Death roll recovery

Im so gald I was right to question the Byte class video guite

 

I did think that heading up would make the death part come faster.
Hoever today I did try simply pumping the sail and to be fair it did stop the roll.
I did induce the roll by letting out too much sheet but one tug did bring it upright.

The "rooster roll" by pushing down on the opposite gunnel did seem to add speed so a good tug on the sheet seems to fix it if im in a tight area surouned boy boats but the bear away which was my initial instinct does seem to beat the CII class video's

you are correct GarethT, it is all to do with the lift of the rudder rather than anything to do with the sails or your angle to the wind.

to test this without gettig wet, just find a boat with a cradle trolley, like an RS4/200, put it on the trolley as if its heeled, put the rudder on and then grab hold of the rudder blade and physically pull towards whatever gunwhale is higher, you will see the boat tries to heel even more.  this demonstrates pushing the tiller away when the boat is heeled to windward, or pulling the tiller towards you when heeled to leeward.

http://www.roostersailing.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen= hints&Store_Code=1 then click on the 4th dimension link.  this explains the theory quite well with some videos

I always thought the bearing away thing is for when you are sailing by the lee, as effectively the sail is reversed. When on a run but not by the lee, luffing up will be the way to save yourself. I think I'd like some warmer water to fall into than we currently have to figure out which one works better when!

When you are in a death roll situation, as in: if you do nothing you are going swim, the boat is already coming on top of you, kind of situation (hence the name DEATH ROLL, traditionally this is accompanyed by panic, a brown wetsuit and just enough time for a quick expletive before hitting the water pretty hard).  If you push the tiller away from you, best get your armbands on and book some swimming lessons at the local pool. The boat wants to bear away (windward heel), the rudder wants to head up, result: a big fight in which neither you or the boat will win, the water always wins that one hands down.  Gotta be bear away every time (in a laser or similar type of boat such as a byte).

What if you are already sailing dead downwind, if you bear away you will be sailing by the lee or even gybe? Also it must depend on how close you are to the mark and whether you take it to port or starboard.