Down wind death roll

[dingyj #22]

I was sailing last weekend in mod wind. Trying to learn the carving down wind style whch includes sailing by the lee. My sail went forward of the mast and it was wet, cold and ugly. Does anyone tie a stopper knot in the main sheet to avoid the main going so far out? I have heard of it in the Finn class??

 

[Wavedancer]

Yes, Class Rules (What Class ?) actually require you to have a stopper knot at the end of the sheet (or you can tie it to the strap).

 

[laserxd]

before you launch, it's a good idea to tie an 8 knot at the max you would ease the main for the conditions, you should have a tail on the end so you can play the sheet easily.

it's also a good idea to check the knot periodically, a couple of times the knot came undone while racing, lost my grip on the sheet downwind, main blew all the way out to the bow, in almost slow motion the sheet ran out of the blocks, easy DFL

 

[AlanD]

I was sailing last weekend in mod wind. Trying to learn the carving down wind style whch includes sailing by the lee. My sail went forward of the mast and it was wet, cold and ugly. Does anyone tie a stopper knot in the main sheet to avoid the main going so far out? I have heard of it in the Finn class??

I used to put a limit knot in the mainsheet to prevent it running out to 90 deg, I would still do it setting up boats for inexperienced laser sailors. The trick with the death rolls is not to have to mainsheet adjusted so that the boom is between 80-100 deg. The boat becomes quite stable again once the mainsheet is beyond 100 deg, which is useful if you are sailing well in the lee. The limit knot is a separate knot to the stopper knot, which was used to tie the mainsheet to the boat.

 

[Bruce Hudson]

I was sailing last weekend in mod wind. Trying to learn the carving down wind style whch includes sailing by the lee. My sail went forward of the mast and it was wet, cold and ugly. Does anyone tie a stopper knot in the main sheet to avoid the main going so far out? I have heard of it in the Finn class??

In winds 12 to 18 knots I always tie a stopper in the mainsheet to that it can't go past 85 degrees. In more than 18 knots, 80 degrees. If it is 25 knots or more, on the run I have it about 70 degrees. I only allow it to go past 90 degrees in a drifter, so that when inclined to windward on a run, the boom stays out and the main doesn't touch the water. In 5 to 12 knots, I tie it so that it is exactly 90 degrees.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kratos]

When I raced, I would tie my mainsheet to the back of my hiking strap, as well as a knot at the maximum point I'd want to let my sail out to.

Because the mainsheet was tied to the hiking strap, you didn't have to worry about the figure 8 knot stopping your mainsheet coming undone.