Victoria Harbour Sailing

Prop walk

2011-07-24T21:53:00.001-07:00

Handling a yacht expertly under power requires an understanding the propeller effect called "prop walk". The lower blade of a turning propeller rotates in denser water than the upper blade as water density increases with depth thus creating a paddle wheel effect. This has a tendency to push the stern sideways in the direction or the propeller rotation. A right-handed or clockwise-rotating propeller tends to "walk" the stern to starboard when moving forwards. The direction of rotation reverses in reverse gear when the yacht is going astern, with the propeller "walking" the stern to port.

Yacht Race start

2011-07-01T22:12:00.001-07:00

JUNE 7, 2011
Around the Racecourse, Part 3: Starting Made Simple
With the prestart work done and a gameplan in hand, Steve Hunt simplifies the starting game in his third installment of Around the Racecourse. From our April 2011 issue.
By Steve Hunt
Related Tags: Racing | Experts | Article | Fundamentals | Around The Racecourse
In the first two installments of my ongoing series in this space, we’ve learned how to make use of our pre-race warm-up, and how to make a game plan worth sticking to. That’s all fine and good, but only if you can capitalize on that plan with great start. Let’s get to it.

Most successful races begin with a clean start near the favored end, allowing you to sail fast for the first few minutes. While you’re sailing fast, those with poor starts are fading back, stuck in bad air and water. Once they’re done for, the racecourse opens up, and it’s much easier to sail smart and execute your game plan.

I love great starts, and Paul Elvström does too! He once said he puts 90 percent of his “race energy” into the start, knowing that if he shot out ahead of the competition, he gets a rush of excitement and adrenaline, prompting him to hike hard and sail fast. There’s a lot to be said for a confidence boost right away.

Getting a front-row start consistently is easier said than done, but there are definitely rules-of-thumb to follow and “plays” you can use in different situations to help you pull off a good start on a regular basis. These rules are all designed to help you be on the line, with speed, at the gun. That’s your No. 1 priority.

To be on the line, or slightly behind it to be safe, at the gun, it’s necessary to have a good understanding of where the line actually is. This comes from sailing up and down the line a few times before the start, calibrating your eye and from practicing how to accelerate your boat in specific conditions. Your mission should be to become the master of time and distance in your specific boat. Every boat accelerates differently, and conditions play a large part as well.

This understanding is an art form that can only be mastered through practice. The teams I sail with make time and distance practice a fun exercise. We are always challenging each other to guess how long it will take get from where we are to a specific point, such as the pin end of the starting line, a lobster pot, or channel marker. For example, I might say, “OK team, how long will it take to sail from here to the pin? I’m starting my watch now, and I’m guessing 43 seconds.” Then, everyone guesses, and the closest one wins. It’s fun, challenging, and a great way to get everyone in tune with time and distance.

We also practice starting before the actual start, giving ourselves a 2-minute sequence and setting the goal to “win” the pin or boat, whichever end we are near. The goal is to be at full speed, sailing closehauled for at least a second or two before the virtual starting signal, and have the bow hit the line with perfect timing. If we don’t nail it the first time, we do it again.

Once you feel comfortable with where the line is and your time and distance abilities, getting a good start is only matter of positioning your boat in a space that allows you to execute your skills.

What’s the best way to find an open space on the line, one that allows you to accelerate and hit the line with full speed? I recommend a port-tack approach. With a port-tack approach you’re sailing against the grain because the majority of boats are on starboard during the final minute before the start. While sailing on port, you can scan the line looking for open spaces. Don’t just look in your immediate area. Scan the entire line to spot less congested areas. By sailing against the grain on port-tack, more spaces will become available to you, where as, if you’re buried in a starboard-tack group, with everyone creeping toward the line, the scenery rarely changes, and you have fewer options.

On your port-tack approach, spot your destination and tack into the space, tacking underneath a starboard tacker and briefly luffing to develop more space to leeward. This will be your runway to accelerate when the time comes. A useful trick is to pretend you’re going to keep sailing past the starboard tacker, not making eye contact or heading up toward them, and then tack at the last second from almost astern of them. Doing so keeps the starboard tacker from defending against you and gives you a strong hidden (from the race committee that is) position to leeward with maximum runway between you and the starting line. If time is running down and no one is coming to steal your hole, it’s now just a matter of accelerating and having accurate time and distance.

Defensive Plays
If nearby boats try to poach your hole, you have to fight to protect it. Typically, boats try to steal your hole in one of two ways. They come from behind on starboard or use the port tack approach. It’s easy to get involved with the boat to windward and lose sight of others approaching, but you have to keep a vigilant watch and be aware of your surroundings. This is a great time for crewmembers to help by looking around and communicating potential threats to the skipper (maybe assign one person exclusively). The key is to defend your hole before you lose it.

On one of the more successful teams I race with, Alan Field’s Melges 24 team WTF, we’ve made up names for hole poachers: bogeys and sharks. Bogeys are port tackers and sharks are coming from behind on starboard. By naming these intruders Alan knows exactly where to look when we notify him. I may say, “Potential shark coming,” or “Bogey coming in hot.”

If a shark is approaching, bear away, and match their speed before they hook you to leeward. While reaching in front of them it sometimes helps to tell them to go above you and point to the hole you just created. Once they head up, you then luff up, pinning them, and re-creating as much of a runway as possible for your acceleration.

Another technique to defend against sharks is to sail across your hole toward the next boat to leeward, making your hole much less appealing and possibly too small for the shark to fit. Ideally you make the hole just less than a boat width, but no smaller. Often the shark will be discouraged and continue sailing looking for a bigger hole. After using this technique you have to work hard to develop a hole to leeward again. A tight main and loose jib will help you climb to windward as much as possible before bearing away to accelerate. You now have a smaller hole than before but at least you have some room to get moving. If you get hooked late in the sequence, you’re in serious trouble.

When a port-tack bogey comes lurking, bear away early and aim at them, or aim at the space you envision them tacking into, putting them in a tough spot under the rules. By aiming at them and sailing fast you force them to tack before they want to, or bear way and duck you looking for an easier hole to steal. Use the speed you generated by bearing away to luff hard, maybe slightly past head to wind (as long as you don’t foul anyone), to create as much of a hole to leeward as possible.

The more crowded an area you initially find, the greater chance there will be poachers trying to steal your hole. The bigger the space you find on your port-tack approach, the better.

Important Rules of Thumb
When you are sailing back and forth in the last few minutes looking for lesser congested areas and timing out your final approach, keep your options open to tack or jibe. Slow down or speed up to break overlaps with boats preventing you from tacking or jibing. You can slow down by swerving or luffing sails.

During your final approach a trailing boat can be a serious threat. When jibing onto port for you’re your final approach, pick a space where no one will be close behind. If someone is following you close astern, they have the option of tacking under you as you tack under a starboard tacker, thereby claiming your hole. A nice move when someone is close behind you, which usually catches them off guard, is to luff head to wind quickly with a hard turn. Usually the trailer will keep sailing past you, at which point you can bear away and now you are the trailer. Finally, avoid stopping completely if you can. It’s best to keep some flow over your blades and sails during the final 30 seconds, especially just before you accelerate. Doing so helps you get up to speed much faster.

Tying it all together
During your pre-race research you sailed up and down the line a few times using a line sight, getting a feel for the line. You also practiced a few accelerations at a mark to calibrate your time and distance for the conditions. You have played the time and distance game with the crew so your time and distance estimates are fairly accurate when estimating which open spaces are available to you on your final approach. As time is winding down in the sequence you are keeping your options open to tack or jibe while sailing back and forth. Now in the last minute or so you execute the port tack approach, making sure there’s no one on your tail, and you find a sweet open space. You position yourself in the open space by lee-bowing a starboard tacker from a deep position almost near their stern. You and your crew stay alert and aware of any poachers, using defensive plays against them. Now it’s just a matter of putting your boat on the line, with speed, at the gun.

Asymmetrical spinnakers jibbing

2011-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

What about changing tacks?
Asymmetrical spinnakers are generally jibed, not tacked. Start with sail fully loaded. Bear off slowly, easing
the sheet as smooth and fast as you can without collapsing the sail. The trick is to use the sheet pressure to get
the sail out in front of the boat. If you don't get the sail eased out before the boat gets downwind, it will collapse
and fall into the headstay. As the boat passes through dead downwind, release the old sheet completely and take
up on the new sheet. The sail is jibed outside and in front of the headstay. If you have a long enough bowsprit,
and it is blowing pretty hard, you may want to try jibing inside the tack downhaul. No matter which system you
use, turn from a broad reach to a broad reach. Do not stop in the middle of the turn, or you will encourage the
sail to get wrapped around the headstay. The lighter the air, the higher the reaching angle you will need to sail,
both at the outset, and as you exit the jibe. In very light air, you may have to physically help the sail around the
headstay.

Digital Selective Calling

2011-04-05T19:42:00.001-07:00

Digital Selective Calling
Jan 27,2010 00:00 by infomar
Digital Selective Calling is the fundamental reason why the GMDSS system is different from what has been available until now. Prior to DSC, most radio calls were initiated by making a voice call to the desired station, and relying on somebody at that station hearing the call and then responding to it. All too often the sheer volume of calls made this an impossible task. On a summer afternoon in popular sailing areas it was not unusual for there to be over 400 calls per hour on VHF channel 16. At best, this made it very tedious, and often impossible, to hear calls meant for you, or more importantly, for anybody to hear a distress call. Clearly, something had to be done.

Initially a partial answer was found by shifting some of the calling traffic off channel 16. In some areas Coast Stations stopped monitoring channel 16 and listened for calls only on their working channels. Similarly, calls to marinas were stopped on 16 and moved to other designated channels. That relieved some of the pressure, but now there was no single channel that everybody was listening to, so vessels missed calls meant for them and distress calls sometimes went unheeded.

On board commercial ships, the problem was even worse. They were not only expected to monitor channel 16, but also 13 for bridge-to-bridge calls, 2182 MHz on MF, and if on the high seas, one or more HF distress frequencies. What a headache - literally! The salvation lay in DSC. The DSC control unit monitors all the required frequencies, and lets the operator know when there is a call for his station, or when there is a distress or other urgent call. Best of all, it does all this in total silence. No longer are we subjected to the continuous cacophony on channel 16 nor the static crashes and bangs on 2182 MHz. Instead, we wait for the phone to ring, as it were.

