[Public-List] Sailing technique

[crufone at comcast.net]

Jon, 



You had the good fortune of having the bloke ahead and upwind of you get hit and thus give you warning.  This is a generous warning that he might not have gotten.  First point is to observe how that boat reacted so you can tell if there was a wind shift along with the pressure increase. If I had observed that I would first warn my passengers, "strong puff coming ..............looks like a header or lift, whatever is the case."  In your case I assume that you were beating and the pressure increase was a lift as well. Second thing I would do is get ready to ease the main sheet. Third thing is start to head up, get the boat's inertia moving for the head up.  As the pressure starts to build continue heading up to offset the increased pressure,.......heading up as much as you need to to keep the boat on her feet. Quick reaction is key here. Since you saw the boat ahead get knocked down you knew that this was not a gust of wind that your boat would handle and had the gift of forewarning so you need not worry about reaction time you could be absolutely prepared for the hit. If heading up is not enough to reduce the pressure on your sails then ease the main as well, no need to blow the main unless you are too slow reacting or the wind is too strong. Of course the head sail can be eased as well, in harmony with the main. 



When hit with a strong gust you always want to pinch up, head up, quickly if you are on a beat.  A well designed and trimmed boat will want to head up in a gust, this serves as a safety valve to spill wind reduce the pressure and keep the boat upright. Depending on how stiff the boat is you can drive her down in a slight increase in pressure and she will squirt ahead just like a bar of soap out of your hands. You have to learn the boat and what she can take. 



Now if you were in the same situation, BUT were in close quarters, in a channel, near a breakwater, etc. then you don't have the room to head up.  You must depower solely with the main and headsail and hope the puff is not strong enough to round you up out of the channel and aground or into the breakwater. 



If you were alert, and you were, with the proper technique you might have smoothly rounded up and no one would have noticed much except that you steered a major course change. 



By driving down in an overpowering puff you actually created a more dire situation.  The strain on the rig increased tremendously and sometimes people loose their rigs. 



While racing this is a dream because you head up toward the mark either because of an increase in pressure or a lift or both..............yahoo.  I side with your kids..............lets do it again. 



Michael #133 


<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 2:20:33 PM 
Subject: [Public-List] Sailing technique 


I was sailing in the Bay yesterday afternoon - nice breeze of about 12 
knots.  We were heading south towards Annapolis when I noticed the boat 
ahead of us was knocked down.  Before I could reduce sail (no reef and 
the full genoa out), we were hit by a 24 knot gust.  The boat healed (as 
it usually does), and wanted to head up.  I pulled hard on the tiller 
and headed down until the gust subsided.  My wife lost her drink (and 
composure), and my 5 kids were yelling "do that again".  I think we 
reached a heal angle of 32 degrees - the leeward rail was well under 
water.  My questions are: 
         
How far can an Alberg heel over before steering is lost? 

Is heading down the right course of action? (I was told to leave the 
sheets alone by a J-30 captain - just head off hard). 

Jon Budington 
Nimble   
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