Hello . I was just after some advice please after a slightly traumatic race today ( only my 2nd race). It was very gusty and shifty ( force 3-6) and I was doing ok in my little laser pico , well I was rubbish upwind but thats another story.

Anyway several times when on a broad reach my boat was very rolly ( not sure if thats a word!). I have heard about death rolls and watched the Rooster downwind DVD where he says that the rolling can be caused by having too much sail out at a given angle making the boat want to bear away and by trying to stop it bearing away by using your rudder to turn towards the wind in these conditions you will capsize to windward.

So I was mindful of this, but I noticed when my boat started doing the rolling thing when reaching it wanted to turn towards the wind, not away.  In fact on all the reaches I was pulling really hard on the tiller to try and stop it turning into the wind which made me think I had not enough sail out rather than too much. .  However I was not sure, and I was thinking I was more likely to capsize if I let too much sail out. I know the theory of how much sail you are supposed to have out at different angles and was trying to have this as a base line

 The boat was pretty flat(ish) on the reaches (before the rolling ), I did look at the tell tales but I forgot what they meant (!), the sail wasnt flapping. I had the centreboard half down, and then put it 2/3 down when it was rolling.

The time I did capsize, I let the sail out a bit, it still wanted to turn to windward, I pulled on the rudder to try to get it to bear away there was a big gust and it capsized to windward ( I think - it is all a bit of a blur!) .

So I am not really sure what caused the rolling/capsize, and the DVD I was thinking about was on normal lasers so I dont know if it varies from boat to boat. However any tips on avoiding the experience in the future would be gratefully received ! The rescue boat told me I had too much kicker on, (though I had let it off a lot on the reach) so maybe that didnt help.....

Thanks for any thoughts. Nearly everyone capsized at some point, so I dont mind that too much, but I want to try and prevent it next time and the scary rolling !

Claire

First off I'm sorry i don't know much about how Pico's sail, as i have never sailed one.  The Rooster DVD is a great bit of kit, but the bit i would take most advice on is sail trim, you should be steering the boat with sail trim and body weight.  In big winds using to much rudder will probably make you swim.  I would in F3-6 be sailing a broad reach with 3/4 board and be steering the boat with sail trim.  If the boat is trying to screw up into the wind let the sail to help the boat bear off.  As for kicker, letting this off would make the boat less stable.

Good luck

Clare,

Well done for sailing & analysing the situation. I suspect you found the common difficulty with run - it happens in 2/3 sail dinghies as well, but is really more noticeable on a single sail one (like my Solo - or the Laser). Running downwind, the mainsail is over to one side, so the wind force on the sail tries to push the boat to windward.

You counter this by using the rudder (boat flat). Every little change in the wind or trim or waves will change the dynamics and the boat will start to roll. As above, enough kicker to stop the top of the mainsail twisting too much will help. However, you're going to be continually moving the tiller/rudder to steer in a straight line - that can also induce roll.

When the hull rolls to windward, the centre of effort on the mainsail comes over (or nearer) the centreline, so the turning force is less - and you need less rudder - but you already have a good amount of weather helm - this turns the dinghy downwind and rolls it to windward - which is usually sudden and drops you in to windward...

Try (on a quieter day) sailing in a dead run with the boat heeled to windward - to bring the centre of effort of the mainsail over the hull. You'll find that you don't need much rudder to steer a straight course - gusts won't have the effect of forcing the boat to turn upwind. It's a balancing act - of course - and can feel a bit scary at times, but with practice you can actually sail by the lee for quite some time - and control the rolls.

Colin

As a keen pico sailor (when it's too windy for anything else) I reckon:

The heading up wind problem:

Sail sheeted in too far and (probably as a result) too much heel.  The oversheeted sail pushes the back of the boat down wind and the heeling to windward makes the hull  steer itself up wind.  you will doubtless be hauling on the rudder with nothing happening at all.  Been there!

Sheet out a little, hike out a little harder and keep it flat.  Fit some tell tales and watch them like a hawk.

The rolling about problem:

All single sail boats have a tendancy to roll about down wind.  The reason is that when a gust comes along, the boat initially heels away from the wind (to leeward), then the sail "gives way" allowing wind to spill out of the sail so that the boat pops back upright .... and that increases the force on the sail, heeling you back over to windward again. 

On a laser 1 you can correct the wobblies by putting a bit of kicker on, which stops the sails spilling wind so much.  On a standard pico the kicker isn't powerful enough and there aren't any battens, so the spillage is hard to prevent.   In high winds put LOTS of kicker on by pulling the mainsheet so the boom is "block to block" before pulling in the slack on the kicker. (Or get an expensive Harken multi-purchase kicker). 

