows the boom to go out to nearly 90degrees.
Steve learned the art of the 4th dimension sailing the International
Europe internationally during the late 80's and early 90's and developed
this skill later in the Laser during the 96 Olympic campaign.
Steve Cockerill tries to answer some of the common
questions and explains the principles behind sailing by the lee, an area
of sailing he likes to call the 4th dimension.
Sailing by the lee can be as stable or unstable as
you want it to be. Try it for yourself
Some of the commonest questions asked at Training Talks
are:
· What is the point of sailing by the lee?
· Why does it
work?
· How do I start?
What's also amazing is that so few people have experienced
the benefits of the 4th dimension yet it is not so difficult to learn
with a little belief. Many top sailors from backgrounds in
conventionally stayed boats can believe the concept but find it hard to
change the habits of a lifetime.
Have any of you experienced sailing
a laser dead running in lots of breeze, rolling heavily from side to
side, sitting on the tiller praying to God that you are not going to
capsize to leeward or to windward? Well this article's for you!
The Classic Approach to Wobbly Runs:
The classic advice
is to use more kicker. This stops the leach from pushing you to windward
because the leach will not be in front of the mast. More kicker will
power the sail up in certain circumstances, and can be ideal for flat
water sailing when broad reaching. However, it tends to flatten the sail
excessively, reduce flow over the sail when dead running and make
manoeuvring difficult. With excessive kicker, the power in the sail is
held at the leach, which is along way from the mast. When manoeuvring
from dead running, the centre of effort of the sail quickly moves from
the centre of the sail to the leach and causes excessive amounts of
weather helm and heel. Downwind sailing in waves is an art of wave
avoidance rather than power sailing, so this unforgiving method of leach
control will prevent you from avoiding waves. Typically, when luffing to
avoid a large wave the leach will power up very quickly, tipping the
boat and causing the boom to catch a wave top and you are swimming.
Alternatively, if you don't avoid the wave you will nosedive and fall in
anyway.
So to counter the classic advice I would suggest that
there is another way to control the leach of the sail that does not
flatten it, will stop the boat from rolling excessively to windward and
makes it easier to manoeuvre. This is not an easy subject so I have
split it down into understandable chunks……hopefully.
By the lee Sailing Development
The practice of sailing
by the lee has been used in many single-handed classes. I like to think
that I saw it practised best in the International Europe Fleet during
the 80's. This was because the boom was so close to the water when
sailing downwind with lots of kicker, that sailors developed ways of
sailing with little or no kicker. 
A principle exponent of the 4th dimension was a
Finnish Europe Sailor who was a student of the Finnish Sailing School
(working hard during the winter to sail during the summer). All students
had to devise a project and Yyurki Tarmanins was to investigate how
little kicker he could use downwind without opening the leach. He turned
up to an International Easter regatta in Holland in 1985 with what
seemed like 100 pairs of tell tails on his sail. I remember at the time
that he sailed with far less kicker than everyone else, and yet his
leach still looked remarkably closed. Two years later I learned of his
findings first hand when we trained in France in preparation for the
Europe World Championships.
Let's go through some of the benefits:
1. Avoid
those wobbly runs
2. You can sail with a fuller sail
3. Use the
rudder as a life saver
4. Wave Avoidance made Simpler
5.
Transitions the Key to Success
6. Remain in tactical control on the
run
Avoid those wobbly runs
I have seen so many sailors
struggling on a run in a laser, in fact I remember doing it myself as a
youngster. I remember wondering which side of the tiller should I be
sitting on and ending up sitting on it and praying, soon to be
accompanied by a loud splash! Sailing dead downwind is a bit like
watching a flag fluttering in the breeze. The wind flow moves it one way
and then the other. In a similar way if you sail dead downwind, the flow
over the sail alternates from leach to luff and luff to leach making the
boat almost impossible to control. Try the 'by the lee' way and you will
find safety in the confidence that the boat will behave consistently.
This video clip shows the new reaction you should have to the boat
heeling to windward - 295KB You will need the Windows Media Player.
Right mouse click to save to disk for playback at your leisure.
Sail with a fuller sail
When sailing by the lee, the wind flow is from the
leach to the luff of the sail rather than from luff to leach. Hence
little kicker is required, as the mast is the hardest leach anyone could
want. The sail can be sheeted in until the leach starts to flick, thus
increasing the wind flow over the sail and reduce the load on the leach.
Please note, if the kicker is on too much, there is very little room for
error before the boom gybes
Use the rudder as a 'life saver' checkout this clip
(click to download video 508KB) - KB You will need the Windows Media
Player. Right mouse click to save to disk for playback at your
leisure. 
The common running problem is the violent roll to
windward that causes the boat to start to bear away radically. What do
you do? Perhaps you pull the sheet in and move your weight to correct
the trim, but lets concentrate on the rudder. Do you push the rudder
away from you (head up) or pull it toward you (bear away)? For most of
you it is probably inconceivable to pull it towards you, but that is
actually the right answer! You see the alternative is to push it away
from you. Then the angle of the rudder will act as a lifting plane and
lift the transom out of the water and accentuating the roll. If you pull
it towards you, the rudder becomes a lowering plane and drives the boat
both deeper 'by the lee' and forces the boat upright. At the same time,
the rig once again becomes stable as the power on the leach is removed
(more flow, less push) and the boat again becomes stable.