How DSC Works

How is this miracle achieved? The DSC control unit is somewhat like a pager which alerts the receiving station that there is traffic waiting for them. The name, Digital Selective Calling, goes a long way to explaining how it works.

DSC uses a Digital signal to send a message, via the sending station's radio, to alert the receiver that there is traffic for them, and to tell them where and how to receive the traffic. This DSC message is termed a DSC Call, or sometimes a DSC Alert. The digital message includes several pieces of information which will be displayed on the receiving station's DSC control unit:

1. The Maritime Mobile Service Identity of the sending station. The MMSI is a nine digit number, and it is the DSC equivalent to the call sign, or the 'phone number' of a station. It is issued as part of the GMDSS station licence.

2. The MMSI of the station being called. This can be an individual vessel or Coast Station, a specific group of vessels, or in the case of distress, urgency or safety traffic, to all stations.

3. The priority of the call - distress, urgency, safety or routine. DSC can be used for setting up any type of call, from a Mayday to making a phone call home.

4. For distress calls, the DSC alert can include the nature of the distress, e.g. fire, sinking, explosion, pirate attack etc.

5. For distress calls the position of the vessel is normally included. If the control unit is interfaced to a Global Positioning System receiver, then the position will be added automatically. If there is no GPS receiver connected to it, then the position, and the time that the position was valid, must be keyed in.

6. The requested working frequency and mode of transmission for the traffic. The DSC is only used to set up the call; the actual communication is conducted on another radio channel - distress or working channel as the case may be - and it can be conducted in either voice or telex mode, depending on circumstances.

DSC calls are Selective, because as we have seen above, they can be directed to a selected station or stations. Previously virtually all calls were received by all stations who were in range of the transmission. However, the DSC control unit looks at each call that it receives and determines if the call is addressed to it specifically, to it as part of a group, to all stations, or to vessels in the area where the receiving station is located. When such a call is received then the operator is alerted, usually by a buzzer and an indication on the screen. The information as to where and how the traffic will be sent is displayed on the screen. All other calls are simply ignored.

The last part of the name sums up what DSC is about. It is used for calling another station to advise them that there is traffic for them, and to what channel or frequency they should tune their radio to receive this traffic. When a DSC call is transmitted by VHF, it is sent in F1B modulation, at a speed of 1,200 baud. At this speed, all the data in a DSC Alert can be transmitted in about half a second. On MF/HF things happen just a little slower. The modulation is J2B and the speed of transmission is 100 baud. This results in a DSC Alert on MF or HF taking between 6 and 7 seconds to be transmitted. The DSC control unit transmits the DSC calls through the ship's VHF and/or MF/HF radio. Although installations and equipment obviously vary, the control unit is normally also connected to a dedicated receiver which monitors the DSC frequencies for incoming DSC calls, regardless of to which frequencies the ship's radios are tuned.

How to avoid typhoon during sailing

2009-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

When the typhoon approach, the barometer reading drops rapidly.
When the typhoon approch, the wind veers to the left. When the typhoon is leaving you, the wind veer to the right irrespective to which hemisphere you are sailing, N or S.

MiG vs Sabre video

2008-06-24T18:53:00.001-07:00

La-15 and MiG-15

2008-06-24T18:49:00.001-07:00

Goodbye to sailor who died with valor

2008-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Nearly 700 sailors, co-workers and friends crowded into the Clear Lake United Methodist Church on Thursday to say goodbye to veteran seaman Roger Stone, who died saving the lives of two students as their sailboat capsized in stormy seas.

"Roger was my friend and he demonstrated uncommon valor," Mike Janota, Stone's sailing partner for 25 years, told those at the memorial service.

Stone, 53, was the first to recognize that the keel had dropped off the Texas A&M University at Galveston sailboat, the Cynthia Woods, at about 11:45 p.m. Friday during a race from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico.

Realizing that they had only seconds before the boat capsized, Stone hustled students Steven Guy and Travis Wright into the gangway.

Stone pushed Guy out as water rushed in, enabling Guy to struggle to safety underwater by grabbing the wheel and pulling himself toward the stern.

Known for his coolness in the face of danger, Stone had saved lives before.

"Roger was a hero well before the weekend," said the Rev. Tony Vinson during the service.

Vinson recounted how in a race two years ago Stone was disqualified after he dropped his sail and turned on his motor to help a competitor whose sailboat was dismasted and its crew thrown into the water, in danger of being swept onto the rocks.

"He basically put himself out of the race," to help the stricken crew, Janota said in an interview.

Stone's sailing skills were legendary.

Janota recalled a race in which a boat with a deeper draft was gaining on them and Janota wanted to maneuver the boat to cut off their competitor.

But Stone calmly calculated their relative positions with a cheap, aging GPS device and told Janota to stay on course. Predicting their opponent would strike the shallow bottom, Stone said, "He's going to run aground just about now," Janota recalled.

"He literally called it on the second."

Roger Winslow Stone was born in London, the son of Doris Lacy Stone, now 90, and the late Richard Winslow Stone. He was raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., a suburb of New York City.

He got his first taste of sailing after his father purchased a 13-foot, French-made open hulled sailboat, said his sister, Valerie Stone, 54, of Boston.

After graduating from Bellevue Community College in Bellevue, Wash., with a degree in biomedical photography, Stone accepted a photography job in 1980 at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

He met his wife, Linda, in 1987 during a racing event and they were married on June 15, 1990, in Veracruz.

In Galveston he immersed himself in his life's passion, sailing, winning many offshore sailing trophies, family and friends said.

But his devotion to his children, Eric, 14, and Elizabeth, 12, was stronger than his love of sailing, family and friends said. Janota recalled him announcing unabashedly to a room of shocked sailors that he would not race in one of the most important races of the year because he had to accompany his daughter on an Indian Princess outing.

His ashes will be scattered at sea Saturday, Janota said.

harvey.rice@chron.com

Tu 144

2008-06-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

Tu 144

Tu 95

2008-06-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

Tu 95

16 and Sailing Around the World

2008-06-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

From the first day Zac Sunderland said hello to planet earth, it seems he was destined to live the sailor's life. Brought home from the hospital to his first home, a 55' Tradewind in Marina del Rey, California, he was assigned his first bunk and listened to his mom tell the world of his birth over a single side-band radio...he never looked back.

Born to a family of yachtsmen and shipwrights, Zac quickly grew sea legs, and at an early age was deciphering Lat/Longs, not streets and avenues. His three wheeler youth was substituted with hoisting mains, jibs and mizzens.

As he grew more confident under his dad's tutelage, Zac joined the family on sailing adventures to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Mexico; there, developing not only his sailing skills but also adding to his experience with other cultures. When his shipwright father purchased a 51' Aleutian, Zac worked with him to outfit it for the cruising life, and after 6 months the family left for a 3 year cruise of the Channel Islands, Baja California and mainland Mexico. This period in Zac's life was the epiphany that all young men could envy. It instilled in him a love of the sailing life, a deep respect for the ocean, and the commitment and drive to pursue his dream; to someday circumnavigate the globe, single-handed.

Since then, 16 year old Zac Sunderland, a homeschooled A student, has been preparing himself physically and mentally for that dream. He has been racing, crewing and delivering yachts of all sizes and value. He crews for delivery captains up and down the west coast, often given sole responsibility for navigating, sail trim and resolving mechanical problems. In between studies and crewing, Zac will work on marina yachts, either on his own or under the wing of his shipwright father, up in the crow's nest installing or repairing rigging, down below on a thru hull fitting, or maybe overhauling a diesel engine. Zac has recently purchased an Islander 36 with his savings and is in the process of aquiring sponsors to aid in the outfitting of the boat for world cruising. His experience and knowledge are broad and deep.

HE IS READY TO LIVE HIS DREAM.

F-14D

2008-06-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Grumann F-14D

Antonov 12

2008-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Antonov 12

Picture of the Beriev Bartini VVA 14 aircraft

2008-06-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

Picture of the Beriev Bartini VVA 14 aircraft

CCCP-19172 Yes, that's an aircraft. Anti-submarine ground-effect hydroplane designed in 1972. This monster looks horrible even with wings and without - like now - it is total 'nightmare'. But it is rather interesting and cognitive. And good confirmation of true phrase - ugly airplanes don't fly.

Picture of the Tupolev Tu-128 aircraft

2008-06-15T01:41:00.000-07:00

Tupolev

all MiG

2008-06-14T21:17:00.001-07:00

Dance Dance Revolution - Butterfly (japanese techno) (dj mystik).mp3

2008-06-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dance Dance Revolution - Butterfly (japanese techno) (dj mystik).mp3

《黄昏清兵卫》片尾曲 By 井上阳水

2008-06-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

MiG 15 Manual

2008-06-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

JFK hotel

2008-06-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=40.686052&lon=-73.799568&zoom=13&tt=motel&tp=11&q1=Richmond%20Hill%2C%20NY

Chester, New York

2008-06-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Chester,+NY+10918&ie=UTF8&om=1&layer=x&ll=41.365472,-74.259338&spn=0.240146,0.464172&z=11

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對面的女孩看過來(KTV)

2008-05-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

任賢齊-心太軟

2008-05-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

MiG-15 USAF testing/ Испытания МиГ-15 ВВС США

2008-05-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.cocodevideo.com/yt/2yS-C7YwuaM.html

腎衰竭要洗腎

2008-05-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

國際腎科學會救災保腎專責小組醫生李錦滔，到四川地震災區成都及德陽三間醫院視察後表示，了解到成都、德陽及綿陽等九醫院，共接收了七千名病人，當中一百二十人出現腎衰竭要洗腎。他解釋，是因為病人在地震中受壓，肌肉自然釋出蛋白，令腎無法排尿。

李錦滔估計，災區仍須約值一百萬元的洗腎藥物，但腎科人手就足夠，中央已從北京及上海多地派出醫護人員到四川增援，又運送多台洗腎機到災區的醫院。

香港最新失業率降至10年以來的最低位

2008-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

香港最新失業率降至3.3％，就業不足率也降至1.8％，均是超過10年以來的最低位。總就業人數升至354萬人，總勞動人口也增至366萬人。張建宗指出，在知識型經濟的發展下，繼續致力提升本地工人的技術及質素。

政府統計處今天（5月19日）公布，截至4月底止季度的失業率，回落0.1個百分點，至3.3％，返回超過10年以來的最低位；就業不足率也降0.1個百分點，至1.8％，同樣是超過10年以來的最低位。

失業率下跌，主要見於娛樂及康樂服務、飲食及酒店和清潔服務業。就業不足率回落則主要見於娛樂及康樂服務、清潔服務和地基及上蓋工程建造業。

勞工市場保持活躍，總就業人數上升。不過，這增幅被勞動人口較大的升幅抵銷有餘，因而令失業人數略有增加。

季內總就業人數增加4,500人，至約354萬人；總勞動人口也增6,500人，至約366萬人。失業人數增1,900人，至12萬人；就業不足人數則減少4,700人，至65,800人。

勞工處4月共接獲64,976個來自私人機構的職位空缺，按年升54.3％。

What a wonderful world

2008-05-16T06:39:00.001-07:00

Einstein on God

2008-05-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

A letter written by Albert Einstein, in which the renowned physicist described religious beliefs as "childish superstitions", has been sold at auction to a private collector for a record breaking £170,000.

