Hi all,
Just my thoughts on this one :
Have to agree with Darryl, in that it takes proper technique to right a cat successfully.
Ask me, I know - I capsize often. 5 times in 2 races at Nationals, 3 times in 2 races at our solo champs, and once between races just for good measure.
No, I`m not a crap sailor, I`m just getting to grips with wild-thing downwind with the kite up, and if you`re sailing on the edge, you`re gonna go over once in a while.
The trick is in not worrying about it - IF you can right your boat. After 2 capsizes I was only 200m behind the fleet, and went completely turtle both times.
Here`s how to do it :

- Sail a boat you can right. What I mean is that I couldn`t right a Dart 18 on my own, I`m too light. This was one of the deciding factors in selling the boat & getting something that I can right on my own - you can`t sail something solo if you can`t right it solo.
- The moment you have to design paddles or lever-arms that you can get out on the end of to right the boat, you are sailing a boat that wasn`t designed for your weight, or was badly designed. Try standing on a pole 2ft away from your hull in 3-4m swell & strong wind. It`s hard enough staying with the boat, never mind fiddling with odd contraptions.
- Make sure your mast is sealed. If it is, it acts as positive bouyancy when turtle & actually contributes to the righting process. If it isn`t, it acts as ballast 30ft below your boat. Even if you get it back on it`s side, that`s as far as you`ll get it.

In my mind, you should only sail a boat solo if your weight exceeds the minimum weight required to right the boat.
And go out there & practice a LOT!! (like me )

Cheers
Steve