NOT raising the board down wind will help too; when that wobble sets in, push the board back down until it stabilises, then ease it back up again to get back up to speed.

If you're keen on the pico but want more speed and more control, consider a pico race sail (with battens and more sail area) and a better kicker. 

The pico is a fanstastic little boat; dependable, safe and sailable in any wind you like ... but it does have certain limitations!  Have you pitch-polled it yet?

Hello,

Thank you all heaps for your helpfull tips. No one else I know sails a Pico, everyone at the club prefers Lasers for singlehanded stuff. I have an old laser 4.7, which other people keep trying to encourage me into (I think they think at 38 I am too old to sail a bright yellow pico - I disagree!). However I have only sailed that a couple of times as I am very fond of my Pico and prefer it (normally not yesterday thoug!)

So my plan is

1) watch my tell tales more and remember what they mean

2) let the sail out more (gently!) on a windy reach and stop being such a scaredy cat. try and sit out more to heel boat to windward a little downwind ( eeeek!) , or at least dont let it heel to leeward

3) pull on more not less kicker, centre board down more

4) practice a lot more ! (the fun bit)

A couple of specific thingies

Nick A - Worryingly I already only use the sport sail, and my own homemade but much better than normal kicker, so I cant improve there ! I sometimes wonder if the sport sail is too big for me ( I am only 52 kg and maybe less now after all those calories burnt swimming around at the weekend!) when its windy - apparently the sail area 6.44 m2, so bigger than a laser radial (which I am apprently too light for) but then the Pico hull is quite heavy and more stable compared to a normal laser as well. I am thinking I will be OK even in strong winds if I improve my technique, wondered what your thoughts were. Also any tips on hiking out well, I find it difficult as the sides are quite curved and smooth ( compared to the laser) so i hover nervously on the side which is not as effective !

Umm what is pitch poling, is it where you and the boat do a somersault ?? If so I have not done it yet, but I'm sure it wont be long ! sounds scary though......

ColPrice 2002 - That makes lots of sense. I was wondering - do you mean that lots of weather helm is to be expected anyway if you are on a broad reach when windy due to the wind pushing the sail. Or if you get it balanced right with the sail out correctly, boat flat etc will the rudder be nice and light again. In light/moderate winds I dont really need to use the rudder much, sail and weight is enough to steer it, but this is just something I learnt recently so its not instinctive yet.

GRF - Photos of other people swimming always make me feel better !

Thanks for your help again

Claire

highly unlikely or perhaps impossible.

however, should you manage it video footage of it would be greatly appreciated!

Please don't encourage him. I'd say he is jelous as he doesn't have a famous face but then again he didn't do this on his first sail in a new boat....

(this is another forum member - merlinboy)

MattK & AndyP speak words of truth - a pitchpole should be the aim of every keen pico sailor, but I know no-one who's ever managed it. 

What happens when you head down wind with the weight too far forward is that the nose goes down, the back goes up and water washes over the bows whilst the boat appears to sink .... BUT IT WON'T FLIP.  You can then put your weight right at the back, pop out the nose and set off like a ball from a cannon. Endless hours of fun.

Regarding effective hiking, the pico is WIDE and very bouyant.  As it heels it hoiks you, and that heavy hull, up in the air; which is how you can manage more sail area than a radial on it. But to go a reasonable speed and reasonably in the right direction you need to keep it flat - and at your weight in F4/5 that's going to be a fight.  There is no easy technique.  Basically lean out backwards until your shoulders nearly touch the water, if it heels despite that, shove hips down and chest up to thrutch it firmly back upright..   It will give you tummy muscles to die for!  No sitting up.

I weigh 76kg and am tall enough to hike out with my knees around those curved sides and my bum in free space.  And I only have the ordinary sail (plus a jib, sometimes).But I have most fun in F6+.   

The thing about heeling the boat to windward when reaching, is that it puts the centre of effort of the sail over the centre line of the boat, so you get less weather helm and less tendency for the boat to screw up wind.  The sail is higher in the sky and catches more wind.  So it's faster.  It's also wobblier.  This is really a laser technique which does work on a pico but to a lesser extent as the flat bottomed pico doesn't sail so well when heeled as a laser does.  Bit advanced really.  All but the best laser sailors only do it in light wind.

You don't mention up wind - a lot of people sit too far back (ie where they would be if they had a crew).  Don't.  Sit forward.  Fit a front footstrap and put one foot under it.  Otherwise it goes slowly .. and sideways.

As with other hiking boats: drink more beer, eat more pies, do many sit ups.

Opps here another one. He keeps on poping up everywhere.

The chap in the background has got it together though.

Thanks again for all the tips, the response has been great, and gives me plenty to try out.

Re: the capsize photos - in boats that tippy looking I am impressed by anyone keeping them upright at all !

Claire