thats what Ive been doing and it resulted in capsizes, going in irons, getting bruises all over my arms, blisters on my fingers, etc...There's an old saying that goes like... ease,hike,trim
Yesterday in Sydney I was racing in strong VERY gusty northwest winds at 15knots with gusts reaching mid 20s.
It was one of the worst races I've ever donecouldn't keep the damn boat flat, capsized several times during a gust plus water was very choppy.
Going upwind I pulled the vang as tight as possible, pulled the cunningham pretty tight too and the outhaul between hand and half hand length.
It was pretty much impossible to keep the sheet block to block or near otherwise during a gust the boat would heel so much and capsize despite me and my 85KGs hiking out hard on a full rig.
Got a couple of capsized to windward too when the gust stopped and didn't rush back into the boat in time.
I had to let go the sheet quite a bit and it would often hit the water (amazingly the clew tie down strap came off, had to stop to fix it...).
Was so busy hiking out and easing/pulling the sheet so I didn't have enough time/concentration to look at the waves and go over them properly
So how do you guys manage in gusty conditions ? When a gust hits and the boat heels should I mainly steer into the wind and/or ease sheet or pray for god ?
Any tips welcomed...
thats what Ive been doing and it resulted in capsizes, going in irons, getting bruises all over my arms, blisters on my fingers, etc...
>> Going upwind I pulled the vang as tight as possible
that's the key. you were overpowered with closed leach. if vang was free and you eased the sail the top third of the sail would open and bleed off gusts
yeaaaa nooo
If your overpowered, you need to crank the vang on, and vang sheet. By doing this, you let the sail out, but not up. I know some can describe it better than me. But its the way to go if you are overpowered. It's faster to ease off, and point down a bit, and power up and have speed, than to be 2blocked and heeling over and sliding.
I consistently keep too much sheet in and not enough cuningham on during the races and struggle to go upwind heeled over. Then after the races are over I pull on more cunningham and ease the sheet, hike & take off with the boat flat, then magically I can sheet in a little - then start healing, ease out , hike like a maniac and take off again ...
why can't I convince myself to do it during a race ????
Merrily you should get a Hammy with more purchase itll be alot easier
i use no vang or very little in Heavy wind it opens up the leach and lets some air off the sail also its much faster although you wont be able to point as high also being in shape helps the most and Merrily you should get a Hammy with more purchase itll be alot easier
Yesterday in Sydney I was racing in strong VERY gusty northwest winds at 15knots with gusts reaching mid 20s.
etc etc
So how do you guys manage in gusty conditions ? When a gust hits and the boat heels should I mainly steer into the wind and/or ease sheet or pray for god ?
Any tips welcomed...
Very interesting answer. In particular the comment about cummingham tension. If have been advised to pull the cummingham with all my might and in waves release the outhaul to have power. Which is correct?
Very interesting answer. In particular the comment about cummingham tension. If have been advised to pull the cummingham with all my might and in waves release the outhaul to have power. Which is correct?
paulmarshall said:The vang tension required me to roll nearly horizontal under the boom to tack, but it meant the sail kept its shape when I dumped sheet.