29er GBR 074 Tynemouth |
J24 (Sail No. 4239) Dartmouth |
Laurent Giles 'Jolly Boat' Exeter |
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Playing the main |
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Neptune
Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jun 09 Location: Berkshire United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1313 |
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Topic: Playing the main Posted: 13 Feb 13 at 5:04pm |
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If the boats balanced and you premept the gusts then only small movements of tiller and main are needed. Its when your slow that you start having to ship huge amounts of the stuff and when your trapezing that its starts getting a coordination issue....its what i have found on the Musto and teh 600 before anyway
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Musto Skiff and Solo sailor
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JohnW
Really should get out more Joined: 17 Jul 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 552 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 13 at 7:09pm | |
Look at the wave ripples in the gust. If they are travelling nearer the bows, then its a header. If they are more from the windward side then a lift. Easier to say than do though. |
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Oatsandbeans
Far too distracted from work Joined: 19 Sep 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 382 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 13 at 9:38pm | |
The ideal is to have the response of the rig automatic. So that as the gust hits the topmast bends off and at the hounds it moves to windward. To do this you need to tune the sideways stiffness of the mast to your crew weight, by your spreader length. You want the rig to hold up sideways until you are at max power and then you want it to start to bend off at the top and up (slightly ) at the hounds, when the heeling force exceeds the righting moment. This adjustment is quite sensitive and changes of 5-10mm in spreader length can be significant. Some boats will be closer to this 100% self adjusting ideal than others. Composite masts or top masts, and large roaches, will tend to make this easier to achieve. If you cannot get this auto-response from the rig the next best thing to do is to have 2 spreader length settings. One is used in winds up to 15 knots and the second, which is 15mm. shorter, is used above 15 knots. This has been found to be an effective route in classes such as the 505 where the rig profile is more conventional.
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PhilHigh
Newbie Joined: 17 Jan 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 8 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 13 at 12:15pm | |
As the gust approaches you can watch the line of wind on the water and see the angle it is appoarching.
Here goes with a couple of diagrams(extreme examples).
| Gust direction
V
----------- Line of wind on water
^ Boat travelling upwind
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So in this case the line of wind is going to hit square on the nose of the boat and the gust will be a massive header.
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Boat ^ | <- Gust Direction
Heading | |
Upwind |
Line of wind on water
This time the line of wind is going to hit square along the side of the boat and will be a massive lift. |
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ellistine
Really should get out more Joined: 06 Mar 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 762 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 13 at 12:42pm | |
Thanks John and Phil. I'll tell the wife she has to look out for what you described. She'll love that
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G.R.F.
Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 16 Feb 13 at 3:44pm | |
Of all the boats I've sailed, which is quite a few now, this, the RS500 was the most difficult. It has a very 'roachy' sail that doesn't depower very well at all, and neither the Gnav or downhaul seem to help much. In the end we opted for the sail it was apparently designed around and they added the big sail later which then became the standard. So when it was over 20 kts, the smaller sail worked OK for us.
Like they all say back there, judging what kind of gust it is helps, if it's a lift then luffing into it to begin with then ease the sheet if it's still over powering you. There's a stack of weather helm on the 500 anyway so luffing is never a problem. The headers are your problem, they fool you into thinking there's more wind, which there is, but because it's a header you're likely to dunk your crew because the wind isn't side on enough to support him/her, you have got to bear off and ease the sheet then reacquire all pretty simultaneously and that boat is really awkward at doing that. As it is equally awkward sailing a tight fetch, there's just something about it, I didn't keep it long enough to find out really, but it's to do with the rocker and hull shape about a third back from the nose, never easily finds a sweet spot.
Edited by G.R.F. - 16 Feb 13 at 3:45pm |
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NickA
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 783 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Feb 13 at 7:32pm | |
These dumb rules that RS impose on their boats to keep unsuitable pairings "competitive" ... and keep the sales up, presumably. I believe it's supposed to stop people putting a gorilla on the wire who does everything but steer. Surely you just put the gorilla on the tiller instead. I don't know. Personally I'd only buy a boat that allowed me to sail it the best way possible.
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Javelin 558
Contender 2574 |
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NickA
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 783 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Feb 13 at 7:38pm | |
Sadly, the RS500 (and the V3000 for that matter - I'm not being biased) have very stiff masts compared to the bethwaite boats (29er etc). The RS 500 tries to compensate with a fatter head in the main, but it seems to cause people more trouble than help (lots of power up top). Both classes would benefit from carbon masts ...or even a 29er style flippy top bit... but I don't see it happening for a few years yet. We'll all have to learn to sail properly instead!
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Javelin 558
Contender 2574 |
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