- let out main as fast as I can while I bear away keeping the boat as flat as possible. Up she pops onto the plane, heading downwind - then splash - big deathroll that I cannot control by sheeting in and bearing away.
It is never worth lifting the C/B up in anything above 10Knot and almost ddw. It isn't the best designed in the world so you need all the forward drive possible! Even on a reach.
Thats so not true, it's not even funny. You have to bring your board up, orthe boat will "trip" over itself. I can't explain it too well, but all my coaches have told that to me, you have to experience it for yourself to truly understand it. I still raise my board in 35 knots.
I do agree on reaching down the run to gain boat speed too, in other words sail the angles, its faster.R.
Jings! There's one I sort of got right by guesswork and playing!Maybe I should have put it in to practice last Wednesday on the runs to the rednwhite, broad reach pointing at The Perch, an early gybe then a broad reach to rednwhite, hardening up on to the leg back to the clubhouse.
If the same wind this Wed coming, I'll give it a bash!
Al.
You can still go DDW in heavy air...why the hell not?
The problem with going ddw is that the wind never comes from the same direction all the time. The wind always moves slightly. This means that when going ddw you end up being by the lee, then broad reaching ..... This is not good as the boat starts behaving differently making it hard to control.
The problem with going ddw is that the wind never comes from the same direction all the time. The wind always moves slightly. This means that when going ddw you end up being by the lee, then broad reaching ..... This is not good as the boat starts behaving differently making it hard to control.
The wind would most likely not shift in such a large fashion that would not allow you to easily compensate for it. And, actually, by the lee is very stable in big breeze, just make sure you're sheet is not going out past 90 degrees, maybe a tad further if you need to be hard by the lee.
Thats so not true, it's not even funny. You have to bring your board up, orthe boat will "trip" over itself. I can't explain it too well, but all my coaches have told that to me, you have to experience it for yourself to truly understand it. I still raise my board in 35 knots.
One of the things that works well for me in conditions that prevent "aggressive" downwind sailing is to cleat the main at around 80-85 degrees, board up about 8-10", and sail the boat by the lee by pressure felt. I'll usually have my back hand near the tiller extention swivel and my forward hand in front of my chest. Yes, keeping cuningham and outhaul on is good when overpowered. Vang on about halfway.
It is not quite as fast as pumping and big S-turns, but when the boat is more powerful than you can control, this technique works very well. You can control the pressure by sailing down in the puff and up in the lulls or when you are going fast on a wave. Gybe when you are unloaded, and gybe often since your course is deeper than normal. Sounds funny, but try it, I know it will work.
I could not disagree more with every point you have made.
-Cleating the main iany wind strength defies logic to me, it's not hard to hold the sheet downwind and it is much safer than having to dive forward to uncleat the mainsheet.
-Cunningham on downwind - having the cunningham on downwind pushes the draft of the sail towards the mast, increasing the tendency for the boat to want to lean to windward i.e. deathroll
-Gybe often? - Why? by the lee sailing means there is no need... just complicates the exercise and increases the risk of capsize
- I agree with the tiller steering position, except the forward hand really needs a mainsheet in it.
When I first read your post I thought you were only joking, but obviously not
I think most people would agree on the following for big downwind stuff (and even if they dont, its my 2c worth!)....
Board up until it's just below the boom (just incase i do the accidental gybe, although I never have) (yet!)
Vang/kicker right off in waves, slightly tighter if flat water (helps to keep the boom out of the water)
I think most people would agree on the following for big downwind stuff (and even if they dont, its my 2c worth!)....
Board up until it's just below the boom (just incase i do the accidental gybe, although I never have) (yet!)
Cunningham (dh) right off (helps to keep the mast stiffer by reducing the compression - keeps the leech straighter)
Outhaul eased a bit (if i remember before the top mark, otherwise left alone)
Vang/kicker right off in waves, slightly tighter if flat water (helps to keep the boom out of the water)
Play the waves both broadreaching and BTL, according to the waves.
Try to avoid using the rudder to do the transitions as it slows the boat and loads up the rig - do it by heeling to windward (to bear off) or leeward (to head up).
and play the mainsheet! those little cleats are really only useful to hold the sheet on the beats while you get the rest of it untied from your ankles! aside from that, try to avoid using them!
This is straight from olympic gold medalist ben ainsley so you know this is quality information.
1) Weight as far back in the boat as far as possible to prevent nose-diving
2) Dagger board down
3) basically just hold on. if the boat is planning just head straight for the mark sheet in and reach.
From my own personal experience:
if the boat starts rolling sheet in and head up QUICKLY!!! Dagger board down if the boat is planning, if the boat isn't pull up the board and head up. I always release the vang all the way (just above 90 degrees) because if the vang is on it hooks in the leech of the sail and keeps alot of power in the sail. mostly just keep on practicing and you will eventually get comfortable in those conditions.
Wait a minute Rob...
"if you weigh under 170 lbs as he does"
Ben Ainsley? Really?
Sailing a Finn at 170 lbs?
I'm not disagreeing at all, but seriously?
Yikes! You are correct. I recently saw that Ben put on 30 lbs for the Finn. I thought the quote was from Paul Goodson. However, the last time Ben was sailing the Laser I think he was around 170 lbs.