Getting Out Of Irons

[Jackdaw]

Bill,

It happens all the time in match racing. As Alan also mentioned, its a very common start tactic.

But it can also happen earlier in a fleet start, if you don't want another boat to roll over you to windward. As leeward boat you have luffing rights, and if they wanna go with you, you can end up nose to wind.

Ideally in any race at the gun you want to be max speed, on the line, favored end, etc, but often the other guys have ideas about that.

But the bigger point is that it happens, and can happen to anyone, based on circumstances. Knowing how to get out of it is prudent sailing. Discussing the techniques is a good idea.

 

[thinwater]

Boats w/keels placed for drying-out are very prone to this

My cat (PDQ 32) has a lot of nice traits, but one bad one results from placing the keels under the CG rather than closer to the CE. Very stable on dry land... and in irons. It doesn't effect her sailing much, so long as you keep the balance forward (reef main with the jib).

Getting her out isn't so bad; just saill backawards etc. Prevention is largly a matter of easing the traveler a bit for the new tack. But be warned; no matter how well and how far past 100 degrees you sail through the tack, unless the traveler is ALL the way down she will go back into irons if the jib is not sheeted in very soon (say, a sheet hangs up). If sailing with main alone it is also nearly impossible to jibe; she just won't go that deep. With jib up, jibing is fast and easy. Tacking is a matter of getting the jib across right at the break (never backwind--keeping water flowing over the rudders is more valuable than the bow push) and sheeted in fast, and she barely loses speed. Strange.

 

[Bill Roosa]

yea, Jackdaw
I see guys messing around a slow speed all the time while I'm further from the line biding my time. Just blow past them as they are accelerating and take the good spot.
Perhaps this does not work for boats that are all the same or accelerate fast. I could see that. My BOB (big ol boat) does not "get-up-and-go like a racer so I have to have a coping strategy.

 

[Jackdaw]

Bill, you are right, its common in match racing where making your one opponent lose is the same as winning. If a fleet race however, its easy to win a battle and lose the war by focusing on one boat. Best to avoid the 1:1 games unless you have a real good reason.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Saw one of our club boats take us all by surprise during the annual race one year. He clearly had his GPS set on the start line and was counting on the committee boat to start the race right on time. He was no ware to be found prior to the race and then 10 minutes out he appears out of the cove where he keeps his boat going like the dickens for the start line. The rest of us are messing around trying to get a good position and generally messing it up. At the warning horn we see him make a major slow down for about 15 seconds by dropping the boom to leeward and then powering back up. Clearly adjusting his arrival time at the start line. Going through the start he was about 2 seconds late but going at full speed and basically ate our lunches the rest of the way.
It was humbling and instructive at the same time.

 

[zeehag]

i place my boat into irons when i boat a fish for which i troll while underway.... all i need to do to continue to sail is haul on a jibsheet to fill it with air for progress forward. mebbe i am fortunate, as that is all i ever had to do when in the situation-- whether fin or full keel, same response. has worked every time , so far. nothing fancy--just fill jib and go.