Downwind playing sheet on a 60 footer

[Quoddy]

I have a question about what’s happening in this video http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwiu3t_day-58-highlights_sport
Starting at about 40 sec as Arnaud Boissières speaks. What does he mean shift to the left?

Anyway I guess he is looking for the autopilot to desperately respond just before a roundup. I assume he is saying he will let out the main to put the heeling force forward as well as reducing power to head off a violent roundup.

On our 26 foot Hunter (B&R rig so the main can’t be let way out) will this technique of rapidly easing the main on a fast broad reach work to stand the boat back up in less severe conditions.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

. What does he mean shift to the left?

AFAIK,
boats on a starboard tack, shift left means healing more. and he's dumping the main sheet when it 'shifts left' to get her to stand back up.

crazy conditions!

 

[Joe]

I believe he says: "if I notice the helm shifts too much to the left".... the helm is the tiller..... and he's monitoring it because he has limited power for the Auto Pilot steering system. The commentator says he broke one of his hydrogenerators and has no more power resources.

The rest of your assumption is correct... he is easing the mainsheet to avoid a roundup. If started rounding up anyway, he would release the vang to keep the boom out of the water....

 

[MrBill_FLL]

So hes got a line lashed to the tiller? and is steering it (from the safe cockpit). or more of a spring... and he's controlling just the sails.
actually doesn't look that bad, but you know it is.
(wonder what he hit....)

 

[Bill Roosa]

Yes. Most "sailors" that I've run into think that they should trim sail so it "looks like the brochure" While sexy this is only needed on a pinching beat. On a broad reach the main should be well out over the gunnel. Hauling in the boom is the same a stalling your airplane wing. Too high an angle of attack that is compensated for by too much twist (typically). Better to "harden up" the sail and let out the boom. I've come on deck after taking care of some odd maintenance item to find the Corinthian crew has the boat heeled over to 45 deg in an attempt to "go fast" The GPS said we were going 5 knots in 20 knots of wind on a broad reach!!!!!! (40'boat!!!). After letting out the boom and easing the jib the boat stood up and was going 7.5 knots. One of the Corinthian crew commented that the boat "don't look like it does in the pretty pictures, what's with that?" I meirly pointed to the windex and explained the windex HAS to be in line with the luft part of the upper main and the twist should be appropriate to the wind speed as indicated by the tell-tails at the leach end of the main streaming straight back.
With all due respect to Don, sail trim is reading the tell-tails and making them flow correctly.