Trapeze tech in the extreme gusty stuff

I was thinking it - get yourself to some inland open events
;)

Staying off the wire on a trapeze boat is properly slow -
although maybe faster than the continual tea bagging. Have
your crew calling the gusts and just try and premeditate
the gusts and lulls.

deleted.....got tangled with the "quote" function

Edited by GK.LaserII

Presumably - and I'm guessing here - with lots of
cunningham on the sail should be bleeding power out the top
in the 'normal' wind allowing it to become relatively more
powered up in the holes?

I'm sure in Skiffybobs case you just maintain a high enough
velocity to punch your way through without even noticing
the teabagged crews in the boats behind.

Edited by ellistine

try different rig set ups to see what gives you the best average speed. it will depend on how long the gusts and lulls are what is best or if there is enough warning to change settings as the change comes.

I would most likey go for more kicker so when you dump the main the sail shape is still ok, quite a bit of cunningham for twist and a baggy foot to give max power for accelerating and a wider groove to sail in.  if its mostly calm patches set up for them and wang a few controls on just before the gusts hit.

be very quick to trim the main sheet, make sure the blocks don't have sand in and sheet run smoothly ropes go hard in salt water. mostly it will be your reaction time and how well you can anticipate the changes. the faster you react the less you will have to do. ie an inch out on the main as the gust hits and the boat accelerates and all it well. wait 10 seconds and the boat will be healing and you have to let out 2 arm fulls.

smooth steering ferthering in the gusts to give you longer to set the sails and get you weight in the right position. if its a big change you may have to do a sharpe helm movement to save a swim but try to avoid needing to do this. or you will continuosly go from way overpowered to under powered.

wire slightly higher so you can move in and out fast and smoothly.

eyes out of the boat so you see gusts coming and take oppertunites to make a big gain.

 

 

 

Thanks Sten, I shall read and digest.

These conditions don't happen that often (fortunately). The directly offshore stuff is hard work but OK. The slightly offshore stuff turns the wind into a food blender with little or no time to think. I have sailed at other gusty locations and the conditions I am talking about are "Etreme"......I like to think we are reasonably good in most conditions, but we are not in the first flush of youth and the crew has a slightly bad knee/ hip / back.......iIt may be time for us to swap places

Edited by GK.LaserII