 This caption look
familiar?
Wave Avoidance made Simpler:
Downwind sailing can be
likened to running through a badly organised car park. There always
seems to be a car in the direction you want to run in and it is always a
compromise direction you take. Occasionally there seems to be a gap
opening up which takes you where you want to go at speed, but invariably
it's a question of zigzagging through the parked cars. Well the same is
true of sailing downwind in waves. If you want to spend your time
climbing over cars, then sail straight downwind! If you attempt to avoid
waves but cannot do the 'by the lee' thing, then the only option is to
head up when facing a wave front (parked car) which must limit the
possibilities of making the fastest progress downwind.
Transitions the Key to success Download 1.5M - checkout
the quick easy turns on flat water (click to download video 1.5MB)
You will need the Windows Media Player. Right mouse click to save to
disk for playback at your leisure.
The transitions between normal and 'by the lee'
sailing are a crucial tool in the Downwind toolkit when sailing in
waves, or car avoidance if you are still thinking of cars in a car park.
Each transition needs to be both smooth and give acceleration, in a
similar way to roll tacking upwind.
To bear away: (click to download video 400KB) You
will need the Windows Media Player. Right mouse click to save to disk
for playback at your leisure.
the helm must ease the mainsheet, creating a roll to
windward (due to the leach powering up and moving forward). This would
normally result in a capsize to windward if no further action were
taken.
bear away hard with the rudder, flattening out the boat (using
the rudder as a life saver discussed before) and reducing the angle of
the sail to the wind (effectively sheeting in) and you are there safe
and sound!
To head back up again: (click to download video 380 KB)
You will need the Windows Media Player. Right mouse click to save to
disk for playback at your leisure.
the helm must induce the transition by pushing the boat
to leeward (conventionally minded) which also induces a pump to windward
(which turns the boat away from the wind)
at the same time sheeting
in getting ready for the new force on the sail from the wind in the
conventional direction
and sitting out against this new force and
the centripetal force of the turning hull.
N.B. Make sure you have sheeted a lot in before you sit
out as you might find it go very dark and wet. See the clip above and
notice how much sheet is pulled in to finish off the transition
up.
This is what is should look like when you have got it
right (click to download video1.5MB) You will need the Windows Media
Player. Right mouse click to save to disk for playback at your
leisure.
Remain in tactical control on the run
Simply the
lower you can go at the top mark on the run, the greater the chance of
getting the inside overlap at the Leeward Mark. The bear away at the
mark is the first crucial aspect to this which is really just the bear
away transition discussed above. Clearly there is a lot more sheet
easing, but it is this aspect that is the most crucial to begin the
transition, then use the rudder as the 'life saver' to end the
transition. Once you are sailing deep and 'by the lee', the rulebook
becomes your friend. If anyone attacks you to windward (conventionally
speaking), you have the option to luff hard or go lower. The lower
option might be preferred, as they cannot be on your wind as you are
sailing 'by the lee'. Don't forget, whilst sailing by the lee, the boom
still dictates the gybe you are on - if the boom is over the port side
of the boat you are still on starboard. So being on starboard 'by the
lee' makes it interesting when approaching a boat on port sailing the
same course! Putting yourself in this deeper passing lane gives you an
easier route to the mark and makes for simpler mark rounding strategies.
Faster boats that are not as deep as you must not only gain an overlap
but must also pass you to break the overlap to stop you maintaining your
place at the leeward mark. This strategy works well when sailing a
typical left handed course that has been set true to the wind and
tide.
 How do I start?
Now you have got all the facts, it might be worth going over them in
your mind one or two times, but trying is really the only way to start.
Be prepared to get wet, the more committed you are, the more chance you
have of getting wet and learning quicker. I suggest you wear a warm
wetsuit! Try these exercises as a starter.
Trying it For Yourself
Remember things are back to
front, so de powering the rig is sheeting the sail in and bearing away
will feather the boat in a gust.
Start by sailing in light winds on
flat water and practice the transitions from broad reaching to by the
lee. When there, try more and less mainsheet and feel the differences on
the boat. Try to sail as far by the lee as possible. Reaching on the
opposite gybe is possible. When the boat heals in a gust just sheet in a
bit more (effectively easing the sail) and bear away even more, until
the leach recovers and then you can resume the less radical bye the lee
course. I understand the concept of using the rudder as a lifesaver is
difficult to grasp. Start by sailing downwind with the rig over you and
see what steering the rudder from side to side does. You should notice
the effect of it making the boat roll over more or less as you do so.
Try steering the rudder with the tiller extension on the leeward
(conventionally speaking) deck, it might help you feel in more control.
You can make by the lee sailing as stable or unstable as you like, it
just depends on how much weight, rudder and sheet movements you are
prepared to make.
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