Hopeful bidders packed the room at Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair, which installed an additional 11 phone lines to cater for demand from international buyers.

Bids rapidly soared beyond the guide price of £6,000 to £8,000.

The letter was written to philosopher Eric Gutkind in January 1954 a year before Einstein's death. The Nobel physicist described God as the "product of human weakness" and the Bible as "childish".

"The word 'God' is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, [and] the Bible a collection of honourable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish," said Einstein in the letter.

Einstein also dismissed the notion that the Jews are God's chosen people. " As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

Bloomsbury Auctions spokesman Richard Caton said that the auction house was "100 per cent certain" of the letter's authenticity.

Einstein was born into a Jewish family in Germany in 1879 and started questioning conventional religion at the age of 12 after going through a devout phase in his early years.

人民幣至今兌美元升值百分之十八

2008-05-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

美國財政部向國會發表報告，指包括中國在內的主要貿易伙伴並無透過操控貨幣匯價，取得貿易優勢。報告歡迎中國近期加快人民幣升值，但認為人民幣匯價仍然偏低，呼籲中方繼續以較快步伐將人民幣升值，認為有助控制內地通脹。

中國在零五年七月將人民幣與美元脫勾後，人民幣至今兌美元升值百分之十八，但美國部份商界及國會議員指人民幣匯價仍然大幅偏低，要求華府採取相應行動。

California dreamin

2008-05-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

all the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
on a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm
if I was in L.A
California Dreamin'
on such a winter's day

stopped into a church
I passed along the way
well, I got down on my knees
and I pretend to pray

you know the preacher likes the cold
he knows I'm gonna stay
California Dreamin'
on such a winter's day

all the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
on a winter's day

if I didn't tell her
I could leave today
California Dreamin'
on such a winter's day x3

般若心经

2008-04-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

般若心经

[唐]玄奘法师译

观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。舍利子,色不异空,空不异色；色即是空,空即是色。受、想、行、识，亦复如是。舍利子，是诸法空相：不生、不灭；不垢、不净；不增、不减。是故空中无色。无受、想、行、识；无眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意；无色、香、声、味、触、法。无眼界，乃至无意识界；无无明，亦无无明尽；乃至无老死，亦无老死尽。无苦、集、灭、道。无智亦无得，以无所得故。菩提萨捶，依般若波罗蜜多故。心无挂碍，无挂碍故。无有恐怖，远离颠倒梦想、究竟涅磐。三世诸佛，依般若波罗蜜多故。得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。　　　　　故知般若波罗蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是无上咒，是无等等咒。能除一切苦，真实不虚。故说般若波罗蜜多咒，即说咒曰："揭谛！揭谛！波罗揭谛！波罗僧揭谛！菩提萨婆诃！"

觀自在菩薩，行深般若波羅密多時，照見五蘊皆空，渡一切苦厄，舍利子，色不異空，空不異色，色即是空，空即是色，受想行識，亦復如是，舍利子，是諸法空相，不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減，是故空中無色，無受想行識，無眼耳鼻舌身意，無色聲香味觸法，無眼界，乃至無意識界，無無明，亦無無明盡，乃至無老死，亦無老死盡，無苦集滅道，無智亦無得，以無所得故，菩提薩埵，依般若波羅密多故，心無罣礙，無罣礙故，無有恐怖，遠離顛倒夢想，究竟涅槃，三世諸佛，依般若波羅密多故，得亞耨多羅三藐三菩提，故知般若波羅多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是無上咒，是無等等咒，能除一切苦，真實不虛。故說般若波羅密多咒，即說咒曰：揭諦揭諦，波羅揭諦，波羅僧揭諦，菩提薩婆訶。

般若(音波野)

般若是印度語，即是梵語的音譯，意思是大智慧，或者是妙智慧，而佛經所講的智慧並不是說文化知識，科學理論之類的智慧，仍是指心說法，經中所說的，都是使人認識心，理解心，練心，明心的正法，所以說字字不離心，離心，都沒有經書，佛離心沒有法可說，佛的千經萬卷，通稱為心法。學佛的目的是明心，因為人有心才能學佛，沒有心用甚麼學佛？所以心為萬法源，心經就是為心源而說，所以叫心經，心經的智慧，為大智慧，妙智慧，智慧功能來源於心，心為智慧體，心為智慧根，簡稱慧根。用智慧破愚迷叫法，智即是理，慧即是光，心叫妙明紫金光，亦叫妙明心，因此，心生之慧叫慧光，也叫智慧燈。六祖云：「一燈能除千年暗，一智能破萬年愚。」心有慾叫迷，解迷生智慧叫覺悟，迷既然解了，法也沒用了，這叫做物空心空法亦空，了無一物。

波羅密

漢語叫做“到彼岸” 甚麼叫做彼岸呢？我們生活的這個世界苦多樂少，所以又叫做苦海，有些是人為的災難，有些是自然的災害，有可以避免的，有不可抗拒的，如水火刀兵，旱澇饑謹，生老病死離別苦，貪求之心不得等等，人若脫離苦海，登上佛所說的無上正等正覺的境界，為到彼岸，一個學佛者，思想境界達到如如不動，不被一切所迷，不被萬境所轉，心若真空，為到彼岸。遇事著急上火，生氣發愁，悲傷恐懼等等，是此岸，坦然無事，心平氣和，常樂常淨，是非無動於心，是彼岸。實際上，幸福和痛苦，好與壞等，全在一人之心，佛說萬法，不過是為人明心而說，法是船，覺是岸，心達明，覺至圓，也無此岸，也無彼岸。

多

漢語叫做“定”

定，心穩如泰山，如如不動為定，非指身體的姿勢或身體動與不動而言，萬境攻心心不動為定，心不被是非，混亂，煩惱，憂愁，悲傷，恐懼，生死所轉為定。定乃心之用，無心何言定？定，心之假名，心達真空，無定無靜，定靜無非明心之法語，人的一生幸福，貧困，本屬虛幻，百年之後不過是一把骨灰，完結了人的一生，留下來的，只是幻影虛名，世人把人生看得真實不虛之事，所以心迷在形形色色的事物之中，不能自拔，作為一個人來講，社會，工作，家庭，是非，繁多復雜，萬事紛紜，事過心清，心不被一切所迷為定。

