Trevor Prior
New Member
When you tack in medium wind which is faster to let the boat heel before the tack to help make the turn or to sail flat and do all the turning with the rudder? and should you roll tack in 8 to 10 knots?
Tacking
- Thread starter Trevor Prior
- Start date
Merrily
Administrator
Trevor Prior said:
Sail flat, turn with the rudder and roll tack quick in 8 to 10.
49208
Tentmaker
For an almost exact opposite viewpoint to the above, read Steve Cockerill's thoughts.
http://www.roostersailing.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=tack&Store_Code=1
http://www.roostersailing.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=tack&Store_Code=1
Merrily
Administrator
49208 said:
Well OK, everybody says something different. I sometimes tack almost as Cockerill describes except for the pump in the middle. Maybe that's why I need rudder. I'll give his way a try. Still gotta go faster in 8 to 10 knots so you don't get in irons.
rock steady
New Member
I think you have to work this one out yourself. When I follow other sailors technique guides it always ends up feeling awkward. People are all different sizes and have different strength and flexibility so no one technique works for everyone.
One thing I do know is that it is not such much wind, but waves that really slow you down when tacking. So always tack in flat water.
One thing I do know is that it is not such much wind, but waves that really slow you down when tacking. So always tack in flat water.
Glad you asked this question because I'm a bit confused by the best option too.
As Merrily says too, it seems to be widely accepted that you should tack faster as the wind speed increases - I heard that it can take 10-15 secs in very light winds but you should push through it in strong winds as fast as you can - use lots of rudder and keep the boat flat - just get around and use the strong winds to get going again.
Is Steve's technique more applicable to light winds even though he doesn't explicitly state this ? The video was certainly filmed in very light winds.
I'm also confused about how he says you should luff up using either the main/jib trimming (not applicable on a laser) or only a very slight lean to leeward. You can't really sheet the main in to help turn because on a beat in a laser it will probably already be fully in. If you only do a very slight heel, the boat will only turn very slowly - again maybe this is what is intended in the light winds.
Steve also has some of his terminology wrong. He constantly refers to angular momentum changes, but sometimes he should be calling it angular velocity or speed of rotation. You don't increase angular momentum by moving in to the boat. Angular momentum is constant unless a force/torque acts (as when the rudder is applied to change some of the linear momentum in to angular). The momentum stays constant but the moment of inertia is decreased, so the angular velocity increases. Here endeth the physics lesson.
Whats the disadvantage to heeling the boat to turn it ? I know in general when beating, heeling = slow but is that more because more heel means more side slippage rather than more drag ? Heeling the boat and sitting forward is supposed to reduce drag by getting more of the hull out of the water isn't it ?
As always I guess we all have to do what we find gives us the best speed.
As Merrily says too, it seems to be widely accepted that you should tack faster as the wind speed increases - I heard that it can take 10-15 secs in very light winds but you should push through it in strong winds as fast as you can - use lots of rudder and keep the boat flat - just get around and use the strong winds to get going again.
Is Steve's technique more applicable to light winds even though he doesn't explicitly state this ? The video was certainly filmed in very light winds.
I'm also confused about how he says you should luff up using either the main/jib trimming (not applicable on a laser) or only a very slight lean to leeward. You can't really sheet the main in to help turn because on a beat in a laser it will probably already be fully in. If you only do a very slight heel, the boat will only turn very slowly - again maybe this is what is intended in the light winds.
Steve also has some of his terminology wrong. He constantly refers to angular momentum changes, but sometimes he should be calling it angular velocity or speed of rotation. You don't increase angular momentum by moving in to the boat. Angular momentum is constant unless a force/torque acts (as when the rudder is applied to change some of the linear momentum in to angular). The momentum stays constant but the moment of inertia is decreased, so the angular velocity increases. Here endeth the physics lesson.
Whats the disadvantage to heeling the boat to turn it ? I know in general when beating, heeling = slow but is that more because more heel means more side slippage rather than more drag ? Heeling the boat and sitting forward is supposed to reduce drag by getting more of the hull out of the water isn't it ?
As always I guess we all have to do what we find gives us the best speed.
davidlapier
New Member
Attached clip from Rooster shows a very nice tacK!
Note boat is flat going into tack in Rooster clip.
Most books from experts say start flat, and I think that is better too.
Note boat is flat going into tack in Rooster clip.
Most books from experts say start flat, and I think that is better too.