Sitting positions in different wind conditions

Trout

New Member
Greetings,

I was wondering when on a beat do wind conditions dictate where I place my butt. I've heard that you should always sit as far forward as possible. Last weeks race, it was blowing 15-17 and I was totally out of control. Boats were passing me like I was standing still. In lighter wind conditions a couple weeks before, I did pretty well. In both cases, I was sitting as far forward as I could heading for the windward mark. I may be grasping at straws, but I'm desperate. Also, any suggestions on how to keep the boat flat when it's really blowing and gusty?

Thanks
 
Trout,
Best bet is to get a copy of the Sunfish Bible, a combination of 3 books and read it. One book is titled "Sail It Flat". There are many discusions on the placement of your "seat" in different conditions. In light air, I agree with sitting forward to get the tansom out of the water and smooth the passage around the boat. In heavy conditions, you gotta hike your "seat" out there and moving back a little to keep the bow from "playing submarine" and to get over the waves better. Learing to use the waves, when to change course (roll tack), surfing the waves and on and on. There are different methods of hooking your feet under the strap or cockpit lip. Easing the sail a little in higher winds while hiking out, helps keep the boat a little flatter. Practice in all kinds of conditions will help you learn what works best for you. Good Luck.
 
I'm with Supercub, not only will the Bible give you info on seating/hiking position, it'll also give you info on adjusting your sail for various wind/wave conditions.
Outside of that it's like he also said...practice,practice,practice.
 

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