心

這裡所說的心，不是心臟的心，心是一身之主宰，是人的生命之本，是見聞知覺的能源。心在人在，心去人亡，心也是天下之大本，因為人有一顆妙明之心，才能應物，產生意識，才能理解萬物，改造萬物，才能創造出一個嶄新的世界。語言文字、文化知識、科學成果、綱常倫理、宗教等等，哪一樣不是人心的產物？心是大自然賦予人的一台靈機，是世界上的萬機之母，可以這樣說，世界上如果沒有人的心，也就沒有了人類社會一切。心既然有這麼大的本領，我們就應該了解它到底是怎麼一回事？它是從何處來？它是怎麼樣的？水有源，樹有根，找到了根源，才能真正明白，真正理解，心是宇宙真空所化之靈氣，故謂之心靈。釋迦牟尼佛說，人的心性大而無所不包，細而無所不舉，天地日月，河海湖沼，一草一木，都含在如來性海之中，心不在內，亦不在外，自身肉體亦含在心內，如電燈本體亦含在電燈光內一樣，人的心能裝下整個世界而不滿。心之光體遍於五行六合之外，所以叫如來性海，萬物之形相俱映在海水之中，人的思維到那裏，心之光就到那裏。意念一動，萬里之外，心之光當下即至。心光之速為神速，超過物質之光速。孫悟空一個筋斗十萬八千里，即是此意。道教稱心為「真常」，真常應物，所以才說：「三寸氣在千般用，一但無常萬事休。」中國古典醫書「黃帝內經」稱心為「真氣」，說「天地有質，此氣了無終始」，也知道這個道理。俗語說：「心比天高」，「丹心貫日月」，「氣震山河」，「氣沖斗牛」，「氣貫長虹」，「正氣貫浩然」，老子東來紫氣滿涵關，一氣化三清等，都是形容心光之大，這裏所說的「氣」，即是真氣，而不是呼吸調息之氣，呼吸調息之氣那有這麼大的威力？心在人身來說，也不在體內，也不在體外，無在無不在，心為萬靈機，用到那兒，那兒就靈，眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六種器官，六種功能，用那個，那個靈，同時用，同時靈，所以妙明心又叫「六根之性」。因為六種功能都源於一心。比如人用眼看物，眼只是條件，看是心看，不是眼看，就像人坐在屋內通過窗看見屋外之物，窗比作眼，室內之人比作心，窗不能看，人能看，眼不能看，心才能看，所以才把眼睛叫「心靈之窗」。人變老，心不變老。少年時代看山看水甚麼樣，老年時再看山看水還是那樣，見物之心永不老，所以才說「人老心不老」。聽的功能也是一樣，是用心來聽，不是用耳來聽，耳和眼一樣也是條件，是人體器官之一。沒有心甚麼都聽不見。比如人的心高度集中在某一事物上時，對其它事物則視而不見，聽而不聞，集中精神看書時，對電視裏演的甚麼，唱的甚麼就不清楚。不是沒聽見，是沒動心，心永遠在聽，從不停止。人睡著了也在聽，所以一叫就會醒。人的一切功能，思維的功能，記憶的功能，錄音錄像的功，放音放像的功能，以及身體各部份的感覺功能，都是妙明之心起的作用，人的妙明之心和各個器官的關係，就像電源和電器設備的關係，有電，設備就能運轉，沒有電，設備就只是擺設，毫無用處。佛留下的千經萬卷都說的是心，都是明理明心之路，千言萬語，苦口婆心，都是怕後人誤入歧途，那一部經書有叫後人對著佛的偶像燒香禱告？頂禮膜拜？更沒有說念彿的名字就能成佛，相反在「金剛經」中，佛用極具明確的語言告訴後人千萬不要那樣做：「若以色見我，以聲音求我，是人行邪道，不能見如來。」「凡所有相，皆是虛妄，若見諸相非相，即見如來。」如來二字，非指釋迦牟尼而言，是指人人之自我之心。知心者為自知之明，世界上萬事萬物都得用理來衡量。如果念佛的名字就能成佛，那麼請問宇宙之中第一位佛祖是念誰的名字才成佛的呢？念念不離心，自我之意念之念，即是佛因。沒有心，你用甚麼去念？念佛之心即是佛。念使只是降伏意念之法，心正意念正，何須用念去降伏？人們對著自己塑造的泥塑像，燒香磕頭能解決甚麼問題？這不是迷信又是甚麼？你朝拜的那個「佛」不是真佛，跪在地上磕頭的這個才是真佛童，佛即是心，心即是佛，只有明心才能成佛，要想明心，必先明理，佛以悟真空妙理而成道，理明透徹心自明，明心者不念佛也是佛，光念佛不明心之人是迷佛迷法，佛以慈悲為本，慈悲二字，但是以心為基，慈悲是指心說，慈悲之心，沒有定在出家，燒香，念經，拜佛上，是定在人的心上，慈悲之事，何時何地不能做？何人何處不能為？豈能局限在出家當和尚和燒香拜佛者的清規戒律等塵法上嗎？所以學佛者不要本末倒置。心經就是叫人找到自心，認識自心，明白自心，心經不是給後人留下的語言文字，而是留下了一顆真心，學佛者如果不認心，不煉心，不明心，佛之真傳絕矣！把語言文字當成真的，把領會語言文字當成目的，等於沒學，真空實相，不是用語言文字能夠表達出來的，全憑自參自悟，親自體會，只可意會，不可言傳，所以說開口即是妄，落筆就是假，經書上寫不出真的來，經書只是留給後人一張到達目的地的路線圈，光看圖不走路，永遠也到達不了目的地，到了目的地，這張圖也就沒有用了，為了過河到達彼岸，就要坐船，經書就是船，到了彼岸，船還有甚麼用呢？所以說「迷時千卷少，悟來一字多」。就如在美國深夜看電視節目，有很多長廣告如 Tony Robin 的 Personal Power; 如 Ten ways to succeed 等等，他們所有的 seminar 都很厲害，嘩！你說你要去上這個 seminar，你一定要去，一定要聽，就算你把它們的錄音帶、錄影帶買回來聽，日又聽，夜又聽，你會不會成功呢？你是不會成功的，你一定要去做他們所說的才會成功。這就是「道雖近，不行不至；事雖小，不為不成」的道理。我們學佛的也應如是看。

經

經者路也。

心經，心路也。心經離心無經矣。心經乃明心之聖旨，見性之坦途。心是萬聖之綱，心是人人都有之大本，認心，煉心，明心，乃心經所指之路，是達無上正等正覺必經之路也，行路必先明路，自我之覺，明路之師也，自我之心，人類試金寶石也，路之邪正遠近，覺悟者自知也。

般若波羅密多心經

自心如如不動，心生良智良能，用自心的智慧之光，化自心之暗昧，復自性之光明，證真空之境界，出塵海，超氣海，入如來圓覺海。

下面逐句解經文

觀自在菩薩

觀：心之覺，以自心照自心為觀，以自明化自愚為觀，以自心悟真空為觀。

自在：並不是自由自在，或逍遙自在。是自心理體如如不動，不住於法，不住於相，一無所住，自性本空為自在。起心即是妄，自性本來清淨，也沒有來，也沒有去，即是自在。

菩薩：菩薩是梵語，譯成漢語，「菩」意為覺，「薩」意為性，人能覺悟本性，這個「人」即是菩薩。

觀自在菩薩 ,即是自心求理悟真宗，由定慧開始，悟心明覺，達明心見性的內聖功夫，即是自心自參自悟，自性自一度，自心自明的功夫。是明一心見性的第一步，是明心見性的基礎。是心行覺觀，佛才把此經定名為心經。實為自心求理悟真宗，明心見性之真功，心為佛果，觀自在菩薩為佛因。

行深般若波羅密多時

即自心已通妙有真空之理體，無人無我，無善無惡，無是無非，清淨本然，心明覺圓之時。

照見五蘊皆空

照不是用光去照，明心與自然母體合明叫照，即自我之真心本體，通過自身的眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意，接觸到外界的色、聲、香、味、觸、法叫做照，用自心智慧之明，照自心愚昧無知之暗，即是照。

五蘊是色、受、想、行、識的總稱，即是蒙在珠寶上的塵垢，理明透徹一塵不染，復本性之圓明，心空無物，一物不迷，萬有皆空，即是五蘊皆空。

度一切苦厄

自心理體本無苦厄，苦是隨緣而生，因緣而起，父母深恩，夫妻兒女之重愛，生老病死，是是非非等精神上的壓力，或肉體上的折磨，苦不堪言，無法擺脫。只有明白道理﹐認識到苦因何而起﹐因何而有﹐因何而生﹐才能擺脫。苦與不苦﹐是由心定﹐自心量大﹐無所謂苦。自心狹小﹐一句話都氶受不了。同樣的事﹐因人的覺悟不同﹐或是看問題的角度不同﹐可能就有完全不同的結綸。

有一個故事是這樣的﹕ 從前有一個老婆婆﹐人人都叫她做哭婆﹐為甚麼呢﹖原來她每天都坐在廟門前哭。無論是晴天或是雨天都哭。有人就問她為甚麼每天都哭呢﹖她就回答﹕我有兩個兒子﹐一個是賣雨傘的﹐一個是賣鞋的。雨天的時候賣鞋的兒子沒有生意﹐我替他擔心所以便哭。當晴天的時候賣傘的兒子沒有生意,我又替他擔心所以便哭。

人們聽了就對她說﹕唏﹗雨天的時候賣傘的兒子有生意﹐妳應該開心笑啦。晴天的時候賣鞋的兒子有生意﹐妳更加應該笑啦。

自從哭婆聽了那人的一番說話後﹐從此就沒有人叫她做哭婆了﹐無論是晴天或是雨天她都是開開心心的﹐人人都叫她做笑婆了。

又有一個故事是這樣的﹕ 從前有一個盲公﹐在地上拾到一隻金介子﹐他又非常不開心﹐人家都很奇怪﹐於是就問個究竟﹐你想想他怎樣回答﹖他說﹕我是盲的也拾到金介子﹐ 開眼人一天不知拾幾多。

其實只要明理明心﹐明白社會人生的一切道理﹐自心平靜如水﹐不起一念﹐苦從何處來﹖自性圓明﹐無善無惡﹐無苦無樂﹐一切苦厄自脫。

舍利子﹐色不異空﹐空不異色﹐色即是空﹐空即是色。

舍利子是釋迦牟尼的弟子﹐也可以比喻為自性。

色﹐可以簡單地理解為物質。

宇宙真空為萬物之母﹐天地日月星都是源於真空母體﹐都是生於真空﹐滅於真空﹐生生不息﹐永無了期。這些被真空所包含的形形色色的萬物﹐統稱為色。

色是真空演變生化出來的。是與空不同的另一種表現形式。顯的時候﹐人看得見﹐摸得﹐謂之有﹐隱的時候﹐看不見﹐摸不著﹐謂之無。但實際上並不是無﹐而是隱於空﹐是另一種形式的有。比喻水﹐水就有不同的表現形式﹐雨﹐雪﹐霜﹐霧﹐冰﹐都是水﹐波浪也是水﹐水蒸氣也是水﹐這些都是有形式的水﹐水蒸氣再擴散﹐ 與空合為一體﹐眼睛看不見了﹐只看見空﹐但並不等於空中無水。即是說﹐空即是隱於空﹐色即是現於空。妙有真空乃色之本﹐萬物生生滅滅永無了期。從一種形式轉化為另一種形式。生是滅的開始﹐滅是生的開始﹐生生滅滅的一切是色﹐生色之本是真空﹐空色一體。所以說色不異空﹐空不異色﹐色即是空﹐空即是色。

受想行識﹐亦復如是

受想行識﹐是客觀外界之物﹐通過見聞覺知的功能﹐反映在心中產生的領受(受)﹐想象(想)﹐思維(行)﹐辨別判斷(識)的心理活動﹐這些都因心應才有。心生法生﹐心滅法滅。心在物上物就有﹐心不在物上物就無。心不在焉﹐就視而不見﹐聽而不聞﹐食而不知其味﹐自做到如如不動﹐無受想行識。

舍利子﹐是諸法空相﹐不生不滅﹐不垢不淨﹐不增不減。

舍利子﹐也可比喻為自我之心性﹐此言心之本質。

法﹐不是方法的法﹐也不是法術的法﹐這個法字﹐在這裏泛指萬事萬物的意思﹐也可以說就是五蘊。

前面已經說過﹐空即是有﹐有即是空﹐空和有永遠互相轉化﹐當然﹐有的轉化過程可能需要很長的時間﹐比如星球的生滅﹐恐怕得以若干萬萬年的時間才能完成。人生不過百年﹐誰也不可能看見這個轉化的全部過程。但是用理可以推出來。在這個意義上說﹐不但宇宙真空無生無滅﹐萬物也無生無滅﹐只是由一種形式轉化成另一種形式存在著。所以說萬物同體﹐誰也沒有離開這個宇宙大自然﹐既然如此﹐也就無所謂垢與淨的區別了。物轉化為真空時﹐真空並沒有增加﹐真空化為物時﹐真空也沒有減少甚麼。就像人的生育一樣﹐母生九子﹐母體並沒有少了甚麼。一個子女沒生﹐母體也沒有多出甚麼﹐道理是一樣的。也就好像物理學的能 energy 一樣﹐也是無生無滅的﹐只是由一種能轉化為另一種能同一道理。

