Can't really comment about Contenders, but have plenty of experience in a boat that loves to do this (i.e. 12ft long and vasty over-ragged).

Have you eased the kicker? If not this will drive the nose down. Also, ease the main before you start pulling the tiller. What you need to do is to pull the boat on top of you, then bear away. A common mistake that people make is to get the timing between mainsheet and tiller wrong. NEVER bear away first because the boat will heel to leeward, and this will drive the nose in. Heel it to windward (over on top of you) and push with your front foot (a bit like you do with a board).

Hope that helps.

agree with skiffybob about bringing the boat in ontop of you and easing the kicker.

i used to blow kicker and cunninham at same time then let the board up a wee bit then ease the main just before you bear off.  never got sent round the bow.

the only time i felt i need the toe staps was in 40knts dead down wind, but then again im not a small chap so i could use my weight more affectively in staying on the boat.

Kicker off

Cunningham off

Board up a bit

Hook on - if you are not already

Heel it over on to of you a bit

Ease the main

Push the tiller

Step out backwards and take the main with you

Let me know if it works - I always had the same problem

541 should'nt that be pull the tiller?

I sometimes find doing the bearaway in little steps can help if it's really gnarly...you kind of feel how the boat is loading up through the tiller and sheet loads and sail it accordingly.  Bear away onto a close reach (having done all those other things mentioned above)...if the nose starts to go down, the speed coming on, the hull really starting to plane and the apparent going forward might mean that she pops up and gets settled before you finish the bearaway.  We're only talking fractions of a second here, a bit like centralising the tiller mid gybe really, but it might just be easier than expecting to bear away from upwind in a F5 to a dead run in one swift manoevre.

Not sure how heavy you are but the Contender board is massive, you can probably get away with having it really quite a long way up.  And don't steer too much, get the trim right and the windward heel right and it will more or less bear away by itself.  Yank on a load of rudder  (especially if heeled) and it kinda makes the stern come up and the bow go down.  Release the "pressure" out of the sail with the kicker and mainsheet, steer the boat into the bearaway by heeling it on top of you, and the rudder just follows along behind as more of a "trim tab" than a proper steering device.  If you get it wrong and end up in the drink a quick stab with the tiller will usually pick you up again...

Bugger

When we had a 600 coach come and help us out, he (james sainsbury) said that he can regurally sail the whole course with full kicker on and its it isn't that bad bearing away and jybing etc with it on?!

Also commitment is a huge part, just like in windsurfing aswell. If your thinking i must not capsize, 8/10 times you will because your to concentrated on that rather than sailing the boat. Never worry/think about it and take it as it comes!

I agree, little steps. Try and arrive at the windward mark a bit high, ease off gradually to a reach across the top of the mark and ease off slowly from there, all the time moving back and letting off little bits of main (having let off some kicker before arriving at the mark).

Think of sailing a nice round arc around the mark rather than trying to make it a sharp corner. You'll sail further which isn't fast but you'll fall in less and falling in is NEVER fast!

This is best performed at pace and with a moderately slow turn initially.

1. before the top mark drop your vang about an inch - this will keep some control on your leech but will allow twist, and will take the pressure offthe gooseneck (you should be sailing upwind with a lot of vantension, but not vang sheeting). If yiou are vang sheeting let off a couple of inches (thiough the side cleat not on the vang itself) ease the luff a little too, if you can

2. spring the mainsheet so you are holding it in your hand and you are in control as you approach the mark.

3. move aft a foot or so, ease the mai about 12-18inches and start the turn down.

4. keep the boat sailing fast and under control as you turn your boat slowly.

5. get the back foot off the gunnel and into the boat if you are unable to keep trapezing (remeber the boat at all times should be heeled slightly to leeward. If you are not heeled to leeward you have eased the main too much, and if yiour rudder has started aerating and you are very heeld ease the main some more (6 inches)

Control and pace are the two things to remember

RG

It should be heeled to windward no leeward? Leeward heel will not aid the turn at all but make it slower?

We had the 18 out yesterday in quite simply the most amazing conditions we've sailed it in yet...and we were really getting to grips with triple wire bearaways.  The power and and acceleration of the 18 was just awesome (and that was only in a F3 ish).

We did stay dry which was a bonus, but there were a couple of times that we did not get it quite right and come out with too much leeward heel on...giving you a good case of vertigo as you suddenly seem to be trapezing about 10 foot above water!!!

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 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.

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

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

Chas