Aeolus - the god of all winds

May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
well, i ponder these things. Dr., you are correct that i have read bethwaite. and reread many many times more. i have been trying to implement his, bethwaite's, skills when sailing for 25 years.

tacktics, using only wind to get from A toB. wind , water, all while operating the vessel.

wind: the reason to have twist is the direction of the apparent wind is different aloft then closer to the deck. at 26 mph, all the ground effects while have washed out , so then you want a straight sail ( no twist ). of course, the shape of the twist is variable of the wind climbs.

we sail a long distance race dynamically. when cruising we sail dynamically as well. we campaign the boat, parade it all over. we are always looking for the best winds, the best routes. love driving to weather for a couple of days. love flying the shoot and the stay sails. after all these years i'm still trying to improve my game.
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis


aeolus standing tall in 25 true. this is the best option for this boat that i have been able to use. the helm is very light and balanced. the main is 100% powered up. the jib is small and pulling 100%. i can fast tack to weather any where. drive up a channel or sail up a lake. in a race with race crew, i'd have the 140% jib up.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
on the great lakes our biggest fear are tornados and the thunderstorms the create them. the largest thunderstorms on the globe are spawned on the great planes of north america. they can then slam into the great lakes all sailing season long. cumulus clouds are furnaces. the up draft friction creates huge friction/heat that locally change the gradient winds. then when big enough they create rain which the creates the reverse downdraft that slams into the surface and spreads out creating huge increase in winds. the speed of the down draft coupled with the speed of the cloud across the land/water dictate the speed of the wind the preceeds the storm and can overwhelm us.
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I was going to point out the third kind of wind, rain induced winds, but you beat me to it. Those roiling cloud rims, best seen in your second picture, can look like sideways tornadoes because of those down drafts that then are forced outward by the ground.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
the winds around the bottom of a tornado blow towards the funnel not away from it
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
the winds around the bottom of a tornado blow towards the funnel not away from it
Jon, if you are referring to my statement above, I was talking about thunderstorms not tornadoes.
But, good to know. It's no wonder tornadoes pickup frogs, cows, houses, and sharks.


-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Likes: jon hansen
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
we sail a long distance race dynamically. when cruising we sail dynamically as well.
@jon hansen
"dynamically" meaning what, please?

Do you mean that you simultaneously change both the helm and angle of attack on the mainsail, keeping the boat balanced, upright, and at top/higher boat speed? [as opposed to trim first for the angle to the wind, then drive to the telltales as the wind direction and strength vary?]

Or do you mean something entirely different than what I just wrote when you use the term "dynamically"?

I assume your boat is a bit on the heavy side to roll it when tacking? So that rules out extreme body dynamics, I assume. It's definitely not a Laser or Tasar or Moth. ;)

Judy
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
Dynamic: (of a process or system) characterized by constant change, activity, or progress

Dr., my alden caravelle fully loaded for a race or a cruise is prolly about 23,000 lbs with a 28' waterline. i think that is more than a little bit heavy, it's very heavy. full keel with a huge attached rudder.
my Ascow is 1,800 lbs with prolly a 37' waterline and up to 1,8oo sq ft of sail makes a laser seem heavy
my trinka 12 , another bruce kirby design, is fun but i'm 6'5" so i can't play like a kid might
we operate each vessel very differently and we push them all

with well over 1,000,000 miles at sea (i've been sailing 59 yrs and drove lake ships for my only job) combined with aeolus being in the family for 45 seasons my driving is pretty much instinctual. driving the old cca boat has it's own characteristics. so yes to all your options.
but it's way more than that. i'm a bethwaite student. i'm playing the puffs and lulls, i'm watching the the wind patterns, i'm guessing the gradient changes. i know where to find the extra wind under the clouds. i'm watching for funneling, i'm watching the waves and their patterns. we pay attention to the changes for halyards and sheets. we fly spinnakers and stay sails. we turn down big swells to catch the ride.
no dodger, no bimini, no barbecues, no roller reefing, no windlass, no radar dome, no lights on deck to blind the helm. never use the autopilot while sailing. auto pilots are always too late and can't anticapate.
when i go cruising it's about getting great sailboat rides. i plan my ports of call so to play the winds from day to day. and yes, we go site seeing too. i love the wild places.
it's ALL about the ride. this alden is so seakindly. subarus are practical but they will never give the ride of a duesenberg.

we love to push the boat hard and it loves being pushed. i believe you have to push back at mother nature to grab the best ride. this model alden is one of the strongest boats ever built by any man. 1" thick solid glass hull with glass ribs through out with a full wood interior attached to it. aeolus is a tank. aeolus easily sails to her phrf rating with the condition it's kept in. but it's all about the wind is it not. bethwaite teaches us this. if i'm in a 14 kt breeze and a more modern vessel is in a 8 kt breeze they will never keep up. if your a guest on board that means your crew, not some ride along type.

thanks for asking Dr. :)
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
reading the wind opportunities during a race is a must. well reading them while cruising is great too. sailing from a to b requires this. well unless motor sailing is your game. flying huge shoots while cruising is a hoot. needs a crew. sailing deep down wind with only a jenny up front is slow. cruising with a huge jib while working to weather can be overwhelming.

the tactics of knowing the wind are a must to sail dynamically while cruising and for me a huge part of this chess match.
 
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