Sailorgirl-aussie
Member
Recently bought a laser after sailing double-handed dinghies for many years
Yesterday I sailed it for the second time. It was blowing about 15 knots consistently with gusts over & this had caused some waves to chop up.
I had a radial rig on & I weigh about 68kgs. I was so overpowered. I was hiking so far out that my bottom was hitting the waves, yet I still couldn't sheet block to block as I just could not keep it flat. I had outhaul, cunningham & vang cranked on hard.
When I was reaching the boom kept hitting the water because the boat was heeling over so much, even with me flat hiking & the sail controls cranked on - the luff of the sail was flapping (ie needed to be pulled on more) but I couldn't or I would have capsized. I know how to steer a boat on a reach (ie bear away in the gusts, sheet off if needed, hike hard, bear up again etc) but that wasn't working - it just made the boom hit the water even more which kept rounding me up.
Any tips? Do I need a 4.7 rig?
Also, I did end up capsizing but then I could not get the boat to come up. Nothing I tried worked. The mainsheet was free (not cleated or caught), the boom was in the water not in the air. I capsized to windward on a reach, not to leeward.
I ended up having to wait forever for the rescue boat to come & walk the mast up for me.
I know the waves weren't helping, but anything else I could try?
I'm a bit apprehensive about sailing it again now as I don't want to get stuck out there drifting away from the racecourse holding onto my capsized boat again.
Yesterday I sailed it for the second time. It was blowing about 15 knots consistently with gusts over & this had caused some waves to chop up.
I had a radial rig on & I weigh about 68kgs. I was so overpowered. I was hiking so far out that my bottom was hitting the waves, yet I still couldn't sheet block to block as I just could not keep it flat. I had outhaul, cunningham & vang cranked on hard.
When I was reaching the boom kept hitting the water because the boat was heeling over so much, even with me flat hiking & the sail controls cranked on - the luff of the sail was flapping (ie needed to be pulled on more) but I couldn't or I would have capsized. I know how to steer a boat on a reach (ie bear away in the gusts, sheet off if needed, hike hard, bear up again etc) but that wasn't working - it just made the boom hit the water even more which kept rounding me up.
Any tips? Do I need a 4.7 rig?
Also, I did end up capsizing but then I could not get the boat to come up. Nothing I tried worked. The mainsheet was free (not cleated or caught), the boom was in the water not in the air. I capsized to windward on a reach, not to leeward.
I ended up having to wait forever for the rescue boat to come & walk the mast up for me.
I know the waves weren't helping, but anything else I could try?
I'm a bit apprehensive about sailing it again now as I don't want to get stuck out there drifting away from the racecourse holding onto my capsized boat again.