About the Developer
Kingsley Forbes-Smith … Sailing coach
Overview
With almost 60 years sailing experience, I am passionate about sailing, being on the water and getting the most from all the facets of the sport.
Sailing is a sport where there is no limit on knowledge.
I believe that to enjoy sailing is just as (possibly more) important, than winning races.
However winning can certainly help the enjoyment.
Experience Coaching
Actively coaching for 40 years.
Senior Instructor with Australian Sailing, (approx 20 years) accredited Coach & Instructor in Dinghy, Powerboat, Yachts.
First started coaching at age 10, helping with the “learn to sail” at Manly.
First accredited with Australian Yachting Federation (AYF) 1977. “Sailing Master”
Developer of “2Sail” sailing simulator
Aimed to help sailors learn more, faster.
With 10’s of thousands of hours coding and testing
Available now on Apple and Google platforms
New versions coming out each month
Currently covers things like:
Using sailor weight, apparent wind, telltales, leach ribbons
Sail twist (vang etc), start/course bias, Wind shifts (6 types), current / tide.
Experience around boats and administration
Club Captain (ASC)
Manly Junior ( NSW President 3 years)
Race Officer (RO) Pittwater (5 years, up to 7 fleets each 3 races, 150+ finishes per afternoon)
Umpire (On water rules, team and match racing 5 years, at Australian umpire level)
Judge (off water, protest committee, chair, 5 years)
Safety On water (100’s of events over many years eg Sail Sydney 400+ boats)
Support boat Owner driver every weekend: 5m RIB or 12 ft tinny for over 15 years
Dinghys Sailed and or coached (in no particular order)
Manly Junior (many years)
Flying 11 (many years)
Moth (club champion Northbridge Sailing Club)
Heron (4 years)
Northbridge Junior (many years)
Northbridge Senior
Manly Graduate
13 ft skiff
Hobie Cat
Arrow Cat
Sabot
Optimist
Flying Ant
Nippa
Cherub (3 years)
29er (5 years)
49er
Laser
Spiral
Puffin Pacer
125
Windsurfer
My first lifejacket, early 1960’s
Yachts raced (1+ seasons)
Swanson 32 (foredeck 2 years)
Top Hat (Skipper 5 years)
Half tonner (crew)
Etchells (helm 2 years, 2nd overall Woody Point)
North shore 369 (helm)
Yachts cruising
Cat Lagoon 470 (owner, skipper cruising East coast Aus, 7 years, 6000Nm)
Cat Lagoon 470 (1000+ Nm solo)
Cat Fontaine Pajot (short handed return Sydney – Lord Howe, 800Nm)
Yutson 60 (delivery skipper, 1000Nm)
Cat Leopard 40 (delivery skipper 400Nm)
Mono 32 footer (delivery skipper 500Nm)
Cat 60ft ( delivery 500NM)
Swanson 28 (crew)
Clubs Raced from (regularly or regatta or training)
Avalon Sailing Club ASC
Royal Motor Yacht Club RMYC
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club RPAYC
Bayview Yacht Racing Association BYRA
Woody Point
Hornsby PCYC
Lane Cove 12 foot Skiff Club LC 12 SC
Hunters Hill Sailing Club HHSC
Cruising Yacht Club CYCA
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron RSYS
Woolahra Sailing Club WSC
Vaucluse Sailing Club V 12ft SC
Manly Yacht Club MYC
Manly 16 ft Skiff Club
Belmont 16 ft skiff Club B16SSC
Middle Harbour 16ft Skiff Sailing Club
Northbridge Sailing Club NSC
Balmoral Sailing Club BSC
Middle Harbour Yacht Club MHYC
Middle Harbour Heron Sailing Club MHHSC
Cronulla Sailing Club CSC
Illawarra Sailing Club ISC
Port Kembla Sailing Club PKSC
Newcastle Sailing Club NSC
Long Jetty Sailing Club
Lake Keppit Sailing Club
Port Hacking Open Sailing Club PHOSC
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron RQYS
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club SSCBC
Safety Beach Sailing Club SBSC
Toronto Sailing Club TSC
South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club SLMASC
Gosford Sailing Club GSC
Gwandalen Sport and Rec
Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club NLSC
Sydney Amateur Sailing Club SASC
Drummoyne Sailing Club DSC
Concord Ryde Sailing Club CRSC
Port Stephens Aquatic & Sailing Club PSASC
Urunga Sail Training
Bellinger River Sailing Club BRSC
Coffs Harbour Sailing Club CHSC
Richmond River Sailing Club (Ballina)
Southport Yacht Club SYC
Twofold Bay Yacht Club (Eden) TBYC
Why was this game developed ?
There are reasons why things happen on a boat.
I call these “Fundamental Rules”
This game explains those Rules:
- more than knowing WHAT to do
- UNDERSTAND why, when and what to do about it.
