Comments on: Big Wind Lessons Part 1 – Follow-up on Sound OD Championship Post http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/ Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:57:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Al Hobart http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/comment-page-1/#comment-301 Al Hobart Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:53:42 +0000 http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/#comment-301 Lessons from long 40+ knot Macdonough race run on Lake Champlain in the late 1980s: Have a great crew. Place them as far back in the boat as possible. Keep the small jib up to prevent chute wraps around the forestay in the event of broaches. (When we rounded up in trying to pass wallowing bigger boats and were getting ready to walk out onto the keel to get the mast up out of the water, the spin. sheet was eased and we began to come up-right, whereupon the filling jib helped to drive the bow back down onto a run, rescuing us. There seemed to be only one slant on which we could survive: just above straight down wind. Abject fear kept me on that slant, with small adjustments to keep the boat under the mast. The vang was on very hard to reduce all main twist, and the chute was choked down hard by the twings. Close all hatches tight. Occasionally we would come down off of a wave and drive the bow under the next wave, aimed at China. When big waves are close together try to steer up a little when your speed has built coming off a crest to avoid going straight into the steepest waves. (.Beware of wind direction that doesn't match wave direction). The j-24's 3/4 rig allows greater control than one would expect in very heavy wind. A 36 footer under main and jib claimed their speed was 12 knots when we passed them like a motor boat. Lessons from long 40+ knot Macdonough race run on Lake Champlain in the late 1980s: Have a great crew. Place them as far back in the boat as possible. Keep the small jib up to prevent chute wraps around the forestay in the event of broaches. (When we rounded up in trying to pass wallowing bigger boats and were getting ready to walk out onto the keel to get the mast up out of the water, the spin. sheet was eased and we began to come up-right, whereupon the filling jib helped to drive the bow back down onto a run, rescuing us. There seemed to be only one slant on which we could survive: just above straight down wind. Abject fear kept me on that slant, with small adjustments to keep the boat under the mast. The vang was on very hard to reduce all main twist, and the chute was choked down hard by the twings. Close all hatches tight. Occasionally we would come down off of a wave and drive the bow under the next wave, aimed at China. When big waves are close together try to steer up a little when your speed has built coming off a crest to avoid going straight into the steepest waves. (.Beware of wind direction that doesn’t match wave direction). The j-24′s 3/4 rig allows greater control than one would expect in very heavy wind. A 36 footer under main and jib claimed their speed was 12 knots when we passed them like a motor boat.

]]> By: Noj http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Noj Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:40:54 +0000 http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/#comment-72 The last paragraph should ready "In a WINDWARD broach, the main will inevitably swing over" The last paragraph should ready “In a WINDWARD broach, the main will inevitably swing over”

]]> By: Noj http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Noj Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:38:54 +0000 http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/#comment-71 Yes! I think you're talking about this picture: http://www.borrowedlightimages.com/ShowSelectedImage.asp?img=blimages%5CSailing%5CSound%2520One%2520Design%2520Fleet%2520Championships%5C2007%5CDSC_488087.jpg&itemID=DSC_488087.jpg&RaceDescription=Sound%2520One%2520Design%25202007 So that's a standard (ha!) leward broach. I've learned that the best thing to do is have someone on the vang to get ready to blow it (another reason to have a proper vang setup that's easy to uncleat) and , the trimmer needs to release the sheet (never the guy) . Of course it's critical that the spinnaker sheets not have any knots in them or recovering from this isn't going to be easy without a knife. In this scenario the main stays on the same side as it was on. They were on starboard, they got to hot (to weather) and they broached to leward. Fairly easy to recover from this and no risk of the main killing anyone. That regatta had the winds pretty steady. If the heavy winds are also shifty (more than 10 to 15 degrees) I would be very worried. You're totally right, a big change in direction, combined with an ill-timed wave could easily cause the boat to crash gybe. I suppose in those conditions it's either not advisable to fly the spinnaker or to do an extremely good job of steering the boat to keep the spinnaker in front. To avoid a windward broach, I've learned to never let the leward clew of the spinnaker to get beyond the forestay (to weather). In a leward broach the main will inevitably swing over, the spinnaker will be in the water (as will some of the crew inevitably) and recovery is considerably more difficult and dangerous. We almost had one windward broach at this regatta, it was not fun. I've had dozens of windward broaches in bigger boats and they're not the worst things in the world as long as the crew is all working together you can get good at avoiding them. After all this heavy air talk, I'm starting to think about how to do better in light air days! Ha! Yes! I think you’re talking about this picture:
http://www.borrowedlightimages.com/ShowSelectedImage.asp?img=blimages%5CSailing%5CSound%2520One%2520Design%2520Fleet%2520Championships%5C2007%5CDSC_488087.jpg&itemID=DSC_488087.jpg&RaceDescription=Sound%2520One%2520Design%25202007

So that’s a standard (ha!) leward broach. I’ve learned that the best thing to do is have someone on the vang to get ready to blow it (another reason to have a proper vang setup that’s easy to uncleat) and , the trimmer needs to release the sheet (never the guy) . Of course it’s critical that the spinnaker sheets not have any knots in them or recovering from this isn’t going to be easy without a knife.

In this scenario the main stays on the same side as it was on. They were on starboard, they got to hot (to weather) and they broached to leward. Fairly easy to recover from this and no risk of the main killing anyone.

That regatta had the winds pretty steady. If the heavy winds are also shifty (more than 10 to 15 degrees) I would be very worried. You’re totally right, a big change in direction, combined with an ill-timed wave could easily cause the boat to crash gybe. I suppose in those conditions it’s either not advisable to fly the spinnaker or to do an extremely good job of steering the boat to keep the spinnaker in front.

To avoid a windward broach, I’ve learned to never let the leward clew of the spinnaker to get beyond the forestay (to weather). In a leward broach the main will inevitably swing over, the spinnaker will be in the water (as will some of the crew inevitably) and recovery is considerably more difficult and dangerous. We almost had one windward broach at this regatta, it was not fun. I’ve had dozens of windward broaches in bigger boats and they’re not the worst things in the world as long as the crew is all working together you can get good at avoiding them.

After all this heavy air talk, I’m starting to think about how to do better in light air days! Ha!

]]> By: peter http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/comment-page-1/#comment-70 peter Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:28:19 +0000 http://www.j24blog.com/2007/10/16/big-wind-lessons-part-1-follow-up-on-sound-od-championship-post/#comment-70 Juju has the same gear issues or worse. We need to upgrade the vang, the outhaul is useless, and we don't even have twings. We've got some work to do in the off-season. It is amazing how solidly the main is plastered to the shrouds when the wind is blowing. The big fear is a sudden gust from a new direction. From the pictures over at Borrowed Light it looks like Suspense had a near broach. Did you see that? Juju has the same gear issues or worse. We need to upgrade the vang, the outhaul is useless, and we don’t even have twings. We’ve got some work to do in the off-season.

It is amazing how solidly the main is plastered to the shrouds when the wind is blowing. The big fear is a sudden gust from a new direction. From the pictures over at Borrowed Light it looks like Suspense had a near broach. Did you see that?

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