Here goes a question about boat handling: When sailing downwind with about 17 knots of onshore wind and 3-6 feet high and relatively short waves last weekend, we got "stuck" in quite a few waves after surfing down the crests and going into the next one. No pitchpoles, but this slows the boat down a lot and I suppose there should be some technique to reduce this.
I have been told to head up a little just before one finishes riding down the crest, but this of course is no option when there is too much power in the boat, so you dig the wave, want it or not. Crew is on trapeze and I am leaning back as much as I can, this is a Tiger. Any suggestions?
We have quite a lot of practice on the Tiger in these conditions. As skipper, get your head totally out the boat and focus on those waves. Then as you get hooked surfing down a face and you can see a fairly steep back on the wave ahead (which if you do nothing you will spear and slow down), turn her down while still surfing down the face - before the bottom of the trough. You'll present both hulls to the back of the next wave - avoiding sticking the leeward hull which brings you to a halt. Then as soon as you have hit the trough, bring it up to get the power to climb the back of the wave.
Now this takes a lot of practice - and to get it right think - turn down a little early, turn up a little early. If you turn down too late and up to late it will feel all wrong - and be almost as slow as stuffing the occasional wave - which is what happens if you try and drive hot without reacting to the waves.
My crew is a surfer - and he quite often makes calls on steep waves with narrow troughs - which are the ones that the Tiger loves to stuff in.
This is now some of my favorite sailing conditions - as it is a real challenge to keep it smooth and fast. You have to keep practicing until it becomes instinctual.
Chris.
