Depowering on a 3 sail Reach
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Beginner questions
Forum Discription: Advice for those who are new to sailing
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5910
Printed Date: 10 Aug 25 at 2:48am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Depowering on a 3 sail Reach
Posted By: Steve H
Subject: Depowering on a 3 sail Reach
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 9:49am
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This may sound a silly question, but I'll ask anyway. Which sail should you dump if you need to depower quickly on a three sail reach in a symetrical spinnaker boat? main, spinnaker or jib? Assume this is on estuary waters with a bit of a chop and you get caught by a big gust. Thanks for any help |
Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 9:51am
| Dump the main and bear away. |
Posted By: Roy Race
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 10:14am
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Dump the main and bear away as Jim said. If that doesn't do it or you don't have room to bear away, either flap the kite momentarily or blow the halyard and sheet the foot in if it's going to be a sustained problem. Never dump the jib - it doesn't help much and the jib is the one sail that seems to keep you going on a reach. Certainly on a 2-sail reach, it's better to oversheet the jib slightly than undersheet it. Not sure why. |
Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 10:52am
| if you're still struggling once you've let the main out and perhaps can't bear away much then let the kicker off |
Posted By: stuarthop
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 11:42am
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dump the kicker first, lifts the boom slightly and reduces the chance of it hitting the water. Then dump main... then jib.. kite last as in most symetric boats its the main driving force. Always sheet it tight and uncleat the halyard though rather than letting it flog its much quicker and a flogging kite seems to have a massive amount of force trying to knock the boat over. ------------- |
Posted By: laser193713
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 12:12pm
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A big breakfast usually does the trick ------------- |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 12:57pm
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Dump the main and bear away has already been said. However, if you are struggling to stay level ease more kicker, also lift the centreboard, this helps you to bear away (I have a rule of thumb in breezey weather when reaching - I ease the kicker so I can comfortably control the power with the mainsheet and helm, if I'm underpowered it goes on, if continually easing I let some off). Its actually the rapid bear away (20+ degrees) that saves the capsize in the really gusty stuff just easing the main and Kite won't be enough in the big gusts. If we do go past the point of nearly no return either I or crew will dump the kicker completely, sometimes it saves it - but you need it off anyway for righting. You could also try lowering the pole a few inches as this will flatten the spinnaker slightly. ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 2:03pm
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Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 07 Sep 09 at 7:14pm
 (some forumites wont get it!)------------- |
Posted By: Steve H
Date Posted: 08 Sep 09 at 7:32am
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Thanks for all the advice. My crew and I are just getting used to using the spinnaker. I had thought about bearing away, but we sometimes skirt a load of moorings and I really didn't want to go through those with the kite up yet. Thanks again |
Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 08 Sep 09 at 11:38am
| Its much more effective to bear away and so if you do what the fast asymetrics do you'll be OK and that is don't get close to boats to leeward. A skilled crew can of course hold the kite with the leading curled in this reduces the heeling forces and enables you to weather the gust a bit. A flogging kite is a disaster though. On a boat like the 4000 with no room to bear away, the main goes out first, the spinnaker is curled next and if that doesn't work we swim. |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 08 Sep 09 at 4:07pm
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Boat control and not capsizing are faster - so it may be faster in the long run to 2 sail it. especially if you have no room to leeward or the reach is tight. Another option is to go high 2 sail for half the reach and low 3 sail for the rest. ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |