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Chas 505 View Drop Down
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Posts: 119 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chas 505 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The big bear away....
    Posted: 27 May 08 at 12:07pm

Oh the joys of bearing away in a contender....definately an art that I failed to master when sailing them!  And sailing at Datchet, I even got to watch Stuart Jones showing us all how to do it.....usually from my upturned hull admittedly!

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet (apols if I have missed it from anyone else) is speed.

A boat that is travelling really quickly will be less susceptible to a gust compared to a boat that is going slowly - especially in a big blow.  Numerous reasons for this (foils speeds etc).  But how often do you inadvertantly slow the boat as you attempt the manouevre? 

In breeze, less speed often means greater load on the rig (or hull resistance to that power generated).  In a blow, we find that speed becomes our best defense against big gusts, up or down wind, whether bearing off or sailing straight line.

Chas

 

 
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Kiwi Spy View Drop Down
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Posts: 20 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Kiwi Spy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 08 at 1:27pm

Don't forget that a Contender is different from other boats like Musto's and 18's in that you don't have wings, are very low to the water and have a big rudder if you have to use it. Provided you drop the sheet quickly it is not slow, very controlled, you don't need much rudder. The biggest risk is that you go into windward through too much of a turn - which is not easily recovered. We sail in big waves on the open sea - and hitting waves with your body is not good. Yes you can go high on the wire, but you achieve the same by moving back in the boat during the turn and pushing it around with your feet. Then set the wire up when you are on course.

RG
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winging it View Drop Down
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Posts: 3958 		Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 4:41pm
thank you cw - in which case I know I am vang sheeting - kicker on hard in a contender as soon as breeze picks up.
the same, but different...

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combat wombat View Drop Down
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Posts: 345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote combat wombat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 3:10pm
Vang sheeting is just when you are playing the main with kicker on.  Refers to boats where you play the main with no kicker until the wind gets up and it gets too hard, then you switch to "vang sheeting" by pulling kicker on and sheeting it that way instead.  Means the leech tension is held with the kicker rather than the mainsheet.
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bovlike View Drop Down
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Posts: 221 		Post Options Post Options   Quote bovlike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 2:42pm
Originally posted by Kiwi Spy

You need a little leeward heel to ensure that you have gravity working to help get you body back inboard, rather than working to get it out of the boat, if you are heeled to windward.

If you do a quick release of the mainsheet, and ease a small chunk (6-8") quickly as you turn that will take the pressure of the rudder. The degree of heel is slight coming into an upright position as the boat turns.

If you start with windward heel the boat will come event further back on you as you turn - which can get very messy. Also it is not a good idea to be relying on footloop pressure to pull you back into the boat in the first instance. OK as a Plan B - but not Plan A.

RG

 

im sorry but i have never been told to use leeward helm to bear away as leeward helm wants to turn the boat to windward so more helm is needed to turn the boat. it cant be fast
Ian (Bov) Turnbull
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winging it View Drop Down
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Posts: 3958 		Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 2:13pm
or is it playing the kicker upwind...which I can do on the contender...

I am confused...
the same, but different...

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mike ellis View Drop Down
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Posts: 2339 		Post Options Post Options   Quote mike ellis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 1:46pm

im geussing vang sheeting is when if the kicker does not go exactly to the mast base (like the 600), then if you pull lots and lots of kicker on the boom wont go out as the kicker is acting as a mainsheet, this does happen very slightly on the 600 in light winds.

vang tension is just how much grunt you use to get the kicker on.

thats just a geuss but it would seem the logical thing.
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winging it View Drop Down
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Posts: 3958 		Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 08 at 11:24am
I don't care if I look daft - I need to know:

What is the difference between vang sheeting and vang tension ?
the same, but different...

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Kiwi Spy View Drop Down
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Posts: 20 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Kiwi Spy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 08 at 11:33pm

You need a little leeward heel to ensure that you have gravity working to help get you body back inboard, rather than working to get it out of the boat, if you are heeled to windward.

If you do a quick release of the mainsheet, and ease a small chunk (6-8") quickly as you turn that will take the pressure of the rudder. The degree of heel is slight coming into an upright position as the boat turns.

If you start with windward heel the boat will come event further back on you as you turn - which can get very messy. Also it is not a good idea to be relying on footloop pressure to pull you back into the boat in the first instance. OK as a Plan B - but not Plan A.

RG
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getafix View Drop Down
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Posts: 2143 		Post Options Post Options   Quote getafix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 May 08 at 12:46pm
pulling the tiller towards you will push to bow down, likewise pushing it away from you will do the opposite, in a boat with as much rag as the contender, the tips you've already got about dumping the sheet prior to the bear-away are also critical, but don't let too much kicker off as you don't want the apparent going too far forward, this will simply mean you bear-away too much, and in high enough winds, straight into a nice big chinese gybe! a little bit of windward heel is good because it will help reduce the amount of rudder you need to use, but not too much as from memory this is a good method of wiping yourself off the side of your contender...the one I raced many moons ago also had twinned centreboard uphaul lines which was a great way of being able to quickly lean in and pull up some board prior to the top mark, it's a very deep foil on the Contender and can make life difficult when trying to bear away steeply without it up a bit.
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