Editor's Note: Our 2000 Inland 20 Scow National Champion skipper is Jim Glueck, of Inland Sails/Quantum Sails, the only sanctioned sailmaker for I Scow sails. With an eye to Jimmy's professional status, we thought we'd do the 2000 Nationals wrap-up in true Sailing Magazine fashion. Herewith, Jim Glueck and our own interviewer (and boatbuilder) John Hayashi.

The guys offer this exchange in hopes it might help others sail faster.

John: Jim, you and John Davenport just finished up a pretty successful regatta up at Green Lake. You won the regatta with five bullets and some incredible boat speed. What did you feel was the trick to getting the boat rolling the first day when the waves were up and the wind speed was variable?

Jim: Changing gears in the varying wind conditions on day one was very important. Controlling mast bend and headstay sag were critical to get best sail shape in the unsteady breeze. By using the backstay and vang with just a little mast ram forward we were able to change the shape from a full powerful shape to a flatter, higher pointing shape with less drag. Jib sag with a properly trimmed main sail gave us a smooth shape from luff to leech. We had just enough luff tension to get even wrinkles along the luff. Remember, correct sag gives you more power and a wider steering grove with speed over pointing.

John: During the regatta the shores seemed to play a big part of the equation in getting and staying out front. How did you know what shore to hit?

Jim: One of the more important things we did was to make sure we got out on the course early. By sailing up the lake we could feel more breeze and shift to the left up the lake. By getting out and sailing early both John and myself were able to get dialed in and the boat set up for the conditions of the day.

John: On a number of the runs downwind you broke from the pack and went to the middle of the lake; was the pressure more important or was the wind shift more important?

Jim: In breaking to the middle we were always trying to make sure we were in good pressure. The plan was to also keep our boat in position for the next shift and also in position with regard to other boats. Another important thing was as the breeze increased or decreased the angles changed a lot. We tried to sail the runs by positioning ourselves as inside as possible in relation to the other boats and away from the corners.

John: Since this was your first regatta driving the I-scow and your third in the boat total, did all the controls seem somewhat new? Can you tell us what seemed to play a more important part of the regatta, rig-wise, and what did not?

Jim: It was critical to get the jib set in the proper clew position. We set up the jib to have just a little twist in the top batten. Backstay tension and mainsheet tension were important for changing gears. With regard to downwind speed we had good pressure on the boat and it seemed to pay to let the spinnaker tack-line out about 8" so that we could dig a little deeper.

John: A couple of times you were in the pack at the start, yet you were able to dig yourselves out. Did you wait to be inside the first shift and let it come to you or were you more of the opinion of just trying to make something happen and it did?

Jim: Anytime you are in the pack it is important to get to clear air as soon as possible. With the wind changing back and forth we sailed the shifts up the course, trying to stay with the lead pack. Going to the sides was dangerous.