是故空中無色﹐無受想行識。

這裏說的空﹐是說人的妙明之心本來空無一物﹐至清至淨﹐如如不動﹐正因為如此﹐所以才能應萬事萬物﹐才稱其為妙覺﹐色受想行識﹐心動則生﹐心空自滅﹐所以稱其為幻﹐所以說真心之中﹐無受想行識。

無眼耳鼻舌身意。

眼耳鼻舌身意豈能沒有﹐每分每秒都在用﹐但真正起作用的能源是心﹐心若不動﹐心不外馳﹐眼耳鼻舌身意隨之不起作用﹐眼不見色﹐耳不聞聲﹐鼻不嗅香﹐舌不知味﹐觸身無知覺﹐意不生念﹐雖有若無。眼耳鼻舌身意又叫六根﹐六根是心的派出機構﹐是心應萬物不同的器官。心通過六根覺察﹐判斷萬事萬物﹐那一根失靈﹐心就失去了那一方面的作用﹐心用到那一根﹐那一根就起作用﹐同時用﹐同時起作用﹐心不在六根上﹐六根就無事可做了﹐就失業了﹐就等於沒有了。

無色聲香味觸法

色聲香味觸法是對應六根而言﹐又叫六塵。六根不起作用﹐六塵從何而起﹖故真心之中無色聲香味觸法。

無眼界。乃至無意識界。

此句是無眼界﹐無耳界﹐無鼻界﹐無舌界﹐無身界﹐無意識界的簡化說法。界﹐解作「識」﹐所以也可以說成是無眼識乃至無意識識。

六根眼為首﹐六根意為總﹐六根心為源﹐心動眼界生﹐心動意念立﹐心不動無界可立﹐眼見心不煩﹐聲亂心不惱﹐心平氣則和﹐自性無煩惱。自心本清靜﹐一了百自了﹐明心見了性﹐萬事都能了﹐表面平常人﹐心中覺悟高﹐不離諸是非﹐﹐不逃諸煩惱﹐本來沒有事﹐苦辣酸甜都是自我心。

無無明﹐亦無無明盡﹐乃至無老死﹐亦無老死盡。

無明﹐是執迷不悟的人﹐無無明﹐是甚麼都明了﹐是一個知萬理﹐通萬化﹐自心圓明的大覺者。亦無無明盡﹐是一塵不染﹐萬法皆空﹐明心見性的大覺者。乃至無老死﹐亦無老死盡﹐是說自心之光輝﹐與真空母體合而為一﹐已達無生無滅﹐無老無死之涅槃境界。

無苦集滅道

佛說人生有八苦︰生苦﹐老苦﹐病苦﹐死苦﹐愛別離苦﹐怨憎苦﹐求不得苦﹐五蘊盛苦。集﹐就是眾苦在心﹐心中全是苦﹐滅﹐是跳出煩惱﹐諸苦全無﹐道﹐是所以能離苦得樂的原因。滅道﹐就是已達明心﹐無苦無樂的境界。苦樂乃是境﹐並非自心﹐自心如如不動﹐無苦亦無樂﹐到此地步﹐已無苦可舍﹐無集可斷﹐無滅可證﹐ 無道可修﹐故無苦集滅道。

無智亦無得﹐以無所得故。

自心本來清靜﹐本體光明。因除愚昧才生智慧﹐如無愚昧可除﹐智慧也不必生了。即無智。人愚昧無知之時﹐妙明之心並沒有丟﹐只是自心不明白﹐似失而非失。理透心明之時﹐似得而非得﹐乃自家原來本有之珍寶。本非外得。俗語說﹕「騎著馬找馬」﹐也是這個道理。馬本沒丟﹐只是心沒想到。心明白過來了﹐馬也不是找回來的﹐本來就是自己騎著。即是無得

菩提薩埵，依般若波羅密多故，心無罣礙

菩提薩埵(音多)﹐簡稱菩薩。煉心達大定﹐自性圓明之人叫做菩薩。依心經所指之路﹐由定慧而達彼岸﹐復自性之真空﹐沒有一絲慾念﹐萬法皆空﹐為心無罣礙﹐得大自在﹐為心無罣礙。

無罣礙故﹐無有恐怖

人的生死本末﹐來龍去脈﹐以及宇宙自然千變萬化之理﹐即已明了﹐就應一無所戀﹐一無所貪﹐人間的一切幸福﹐苦厄﹐生死別離﹐俱屬幻生幻滅﹐此時此地天倫樂 ﹐散時離時兩無關﹐假的真做圓倫理﹐何真何假如是觀。明理明心法自然﹐即是心無罣礙。自心坦然自如﹐如如不動﹐就是已達到圓覺﹐已脫眾苦﹐自然也沒有恐佈。

遠離顛倒夢想﹐究竟涅槃。

涅槃﹐就是自心已達圓覺﹐與真空母體合而為一﹐無生無滅。三世諸佛﹐依般若波羅密多故，得亞耨多羅三藐三菩提過去﹐現在﹐未來﹐稱為三世。三世諸佛皆由此理而證。此理即自心自明﹐自性自度﹐依自性之定智慧﹐照自心之暗昧﹐而達明心圓覺﹐登無上界﹐與真空母體合而為一。阿耨多羅三藐三菩提﹐譯為無上正等正覺。有無上正等正覺之心即是佛。

故知般若波羅密多﹐是大神咒。

智慧能解自心迷誤﹑暗昧﹑無明﹑未知數﹐能通萬化之源﹐無一化不知﹐無一神秘不解。自心比神還乎其神﹐秘不可言之事﹐迷不住心。自心不被一切所轉﹐不被一切所迷﹐心同自然一體﹐自心就是一個大神。

咒﹐就是語真言實﹐不二之理﹐可不是把心經當做咒語來念就能成佛。若不理解經意﹐若不實際練心﹐若不能做到明理明心﹐即使念上幾千遍幾萬遍也沒用﹐能悟到自心﹐認識自心﹐體會到自心﹐用自心照自心﹐自心明自心﹐勝於念千經萬卷﹐因為千經萬卷唯心旨﹐就是說﹐千經萬卷﹐都是已經明心的人﹐給尚未明心的人下的聖旨﹐必須遵旨而行。所以說千經萬卷唯心旨﹐目的是明心不是念﹐心經所言之理﹐能使人明心﹐故為大神咒。

是大明咒

自心智慧明燈﹐照自心之暗空﹐達明心見性者﹐與天地合其德﹐與日月合其明﹐與自然真空同體﹐一性圓明﹐十方平等﹐是為大明﹐能達此地步皆是心經之功。是使心達大明之真寶﹐是使心達大明的明言靈語﹐此理真實不假﹐是為大明咒。

是無上咒

無上指心而言﹐人心是一身之君﹐是生命之源﹐理解宇宙人生的至極真理﹐也只能用心去悟﹐心為無上智﹐心出於無上之源﹐是為無上咒。

是無等等咒

自性真空妙明理體為萬佛根﹐萬佛源﹐無心一切皆無﹐也無佛﹐也無經。一切果皆從心成﹐心是一切的種子﹐若沒有妙明心﹐就甚麼都沒有了。心能明萬理﹐心是一台靈機﹐心是萬機之母﹐甚麼能與妙明之心相比呢﹖心高於一切﹐妙明心即是無等等。

能除一切苦﹐真實不虛

所有的道理前面已經講清楚了﹐沒有甚麼再說的了﹐佛還怕後人不信﹐因此﹐這句話就像是佛在發誓一樣地對後人說﹕「我不會欺騙你們﹐這個道理一點也不假﹐祇要照這個道理去做﹐就一定能離苦得樂」﹐佛的慈悲之心盡矣﹐學佛者千萬不要埋沒聖賢一片心。無量大過難得悔﹐無為大法難得信。信是功德母﹐信而行﹐行而證 ﹐明心見性﹐也非難事。

故說般若波羅密多咒，即說咒曰：揭諦揭諦，波羅揭諦，波羅僧揭諦，菩提薩婆訶。

(音讀-嫁爹嫁爹怕挪嫁爹怕挪生嫁爹播自梳巴霞。但讀音沒有所謂﹐有人讀 kitty kitty 波羅kitty 波羅僧kitty 菩提殺婆oh。難道是錯嗎﹖不要太著相)此句從來沒有人解過﹐所以我也不能解﹐祇接上句真實不虛四字﹐即了結了這一大因緣﹐是這場法會的結束語﹐再次囑大家﹐渡啊﹗渡啊﹗大家一起渡啊﹗達到功圓果滿。並不是當咒語日日念嫁爹嫁爹就可以得到你想要的東西。

心經總共有260個字﹐心經的實旨是心﹐是佛說與見性弟子由定慧到明理﹐明心﹐達到無上正等正覺的理論﹐心經是以心為剛﹐講的是心法﹐心法的最高境界就是練功﹐自參自悟﹐如人飲水﹐冷暖自知﹐只可以意會﹐不可以言傳﹐用語言文字﹐是沒辨法說清楚的這些就叫做語言道斷﹐又叫真經無字﹐在這個意義上說﹐凡是有字的經﹐可以說的法﹐都是假的﹐寫的經﹐說的法﹐就像一個指路牌﹐對不明方向的行人﹐是有用的﹐對一個不走路的人是無用的﹐對已經走過這段路的人﹐都是沒有用的﹐練心者讀心經亦要同樣看法。

佛教所說的是慈悲﹐儒教所說的是忠恕﹐道教所說的是感應﹐這六個中文字﹐下面都有個心字在的﹐其實大家都是叫人去修心﹐去練心﹐亦是心經所有的意思﹐祇不過是其它不同的學說﹐不同的老師﹐用不同的語言﹐去教同一個道理。

Tu 95 v3

2008-04-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

Junk Photography by Karsten Petersen

2008-03-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

Junk Photography by Karsten Petersen

2月CPI上涨8.7%创11年新高

2008-03-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

2月CPI上涨8.7%创11年新高(图)_华商网

Relaxation is hard work

2008-03-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_022_sail.htm

Tea clipper

2008-02-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

Old sail boat, 手绘古代帆船

2008-02-27T23:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.etbar.com/bbs/showblog.asp?threadID=1349&Goto=next

http://www.adonnante.com/en

2008-02-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.adonnante.com/en

RooTV

2008-02-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.rootv.com/?vxChannel=Science&vxClipId=914384

Lambada

2008-02-22T05:06:00.000-08:00

UK 1980 Pop chart

2008-02-21T04:29:00.000-08:00

http://ru.truveo.com/UK-1-Hits-1980-A-Sweep-of-Ten-Number-One-Hits/id/1791617631

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Safety and Sea Survival Course

2008-02-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

Syllabus

Course Syllabus

Preparation for Sea Survival
Survival, difficulties & requirements
Equipment available
Training drills
Actions prior to abandonment.