This game has training modules which focus on each skill, allow mastery of complexity by removing all the distractions,
You can also race with all the complexities of a real boat.
Some of the “Fundamental Rules” are repeated over and over during a race, others maybe happen once a season or even less.
By allowing you to experience the differences in a controlled enviroment, you can compress years and years of experience into a short time period.
Good sailors are often going TWICE as fast as slower boats, it is not the boat, it is all about KNOWLEDGE.
About the Simulator
The developer has over 50 years coaching experience (see above)
This game was carefully developed to highlight the tricks and techniques to go faster.
It is not about fancy graphics,
Everything that you see is a clue, to understand some aspect of sailing.
- Sail shape:
- twist
- depth
- draft position
- luffing (when it just starts to curl at the front edge)
- flapping
- Telltales
- flags
- wind on the water
- wake off the back of the boat
- etc, etc
all will help you to understand a real boat.
The physics engine that drives the boat has been carefully crafted to respond to all the inputs:
- Mainsheet
- vang
- outhaul
- downhaul
- rudder
- balance
- trim
- wind shifts
- wind strength
- tide or current
- land effect
Other Techniques to deal with
- safely leaving and returning to shore
- Start Line Bias
- Starting Fast and On-time
and just like real boats the response is different depending on wind strength and what direction you are sailing in.
I hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing you in the game and on the water.
Feedback
Having problems or
Like to give some feedback ?
contact me
Hints (Sailing and Game)
Setting the sails
Technique:
- let it out till it starts to “flap” then pull it in a bit.
Basic sailing:
- Going upwind (towards the wind) … pull the sails all the way on
- Going downwind (away from the wind) … let the sails all the way out
- Reaching (across the wind) … sails “halfway”
- a flappy sail is an unhappy sail … pull it on.
Advanced:
- The boat goes fastest when the sails are eased out, but not so far as the front edge starts to “curve”
Boats will not sail “into” the wind
- if you want to go upwind, you need to go in a zig zag course upwind, you can NOT sail directly into the wind
Tacking upwind
- Generally keep the sails on when going upwind
- To avoid getting stuck into wind … point up (sail closer towards where the wind is) AND pull the sail on … get speed THEN Tack (turn).
- When turning the boat towards the wind (tacking), steer from closer towards the wind (closehauled) to closehauled.
- If you try to tack from a reach (wind across the side) then the boat will slow down too much and you may start going backwards, point up (closehauled) first AND pull the sail on, before you start to tack.
- Steering through a tack takes some care … enough steering to get through, but not too much steering or you slow down (and stop), this is a trial and error, every boat is different. Look at the angle of the “Rudder” (steering) on the screen, about 45 degrees is good.
Sailing Downwind
- Generally ease the sails all the way out
Balance with Weight
- This is just some practise moving around
- Generally in light airs, you “heel” (lean) the boat to “leeward” (towards the side the sail is on)
- When going directly downwind (in light airs and in a single sail boat) … heel the boat to windward (a lot) for max speed.
Balance with sail
- If the wind gets too much, ease the sail out
- This level is about preventing a capsize.
- Sailing the boat “flat” in a strong breeze is in a later level
Fast Start
- The aim on any start line is 3 targets:
- start in the right spot (not required for this level)
- start on time, (close up to the line but not over, when the flag drops)
- start with speed, as fast as possible
- This level is scored on a finish line put just past the start line, so need to start on time AND with speed to win.
First race
- put it all together
- start, upwind, downwind
Club Winners
Telltales
- steer to make the telltales both horizontal (straight, flat)
- if the far one stands up (or twirls) (on Leeward side, away from the wind), steer closer to the wind
- if the close one stands up (windward side, close to the wind), steer a bit further away from the wind
Trim “the big secret anchor”
- in light airs, sit forward … far enough for the “bubbles” at the back (stern of boat) to stop
- Stronger wind, sit back to avoid nose dive
- Get this right and notice a dramatic improvement in your sailing speed
Boom Vang (Kicker)
- Light winds
- upwind: pull it on a bit
- Downwind: ease it out
- Medium winds
- Upwind: pull it on heaps
- Downwind: let it out
- Strong winds
- Upwind: ease it out a bit … to allow you to spill wind and sail the boat flat
- Downwind: On a little bit to keep control, if you let it right out you may capsize to windward
Windshifts
- Wind often blows “around” land shapes (headlands etc),
- With careful positioning, you can make use of the “wind bending” to sail a shorter course
- There is also reduced wind behind land and indeed behind other boats
Tide / Current
- Get into* the current when it is going with you amd out* of it when it is going against you
- use it to advantage (acts like a windshift) to help you get there faster
- allow for it at marks … if against you, over stand the mark, if with you then understand the layline / mark
- allow for it at start line, depending on which way, it may change the favoured end … and cause carnage at one end.
