49er Crew Needed

Thats a bit annoying, wrote great big post and then the internet went wierd when I clicked.. . it was mostly ramble anyway... So a breifer summary...

Communication is pretty important on any boat specially in tippy boats like the 29er or 49er when you need to constantly know what each other are doing so your not both for instance on the wing before the boat has powered up (although you have to be pretty hasty to get out as it does.) But you get used to things like that, and with a 49er you need a crew that is permanent really (which I am having trouble with ) as you start to learn each others ways and the 49er is by no means easy to crew so its hard to just jump on a 49er from another boat and win all the races..

The 29er has a greater tendancy to "dig" at the bow (as i like to call it) with the genneker up where as the 49er genneker actually lifts the bow more.  The footstraps on a 49er may make you think you need them to not pitch it, which is why you need them but only in high winds and on choppy water (which it isn't inland) they are really for balance I guess. Bear aways you sometimes need them too.

For a 29er and 49er the crew should have the main when the genneker isn't out as it is a lot easier for the crew to play it, and the helm to play the jib. Downwind with the genneker flying the helm takes the main, which you just keep at half way anyway as it doesn't make much difference once the genneker is up.

And Yes you do need to play a jib, the 49er jib is pretty powerful in itself and in high winds playing it with the main, as opposed to sheeting the main out more is a lot quicker and less work for both of you. Quite odd because a lot of boats you just leave the jib to it because it hasn't really got the power in it to make a huge difference .

Edited by Chris Bridges

Not sure about its actual size, but main and jib is 22m squared. Doesn't sound that much but when you lay it out on the ground its pretty huge for a jib. Its not in the same proportion another boats jib would be to the main, or it doesn't look like it to me. But either way its powerful and on a windy day its that that makes the difference

Originally posted by Chris Bridges For a 29er and 49er the crew should have the main when the genneker isn't out as it is a lot easier for the crew to play it, and the helm to play the jib. Downwind with the genneker flying the helm takes the main, which you just keep at half way anyway as it doesn't make much difference once the genneker is up.

Surely you need the main in more than that downwind to act as a backstay to stop the rig snapping? This is what happened if it's eased:
http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/photos/?s=64&PID=17869


Edited by tgruitt

I found the 29er pretty tippy in light winds. I have never sailed a 300. Either way the 49er is less tippy in light winds . It powers up quicly in high winds which makes it feel pretty tippy but is fine once your on the wire off the wing playing the main, quite easy to keep flat. You set the power up with shround tension (3 sets of shrouds) and the top set of shrouds spills some of the gusts if you set them quite loose.

In the 49er you only go infront of the mast in light winds and the helm just stays reasonably forward. If the crew was to go infront of mast in over 10 knots then it would be a bit dodgey I think.. Although never tried. It powers up quickly so at least one needs to be on the edge of the wing as it does and the other not far behind (although behind otherwise you take a dunk the wrong way). So the crew keeps the main during the tacks (normally). Its a lot easier that way as the helm can concentrate on what he is doing with the tiller and hooking on wire to wire (then retrieving jib sheet from the end of the main) so guess that answers that question too . That way you can't loose either easily, and if helm looses jib gets it off crew, if crew looses main then gets it off helm.

EDIT

Sorry took me ages to write hat so missed the other posts. Yea probably slightly bigger if not the same as the 5k. tried googling it but its always main + jib.

As for the main downwind, yes you don't want it any further out than half way, I try to keep it pointing roughly to the middle of the wing (back middle). I think your irg only does that in high winds . At least I hope. Like I said earlier, the rig won't take much more than 28 knots. But at that wind speed you must get knackered quickly anyway.

Another edit

Had a proper look at that photo.. He has his right out which certainly isn't a good idea (right out as it won't go further because of shrouds. (I have a knot in my sheet stops it going further than about 2 inches from shrouds). People snap their booms if they don't put that knot in .

Edited by Chris Bridges

Well the helm can take the main if needed even if he has to get out on the wire! the crew needs to be wire to wire tacking to balance the boat until the helm is out on the wireobviously its not ideal for the helm to take the main but we have done it a few times if for instance i need to adjust something!