Principles of Survival
Protection in both hot and cold conditions
Location
Water rationing and collection
Food Rationing

Survival craft ailments

Lifejackets & Liferafts
Lifejacket: - design, construction, wearing and use
Safety Harness: - design and use
Liferafts: - standards, design, launching, equipment
Actions taken whilst in liferaft.

Search & Rescue
Rescue by helicopter or vessel
Role of Coastguard
UK and International SAR Organisations
Other services

Practical Wet Drill
Liferaft launching, boarding
Survival whilst in water
Capsize drill
Final abandonment

Power of Mumm30 vs Wauquiez Centurion 45S

2008-02-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

Power of Mumm30 vs Wauquiez Centurion 45S
Force generate by the sail should be proportional to the sail area Larger boat has larger sail and heavier mass. Power/ mass is a parameter to compare power of different boat.
Suppose two boat generate same force/ unit sail area although the sail configuration differ.
Area of MUmm 30 sail are= 27.44+ 19.37 meter2=46.8 m2
mass of Mumm30=1950 kg A/m=0.024
http://www.mumm30.org/pdf/M30ClassRule2.pdf
http://www.wauquiez.com/old_c45_uk.php
Area of sail Of Centurion 45s=115 m2
Mass=10500 kg A/m=0.011

Conclusion: Mumm 30 should be faster than Centurion 45S

2008-01-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Shanghai Composite index

2008-01-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

周璇 - 天涯歌女

2008-01-19T05:20:00.001-08:00

鄧麗君~~船歌

2008-01-19T02:56:00.001-08:00

Clinton and Obama draw line under race dispute

2008-01-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ab7c8f6-c3b1-11dc-b083-0000779fd2ac.html

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Tuesday sought to cool a dispute over race and civil rights that has soured their battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Both candidates issued conciliatory statements about each other’s commitment to civil rights as tensions over the issue threatened to damage both campaigns. The rival senators had been sucked into an escalating war of words over race since Mrs Clinton said last week that Martin Luther King’s “dream” of racial equality began to be realised only after President Lyndon Johnson pushed through civil rights legislation in 1964.

The comment was part of her argument that strong and experienced leadership is necessary in Washington to bring about change.

But some African-American leaders viewed the remarks as a slight against King’s role in the civil rights movement and an exaggeration of the contribution made by white politicians in Washington .

Mr Obama described the comments as “unfortunate” and “ill-advised”, sparking accusations from the Clinton camp that he was seeking to stir racial tensions for political gain. Mrs Clinton then sought to draw a line under the dispute when she called for Democrats to find “common ground” on race.

“When it comes to civil rights and our commitment to diversity, when it comes to our heroes – President John F. Kennedy and Dr King – Senator Obama and I are on the same side,” she said in a statement.

Mr Obama indicated that he too wanted a truce, telling reporters in Nevada, which holds caucuses on Saturday, that the campaign “shouldn’t be personal”.

“Bill and Hillary Clinton have historically and consistently been on the right side of the civil rights movement,” he said.

星影のワルツ　－　千昌夫

2008-01-15T05:23:00.001-08:00

鄧麗君--空港

2008-01-14T04:59:00.001-08:00

Yoshi Ikuzo - Tsugaru Heiya

2008-01-13T06:33:00.001-08:00

千昌夫　津軽平野（ＬＩＶＥ）

2008-01-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

“津軽平野”位于日本国东北地方，冬季津轻平原、津轻海峡景色优美，是人们旅游观赏雪景的极好季节。

这首歌曲旋律优美、轻柔、舒缓、动听，扣人心弦，是不可多得的好曲目。欣赏这首歌的音乐是一种艺术的享受。想必大家都爱听吧!

ITSUWA MAYUMI - KOIBITO YO

2008-01-13T05:32:00.001-08:00

恋人よ - 五輪真弓

2008-01-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

昴～夢人

2008-01-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

Yoshi Ikuzo - Tsugaru Heiya

2008-01-13T04:58:00.000-08:00

北国の春

2008-01-13T04:33:00.000-08:00

Miyuki Nakajima

2008-01-13T03:01:00.000-08:00

China Foreign trade 2005-07

2008-01-13T02:00:00.001-08:00

Downwind junk in Tsim Sa Tsui

2008-01-12T15:55:00.001-08:00

Source

Old Hong Kong

2008-01-12T03:11:00.001-08:00

Source

http://www.pbase.com/anubis_photo/hong_kong_70s__80s

生产资料价格指数

2008-01-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

食用农产品价格指数

2008-01-11T04:51:00.000-08:00

陳慧嫻 - 逝去的諾言 1985

2008-01-09T04:25:00.001-08:00

Yachting Australia Safety and Sea Survival Course

2008-01-02T04:41:00.001-08:00

Syllabus Outline

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Causes of Marine Emergencies – weather, wind, swell, sea state, vessel construction and maintenance, poor seamanship, poor navigation, collision with vessels, objects, or sea life, fire, instability, abnormal health

2.0 Principles of Survival:

2.1 Principles of survival at sea for the boat and crew - prevention, protection, location, attention to basic needs, injury management, positive morale

2.2 General precautions (Blue book 1.02, 2.04, 6.01) - crew expertise, crew fitness, training, personal responsibility, skipper’s responsibility

2.3 Damage Prevention - measures while underway including regular boat and rig checks and ongoing maintenance

2.4 Planning - set procedures (see 2.6), efficient boat systems including reefing and sail setting systems, secure and accessible stowage positions (labeled), grab bag set up, efficient emergency steering system (Blue book 4.14)

2.5 Equipment (Blue book 3 and 4) - specific safety equipment, first aid equipment, safety bungs, emergency navigation lights, equipment identification

2.6 Crew briefs - safety equipment, stowage details, procedures, responsibilities

2.7 Emergency instructions and standard procedures – responsibility of skipper or sailing master –man overboard and abandon ship addressed specifically

2.8 Care and maintenance of safety equipment*(Blue book 2.03) - regular checks for wear or deterioration, storage, expiry dates, servicing

3.0 Personal Lifesaving Appliances

3.1 Lifebuoys (Blue book 4.21) – jonbuoys, danbuoys, man overboard modules, lifeslings

3.2 PFDs (Blue book 5.01) – design, construction, donning, crotch straps, whistle, types

3.3 Harnesses and Tethers (Blue book 1.02, 2.04, 6.01) – design, construction, donning, crotch straps, plain snap hooks not recommended, dual clipping, attachment points

3.4 Personal clothing (Blue book 5.04) immersion suits, thermal protective aids, retro-reflective tape

3.5 Personal EPIRBs (Blue book 5.05)

3.6 Personal lights/strobes (Blue book 5.03)

3.7 Other items – retro-reflective tape, retrieval system, heaving lines, waterproof torches, personal knives, jetsam thrown overboard

4.0 Areas of Risk and Emergencies

4.1 Preparation for rough weather – stowage, personal preparation, sail selection, jackstays (Blue book 4.03)

4.2 Rough and severe weather strategies including:

Boat handling - early sail changes, sail change procedures, know the boat, know its characteristics and tendencies, helming techniques, heaving-to
Assessment options – eg stand off or cross a barred entrance
Crew routines- hooking on before leaving hatchway, working in exposed positions remaining hooked on at all times, telling someone before going forward, use of torches or lighting for deckwork, PFDs and harnesses on at night, torches on deck, personal EPIRB on person at all times on deck - relief arrangements and watch alterations
Damage prevention, control and repair - risk assessment, equipment spares, spare materials, tools, specific prevention procedures eg reef safety strops

4.3 Use of storm equipment including:

Drogues* (Blue book Appendix E)
Storm sails* (Blue book 4.24) - selection and procedures know your boat, know its tendencies and characteristics

4.4 Galley operations (Blue book 3.15) – precautions and safety procedures, lee strops, protection clothing, fuel supply, rough weather food

4.5 Emergencies and strategies to address:

Disabled vessel/severe damage
Loss of mast
Loss of rudder/steering (Blue book 4.14)
Loss of keel
Fire
Man overboard*(Blue book 4.26, Appendix B)
Flooding
Capsize/knock-down
Giving assistance to other craft*

5.0 Abandoning Ship (Liferafts)* - Preparation & planning for "The Last Resort"

5.1 Decision to abandon ship as last resort (Blue book Appendix A, 4.19, 4.20)

5.2 Personal preparation - donning PFD, clothing, hardness

5.3 Crew duties - Procedures and responsibilities

5.4 Grab bags and extra items - Grab bags, food, water containers, cushions, blankets, handheld VHF

5.5 Launching of survival craft^ - Manual launch or hydrostatic release devices

5.6 Boarding survival craft from vessel and water - Precautions to take

5.7 Entering the water wearing a PFD - Precautions to take

5.8 Survival techniques in the water - Strategies for survival in the water

5.9 Liferaft - construction, function, standards, and recommended equipment

5.10 Initial actions upon on boarding liferaft

5.11 Deployment of drogue - Using the drogue

5.12 Assisting injured persons and survivors into the liferaft - AMSA and RYA

5.13 Deploying EPIRB (Blue book 4.18) - Features of an EPIRB

5.14 Dangers to survivors - including illnesses and marine life

5.15 Best use of liferaft facilities - Features of liferaft

5.16 Righting an inverted liferaft

5.17 Manoeuvring liferaft

5.18 Need to maintain watch - durites of the watch

5.19 Psychology of survival – trauma, effects of death, delusion, emotional instability, need for team cohesion, leadership roles, routines, positive approach, prevention and preparation (visualisation, drills)

5.20 Physiology of survival – shock, drowning, exposure, hypothermia, injury, dehydration, starvation, reduced physical functioning (metabolism, mobility, strength, human waste, constipation), sea sickness, dangers (sharks, fish, jelly fish)

