In gusty 20 to 30 knots in relatively lflwt seas, I genrally have one reef in the main and full genoa and have a crew person on the main travller to cope with gusts. My question is, when reaching under these conditions, is it more effecient to hold course and dump wind to avoid roundin up, or point higher into the gusts, and ease back inthe lulls?
- Status
Stuart: If I were sailing in those conditions, I would hold course and drop the traveler in the puffs and pull it up in the lulls. If you change course, then the jib and mainsail trimmers are going to have to make sail trim adjustments, which is a pain in 30 knot conditions. A number of years ago, the America Cup was held in San Diego and I got to meet a number of your Aussie crew. What a great bunch of fun loving guys they were. They would not let us buy them a round - they insisted we drink with them. They were a contrast to the American crew that would not give my wife and I the time of day. Stuart, can you give me the name of a good Aussie beer (not Fosters) that I could buy in the US? Hope we meet up some day and we'll "plough the froth off a few" and talk about sailing.
Mortyd: Sorry about the confusion. Assume your sailing closehauled on port tack (the wind is coming over the port side of the boat) and the traveler car is close to the center of the track and the boom is located near the center of the boat. The starboard side of the boat is lower than the port side with about 15 degrees of heel. That's the basic setup for this explanation. Now suppose your hit by a gust of wind. The person controlling the traveler "drops" the traveler car down hill toward the starboard side. In other words, he is letting out the boom (refer to my piece on ANGLE OF ATTACK)to a less powerful setting and thus allowing the helmsman to continue on a straight course. Converserly, if you sail into a lull, where the wind speed drops, you want to pull the traveler "up" toward the higher port side to harness as much wind power that is available. The one thing about sail trim is that the wind is always changing. It never remains constant so you have to make adjustments. Probably a lot of folks don't use these terms "drop" and "up" but I found that when I conduct ON THE WATER seminars the traveler person instantly understand my instruction. Hope that clears up what I was talking about.
Aussie Beer
Don, Thanks for the advise. It is interesting to note that after a few years of unusual summers we are now back to 'normal' with afternoon thunderstorms and repleneshing water suppies. Along with the thunderstorms come the gusts, so twilight racing can be fun. Of course, followed by a few beers. I will do a little research to find out what Aussie beers are available in the US but if you can find Coopers, Cascade, James Boag or James Squire, you will not go wrong. Cascade is my favourite but the true conosur would go for Coopers. You can probaly find a Crown Larger, which should always be consumed in preference to Fosters.
Don, Thanks for the advise. It is interesting to note that after a few years of unusual summers we are now back to 'normal' with afternoon thunderstorms and repleneshing water suppies. Along with the thunderstorms come the gusts, so twilight racing can be fun. Of course, followed by a few beers. I will do a little research to find out what Aussie beers are available in the US but if you can find Coopers, Cascade, James Boag or James Squire, you will not go wrong. Cascade is my favourite but the true conosur would go for Coopers. You can probaly find a Crown Larger, which should always be consumed in preference to Fosters.
Learn all the time
I'm new to the art of sailing Catalinas. Sailing in Port Phillip Bay we can get wind gusts 40 to 50 knots and I usually just ease the boom out in heavy condition, I never use the traveler. I always thought it was too hard to bring back in. Am I wrong doing this? DON, the best beer going is Victorian Bitter. I have american friends that just adore it.
I'm new to the art of sailing Catalinas. Sailing in Port Phillip Bay we can get wind gusts 40 to 50 knots and I usually just ease the boom out in heavy condition, I never use the traveler. I always thought it was too hard to bring back in. Am I wrong doing this? DON, the best beer going is Victorian Bitter. I have american friends that just adore it.
Good recommendation
Wayne, Sometimes you will need to dump both the sheet and traveller but go with the traveller first as this retains sail shape. It would be time to reef the main if you need to let go the sheet too often. VB is not a bad suggestion and is available in the US. At least you didn't recommend XXXX. Regards Stuart
Wayne, Sometimes you will need to dump both the sheet and traveller but go with the traveller first as this retains sail shape. It would be time to reef the main if you need to let go the sheet too often. VB is not a bad suggestion and is available in the US. At least you didn't recommend XXXX. Regards Stuart
Maintaining course through the air
Stuart asks: "is it more efficient to hold course....." during strong wind gusts. This question cannot easily be answered without defining what one's "course" is. If course over ground (COG) is very important, e.g. when heading for a pass or harbor entrance as well as when following a channel or sealane, then one obviously needs to adjust the sails in order to stay on that same COG. If, on the other hand, one would like to keep the apparent wind angle (AWA) for which the sails were properly set before the gust, then one has little choice but to head up in order to maintain "course through the air". Why drop the boom to leeward, thus effectively changing the main's angle of attack (along with several othar aspects of sail trim) if the headsail remains set at the wrong angle of attack and is also no longer optimally aligned with the main? Of course, one could also adjust the headsail at the same time. Can you see yourself doing that during every gust? And what's the point anyhow, unless one is trying to sail by landmarks rather than by water and wind? If your vessel is still overpowered after heading up to maintain AWA, you now have to decide whether to "pinch" a bit or to readjust the sails. As a cruiser, trying to conserve personal energy for the hours, days or even weeks ahead, I will choose "pinching" over dropping the boom to leeward every time. Naturally, if you are in a big hurry, do whatever your velocity made good (VMG) toward target tells you. If some of your crew members are not feeling so great, do whatever is most comfortable to them. Needless to say, if the gusts appear to portend a strengthening wind, now may be the right time to put another reef in. Fair winds Flying Dutchman
Stuart asks: "is it more efficient to hold course....." during strong wind gusts. This question cannot easily be answered without defining what one's "course" is. If course over ground (COG) is very important, e.g. when heading for a pass or harbor entrance as well as when following a channel or sealane, then one obviously needs to adjust the sails in order to stay on that same COG. If, on the other hand, one would like to keep the apparent wind angle (AWA) for which the sails were properly set before the gust, then one has little choice but to head up in order to maintain "course through the air". Why drop the boom to leeward, thus effectively changing the main's angle of attack (along with several othar aspects of sail trim) if the headsail remains set at the wrong angle of attack and is also no longer optimally aligned with the main? Of course, one could also adjust the headsail at the same time. Can you see yourself doing that during every gust? And what's the point anyhow, unless one is trying to sail by landmarks rather than by water and wind? If your vessel is still overpowered after heading up to maintain AWA, you now have to decide whether to "pinch" a bit or to readjust the sails. As a cruiser, trying to conserve personal energy for the hours, days or even weeks ahead, I will choose "pinching" over dropping the boom to leeward every time. Naturally, if you are in a big hurry, do whatever your velocity made good (VMG) toward target tells you. If some of your crew members are not feeling so great, do whatever is most comfortable to them. Needless to say, if the gusts appear to portend a strengthening wind, now may be the right time to put another reef in. Fair winds Flying Dutchman
Thanks Stuart
Stuart Thanks I will try that at the weekend, I actually made a mistake we get gusts up to 40 to 50% in Port phillip, I would not like to be out there in 50 knot winds. Good to know they sell Vic bitter in the states.
Stuart Thanks I will try that at the weekend, I actually made a mistake we get gusts up to 40 to 50% in Port phillip, I would not like to be out there in 50 knot winds. Good to know they sell Vic bitter in the states.
- Status