THE BOAT DRIVER'S ROLE For help in this area, we asked Grady Foster of Savannah for guidance. Grady has had extensive experience, from South Florida into the Carolinas in serving as mark/tow boat. He has probably towed more boats than anyone we know, including all classes in the Olympics as well as large disabled signal boats.

His comments are:. In the course of working a regatta, as a mark-set boat, judge boat, safety boat, pin boat, water boat, press boat, or just an observing boat, the RRS #1 (safety) may cause you to become a tow boat. When things get nasty in a hurry you can be pressed into duty to tow the sailors and their boats back to safety, whether it be shore or otherwise. I will give you the basics I have learned over the years, although some may disagree or say "that's not how we do it up North".

(1). BE PREPARED. Have a towing bridle rigged and ready to go, in a short time. A piece of 1/2 inch nylon rope, running from stern cleat to stern cleat, with a FLOAT in the center is ideal. The purpose of the float is to keep the rope away from your prop. Tie the sailboat's towline to the bridle, not to your port or starboard cleat. This keeps the center of effort in the middle of the bridle. Have the towed boat tie the towing line to their MAST--not the bow handle or bow cleat. These cleats and handles are just that, and not meant to handle the surges and pressure of a tow. Needless to say, in a regatta of any size, there will be more boats tied behind them, making a small train.

(2).KNOW THE RIGS--Sunfish, Opti's, JY's, and other of their type can drop their sails and rigs, and they should do so. Lasers cannot! Due to the sleeved main on a Laser, towing them downwind is asking for big trouble. If you tow them downwind, they may wind up in your cockpit or cabin. If an emergency situation occurs, and you must tow Laser's to shelter that is downwind, there are several options. One is to anchor or tie the boats to a security buoy and invite the sailors aboard your boat and head for shelter. Another is to suggest capsizing (not turtle) the boats with the sailor riding the boat in. Or, the sailors can pull the boom, allowing sails to flap and be towed in.

(3). TOWING SPEEDS-- Sunfish can live with 10 to 12 knots, centerboard down about 12 inches. Opti's at about 6 knots, centerboard down a foot or more. This keeps them from skating all over the water. Lasers can be towed faster, under the same conditions. Some boats, such as JY's, are squirrelly, and it's best to tow them alongside with lots of fenders. Lightnings, Scotts, Snipes can be towed at moderate speeds. Star boats like warp 7 speed, should you ever have the joy of towing one. Tornadoes don't really care, the faster the better.

(4). BE CAREFUL-When towing in tides, don't slow down suddenly, or make sharp turns. Think about "Tail- end-Charlie" in a 10 boat string. He can't go where you did because his arc of turn is so much greater.

(5). SECURITY BUOY-To avoid excessive towing to shore when an emergency does not exist, the race committee should place a security buoy well clear of the start area downwind of the signal boat. In that way, disabled boats and tired sailors can attach their boat painters to its line and wait until the end of the days' racing for a tow. This enables the safety boats to stay on station for emergencies during racing.

SAILOR'S ROLE
The sailor's obligations in a towing situation are these:
(1) Decide whether or not to accept a tow.

(2) Be prepared with a sturdy towline. The best is double braided nylon for strength and elasticity. The length will of course be determined by the length of the boat. Usually you will not be the only boat being towed, so the towline would need to extend from your mast to the mast in the boat ahead. A good rule of thumb is twice your boat length as a minimum, or whatever your class rules dictate.

(3) Be able to tie secure knots.

(4) Follow the instructions of the towing boat.

If you're sailing Opti's-read the Opti class safety pages-
Get that painter right to prevent injury-good towing tips,too, just in case your parents end up towing you.

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