6.0 Search and Rescue*

6.1 Search and Rescue authorities and agencies

6.2 Communications – air rescue, sea rescue

6.3 Need to assist rescue – flares, warnings about their use, EPIRBs, distress signals, smoke, communication

6.4 Search procedures and patterns – green flares at night, aircraft acknowledgement

6.5 Overhead rescue from vessel/raft/water

6.6 Rescue by surface vessels

7.0 Use of Pyrotechnics* (Blue book 4.22)

7.1 Types and purposes

7.2 Firing/ignition mechanisms - Practical demonstration

7.3 Hazards & dangers of use

8.0 Weather Forecasts and Meteorology*

8.1 Sources of weather forecasts

8.2 Terms and definitions used in forecasts

8.3 Wind & sea state scales - Beaufort wind scale

8.4 Weather systems and sea conditions

8.5 Instruments for onboard observation – Barometer (Blue book 3.26)

8.6 Visual monitoring of atmospheric changes and sea state for local forecasting

9.0 Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting* (Blue book 4.04)

9.1 Fire Theory -The fire tetrahedron and how fire spreads

9.2 Prevention^ - Good house keeping

9.3 Equipment^ - Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, serviced, tested, maintained

9.4 Methods^ - Steps to fighting a fire

10.0 Emergency Communications *(Blue book 3.24) Marine Radio Certificate – 2 members of crew

10.1 VHF – Listening watch, handhelds

10.2 GMDSS - Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

10.3 Satcom

11.0 First Aid and Early Management of Injury or Illness (Blue book 4.07) Senior First Aid – 2 members of crew

11.1 Injury or illness

11.2 Hypothermia (Blue book Appendix C)

11.3 Seasickness

11.4 Medical assistance – medical kit, extra medication, waterproof containers

12.0 Duty of Care (Blue book 1.02)

12.1 Duty of Care of Owners/Skippers - Blue Book recommendations

12.2 Occupational Health and Safety Legislation - State and Federal

12.3 Employee/employer responsibilities

12.4 Importance of keeping records

12.5 Training and periodic practice - long overnight races in preparation

http://www.yachting.org.au/default.asp?MenuID=Training/4/8337,Safety_and_Sea_Survival/1002/1098

Kellett Island 1960

2008-01-01T03:52:00.000-08:00

Aberdeen

2007-12-29T05:16:00.000-08:00

HMS vengeance

2007-12-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

More old Photo of Hong Kong by photographer on board HMS Vengeance which arrived in HK in Sept, 1945 to repossess HK

http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/vengpic5.htm

Kai Tak Airport 1945

2007-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/monabhk1.htm

LI Na - TIBETAN PLATEAU - 李娜 - 青藏高原

2007-12-26T00:43:00.001-08:00

我只在乎你, 時の流れに身をまかせ I

2007-12-26T00:37:00.000-08:00

Lambada video

2007-12-25T22:25:00.000-08:00

Lambada video

2007-12-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.friends.bg/video/bba0e0af92a818a14ee910f915404be8

南海一号位置

2007-12-23T21:20:00.001-08:00

Kite sail

2007-12-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

MiG 15 diagram

2007-12-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

mig_15_7002_2.gif (GIF Image, 750x501 pixels)

Lim 2 on grass

2007-11-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

工业增加值增长速度(2007年10月)

2007-11-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

工业增加值增长速度(2007年10月)

指标名称	单位	比去年同期增长 %
指标名称	单位	本月	累计
工业增加值	亿元	17.9	18.5
其中：轻工业	亿元	14.4	15.9
重工业	亿元	19.4	19.6
其中：国有及国有控股企业	亿元	13.6	14.0
其中：私营企业	亿元	24.0	26.3
其中：集体企业	亿元	8.8	11.4
股份合作企业	亿元	13.5	17.2
股份制企业	亿元	20.3	20.4
外商及港澳台投资	亿元	16.7	17.4

adventurer Steve Fossett

2007-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

(CNN) -- The wife of missing adventurer Steve Fossett has asked a court to declare him dead.

Fossett was last seen in early September, flying a single-engine plane on a pleasure flight from a Nevada ranch. A month-long search for the plane was unsuccessful.

"As difficult as it is for me to reach this conclusion, I no longer hold out any hope that Steve has survived," wrote Peggy V. Fossett in court documents filed Monday with the Cook County [Illinois] Circuit Court.

She asked that the will of her husband of 38 years be admitted to probate.

Sam & Leslie

2007-11-25T04:20:00.001-08:00

Sam Hui @ Leslie

2007-11-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

張學友 - 吻別

2007-11-22T06:23:00.001-08:00

Jacky Cheung - Li Xiang Lan 张学友 - 李香兰

2007-11-22T06:19:00.001-08:00

酒紅色的心ワインレッドの心 -- [ 安全地帶 ]玉置浩二 KOJI TAMAKI (Best)

2007-11-22T05:57:00.001-08:00

www.dailymedia.us

Tibetan Plateau (青藏高原) by Yuquan Chen

2007-11-22T05:30:00.001-08:00

Tibetan Plateau (????) by Yuquan Chen
Uploaded by yuquanchen

Teresa Teng live in japan

2007-11-22T05:21:00.001-08:00

Teresa Teng live in japan acapella
Uploaded by nikornplay

てれさてんくうこう

2007-11-22T05:16:00.001-08:00

Teresa teng kuukou
Uploaded by jrapaka2

てれさてんときのながれにみをまかせ

2007-11-22T05:14:00.001-08:00

Teresa teng tokinonagarenimiwomakase
Uploaded by jrapaka2

沢田研二勝手にしやがれ

2007-11-22T05:09:00.001-08:00

Sawada-kenji kattenisiyagare
Uploaded by jrapaka2

沢田研二時の過ぎゆくままに

2007-11-22T05:04:00.001-08:00

Sawada-kenji tokino_sugiyukumamani
Uploaded by jrapaka2

安全地帯悲しみにさよなら

2007-11-22T04:59:00.001-08:00

Anzenchitai_kanasiminisayonara
Uploaded by jrapaka2

ワインレッドの心, Anzenchitai

2007-11-22T04:54:00.000-08:00

Anzenchitai_winerednokokoro
Uploaded by jrapaka2

sailing video

2007-11-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

Kitecam

2007-11-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

Big waves

2007-11-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Hans sail

2007-11-05T05:48:00.001-08:00

How to Point, Foot, and Shift Gears

2007-11-05T05:21:00.001-08:00

How to Point, Foot, and Shift Gears

Shifting gears is on a boat is one of the most difficult aspects of sailboat racing and requires a knowledge of your boat, the conditions, and plenty of practice. Greg Fisher breaks down how to find the baseline, and then shift gears to get your boat going fast in all conditions. From the SW Archives, our June 1998 issue.

Jul 25, 2006
By Greg Fisher (More articles by this author)

http://www.sailingworld.com/from-the-experts/technique/how-to-point-foot-and-shift-gears-200894.html
Subtle gear changing is what truly separates those with just adequate boatspeed from those who always seem to be a click quicker and higher. While most of the fleet starts the race with a similar setup, created with the help of a tuning guide or by following standard principles, the fast boats are constantly making additional adjustments. When conditions suddenly change—a puff hits, or powerboat waves arrive—these sailors shift gears smoothly. Before we dive into the subtleties of their sail adjustments, let’s take a look at how you might create a basic pre-race setup.

Step 1: Set the depth
Try to memorize the depth that feels about right in 10 knots of breeze. Then set your mast bend and headstay sag to replicate that shape, using it as your starting point in other velocities. Another method is to increase mast bend until you just begin to see slight wrinkles (called inversion wrinkles) running from the clew of the mainsail to the lower quarter of the mast. For the jib, decrease headstay sag until you are just able to make the telltales on both sides of the sail fly easily. Any tighter, and the steering groove will become too narrow.

Step 2: Set the draft position
For most boats, the main draft should be positioned nearly halfway back. Pulling the cunningham tighter pulls the draft forward, while easing it allows the draft to move aft. Use the jib halyard or jib cunningham to position the fullness in the jib. The draft should be slightly farther forward than in the main, usually about 35 percent, or roughly one-third, of the way back.

Step 3: Set the twist
To set the leech tension for the main, sight from under the boom and set the sheet so that the chord of the top batten is parallel to the boom. For the jib leech, set the sheet so that the last 6 inches of the middle of the leech (a mid-leech batten helps here) are parallel to the centerline of the boat. Easing the sheets allows the outboard end of the battens to fall away, increasing twist. Trimming the sheets does the opposite, decreasing twist.

Step 4: Set the angle of attack
If you drop the tiller, the boat should continue to track straight, or slowly head up into the wind. Any more helm than that means excessive rudder drag. If the boat has excessive windward helm, ease the traveler to until the helm is balanced. This four-step process for setting your sails is only a starting point. It’s still a great idea to line up with someone you know is fast before the race to see if you are "on the money." If you’re faster, great! If you’re off the pace, just ask your crew, "Are we lacking speed or pointing ability?"

Solving Pointing Problems
An inability to hold a lane or position close to other boats can really destroy a tactical game plan. Pointing problems are not so much indicated by the angle that the boat seems to be sailing relative to the boats around us, but more by the fact that the boat is actually sliding to leeward.

Trying to pinch to maintain height can be the crux of the problem. The old adage, "foot, then point," says a lot. A boat needs to go fast before the underwater foils can develop enough lift to hold their position in the water. To regain pointing ability, ease the sails out, bear off slightly, and get back up to speed. Once up to top speed, re-trim to your starting point trim and reevaluate your pointing problem. If the problem persists, check your sail trim.

When sail trim is the cause of the problem, it’s usually the main, not the jib. The upper leech of the main provides most of your pointing ability. Be sure to trim the main so the upper batten is at least parallel to the boom. If you need more pointing ability, try trimming the main tighter. You can hook the upper batten as much as 15 degrees to weather for short periods. Avoid the temptation to overtrim the jib to help pointing ability. Hooking the jib leech will choke the slot between the main and jib, stalling the entire sailplan. The jib should never have less twist than described in the "basic setup."

Only after you’ve decided to trim the main harder should you try to pinch the boat. In this mode, the weather telltales on the jib will be stalled. In big puffs, the luff of the jib can break as much as 8 inches back. This "super pinch" mode can only be held for short bursts and in flat water. Once the boat starts to slow down, be sure to ease the sails out, regain your speed, then start the process again.

While it may seem natural to let the boat heel more when trying to point, fight the urge. Keeping the boat flat will help maintain a balanced helm and maximize the efficiency of your underwater foils. Still not pointing? Either your rig is too loose, resulting in too much headstay sag (i.e., the jib is too full) and sometimes too much mast bend, which makes the leech too open, or the luff tension on either sail is too tight (the draft is too far forward).

Solving Footing Problems
What if your pointing is fine, but your straight-line speed is lacking? The simplest fix is easing the sails. More open leeches on both sails will help the boat sail lower and faster in a straight line. Sometimes, however, this results in a pointing problem. If so, first check your helm balance. Weather helm can seriousIy hinder the boat’s ability to go fast. Instead of easing sheets, it’s often better to find a way to ease helm. First, try to sail the boat more level. If you can’t keep the boat flat, induce more mast bend to flatten the main. The next step is to ease the traveler until the helm is balanced. Finally, tighten the outhaul, tension the cunningham/jib halyard to pull the draft forward and open the leeches of both sails.

Gear Shifting: Puff On!
We’ve got you going with good speed and good height. Then what happens? The wind velocity changes and it’s time to shift gears. First, let’s look at some of the automatic trimming change that should happen as soon as a puff hits. 1. Ease the main, and sometimes the jib 2. Steer up to "feather" the boat 3. Re-trim sails.

Since a puff typically lifts you, due to a change in the apparent windspeed, you need to ease sheets and head up as it hits. Be sure to let the boat climb up into the wind and steer toward the upper end of your groove with the jib luff actually breaking. In flat water, all that may be required is a quick ease of the mainsheet. But in chop, it may be necessary to ease the jib as well.

If the puff packs some real velocity, more adjustment may be necessary. If you can’t hold the boat down, and there’s still too much helm, try the following, one at a time, until the helm is balanced. 1. Ease the traveler 2. Bend the mast (vang tension, backstay tension, etc.) 3. Tension the cunningham on both main and jib.

Gear Shift: Into a Lull
For the same reason that puffs are lifts, lulls usually appear as headers. In a lull, it’s important that you bear off as smoothly as possible. Make sure the boat remains flat and resist the temptation to add heel to maintain "feel" in the helm.

Ease the main so the top batten angles outboard from parallel to the boom. Leave the jib trimmed initially until the bow is pulled down to the lower end of your groove with both telltales streaming aft. At that point, the jib should be eased so the leeward telltale doesn’t stall.

Here’s how to maintain speed in a lull. 1. Ease the main 2. Allow the boat to heel to weather, creating lee helm, to steer the boat down 3. Ease the jib 4. Level the boat 5. Pull the traveler up (if the boom is below centerline).

If the lull is long-lived, you may need to take additional steps to maintain speed. 1. Straighten the mast and induce luff sag in the jib 2.) Ease main and jib cunninghams to maintain correct draft position. The smoother you shift gears the faster you’ll be, so practice until it’s automatic. Heck, manual transmissions went out years ago!

Learning the Ropes

2007-11-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

Learning the Ropes: "With my partner making large adjustment changes, I could sit forward and watch mast, main and jib changes. When he pulled on the boomvang, the mast bent low, the main flattened, the leech got tighter and the jib luff sagged off. When he pulled on the mast fore puller the mast bent lower, the main flattened, the leech got looser and the jib luff sagged off. When he pulled on the mast aft puller, the opposite happened. When he pulled on the main cunningham the draft moved forward, the leech got looser and the sail got flatter as the mast section above the hounds fell off to leeward. When he pulled the mainsheet in, the mast bent, the mainsail got flatter, the leech got tighter and the jib luff got tighter. The opposite happened when the mainsail was eased. With this knowledge, scenarios developed in my mind. As the wind builds, the mainsheet gets trimmed tighter and both sails flatten simultaneously. Perfect reaction. However, when the mainsheet must be dumped for larger puffs, both the main and jib get fuller. Bad reaction. To combat this we can use the vang, which flattens the main but makes the jib fuller, To improve this we can tighten the aft puller, which flattens the jib but powers up the main. Using both the boomvang and the aft puller, their negatives and positives combine to create the best compromise to flatten the main while controlling jib luff sag. With the mainsheet in tight, the main and jib are flat. When the main must be dumped in a puff, the aft puller and the vang help maintain that sail shape. In real high winds you also pull the main cunningham hard to flatten the top of the sail. These discoveries dramatically improved my heavy air speed.

                            CAUSE AND EFFECT

CONTROL             MAST              MAIN                         JIB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vang                bends low         flatten, leech tight         sags
Fore Puller         bends low         flatten, leech loose         sags
Aft Puller          straighten low    full, leech tight            tight
Main Cunningham     tip to leeward    draft foreward, leech loose  --
Mainsheet--in       bends             flatten, leech tight         tight
      --ease     straightens       full, leech loose            --

Heavy Air--Combine these for maximum effect

Vang                                  flatten                      full
Aft Puller                            power-up                     flat
Main Cunningham                       flatten top

Problem solving is part of sailing. Knowing the effect of all your adjustments and confidently making these changes during a race is part of the success formula. In shifty, puffy winds it is better to set these adjustments for the lighter end of the wind range instead of making an adjustment for every wind change. Too much time is spent making sail adjustments and not enough time keeping track of the next wind shift. Setting your adjustments for the lighter end of the wind range is best as it is easier to keep your boat speed up in heavy air when setup wrong than it is in light air. Do your best to set up correctly but be wary of losing track of the race.

Successfully racing your boat should be much like sitting on the couch at home. There you have the TV clicker and the cordless phone within reach and you know how to lie on it to be the most comfortable. Your boat should be the same. All my Snipes I have either rigged myself or specified where the hardware would be placed. Rigging is highly personal and must adapt to the interests of each team of people. Decide who is going to do each job and place the controls near that person. Every adjustment must be positioned to make sense relative to when it is used. The upwind adjustments must all be within reach when hiking with the downwind or light air upwind adjustments put inside the boat to avoid deck clutter, putting too many adjustments in one place requires a distracting glance to confirm that you have the right line. When action is quick in a race, a well thought out deck layout is worth boat lengths on the course.

Good sailing

http://www.snipe.org/articles/ropes.html

Craig Leweck is a sailmaker for Sobstad Sailmakers in San Diego. Craig has been US National Champion twice and has won the North American Championships. He has represented the US in two World Championships, and continues to finish in the top at regattas on the US Circuit.

Return to the Snipe Page"

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: THIRD QUARTER 2007 (ADVANCE)

2007-10-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

                  


Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007,
according to advance estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the second quarter,
real GDP increased 3.8 percent.

The increase in real GDP in the third quarter reflected positive contributions from personal
consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, federal government spending, equipment and software,
nonresidential structures, private inventory investment, and state and local government spending that
were partly offset by a negative contribution from residential fixed investment.  Imports, which are a
subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased. The US economy is growing strongly. No need for
rate cut

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues were wrapping up a two-day meeting Wednesday and many economists believe they will announce that they have decided to follow September's half-point cut in the federal funds rate with a quarter-point cut at this meeting.

"They are going to cut rates," predicted Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "The economy is weakening and financial markets remain unsettled."

mig-15_2.jpg (JPEG Image, 800x600 pixels)

2007-10-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

mig-15_2.jpg (JPEG Image, 800x600 pixels)

Victoria Harbour Sailing

Prop walk

Yacht Race start

Asymmetrical spinnakers jibbing

Digital Selective Calling

How to avoid typhoon during sailing

MiG vs Sabre video

La-15 and MiG-15

Goodbye to sailor who died with valor

Tu 144

Tu 95

16 and Sailing Around the World

F-14D

Antonov 12

Picture of the Beriev Bartini VVA 14 aircraft

Picture of the Beriev Bartini VVA 14 aircraft

Picture of the Tupolev Tu-128 aircraft

all MiG

Dance Dance Revolution - Butterfly (japanese techno) (dj mystik).mp3

《黄昏清兵卫》片尾曲 By 井上阳水

MiG 15 Manual

JFK hotel

Chester, New York

對面的女孩看過來(KTV)

任賢齊-心太軟

MiG-15 USAF testing/ Испытания МиГ-15 ВВС США

腎衰竭要洗腎

香港最新失業率降至10年以來的最低位

What a wonderful world

Einstein on God

人民幣至今兌美元升值百分之十八

California dreamin

般 若 心 经

Tu 95 v3

Junk Photography by Karsten Petersen

2月CPI上涨8.7%创11年新高

Relaxation is hard work

Tea clipper

Old sail boat, 手绘古代帆船

http://www.adonnante.com/en

RooTV

Lambada

UK 1980 Pop chart

Safety and Sea Survival Course

Power of Mumm30 vs Wauquiez Centurion 45S

Shanghai Composite index

周璇 - 天涯歌女

鄧麗君~~船歌

Clinton and Obama draw line under race dispute

星影のワルツ － 千昌夫

鄧麗君--空港

Yoshi Ikuzo - Tsugaru Heiya

千昌夫 津軽平野（ＬＩＶＥ）

ITSUWA MAYUMI - KOIBITO YO

恋人よ - 五輪真弓

昴～夢人

Yoshi Ikuzo - Tsugaru Heiya

北国の春

Miyuki Nakajima

China Foreign trade 2005-07

Downwind junk in Tsim Sa Tsui

Old Hong Kong

生产资料价格指数

食用农产品价格指数

陳慧嫻 - 逝去的諾言 1985

Yachting Australia Safety and Sea Survival Course

Syllabus Outline

Kellett Island 1960

Aberdeen

HMS vengeance

Kai Tak Airport 1945

LI Na - TIBETAN PLATEAU - 李娜 - 青藏高原

我只在乎你, 時の流れに身をまかせ I

Lambada video

Lambada video

南海一号位置

Kite sail

MiG 15 diagram

Lim 2 on grass

工业增加值增长速度(2007年10月)

般若心经

星影のワルツ　－　千昌夫

千昌夫　津軽平野（ＬＩＶＥ）

てれさてんくうこう

てれさてんときのながれにみをまかせ

沢田研二勝手にしやがれ

沢田研二時の過ぎゆくままに

安全地帯悲しみにさよなら