TACKING IN 15 KNOTS PLUS

We can tack very well in lighter winds keeping speeds never stalling and pulling away smoothly howver as soon as we get more wind and the wind chop/swells (ocean sailing) that comes with it we seem to blow half of our tacks and get in irons or at least stall before taking off again...it feels
In light winds, it feels like we are turning in a long, slow, graceful arc, with the rudders gripping the water. In high winds, it feels like we turn too quickly and skid sideways to a halt.... we have tried to be gentle and firm with the tiller movement but still can't figure it out...

Any ideas?

I'm a novice sailor myself and had difficulties tacking in high winds also. Are you letting the main out as you turn into the wind. In light wind it's not that big of a deal but in heavy wind if you don't let the main out the sail tends to "weather vane" the boat into the wind putting you in irons. When I tack in heavy winds, right when I feel the main start to luff I let it out, go easy on the tiller, and of course let the jib backwind. But I haven't mastered this either, I still seem to go into irons at least once in heavy winds and of course it's usually at the worst possible time, like when I'm near a dock or another boat.

Hi James,
Yes let the main out around 12" just as the battens it luffs/starts to backwind.... I guess maybe due to extra boat speed (and excitement!) we are rushing and missing something compared to lighter winds .....or is there a different technique for different wind strengths

I don't know, tacking in heavy air is kind of an art form I guess. Like I said, I don't do it successfully all of the time and it does seem harder in ocean chop/swells. I would ask the same question over on the Hobie forums, you'll probably get a lot more responses over there from people with a lot more experience than I have.

Roll tack.Keep the main sheet tight right untill head to wind.Don't let the rudders straighten out during the tack.Have the crew play the jib thru the tack.That is let a little off so it crosses the mast then release it slowly and bring it in quick.When the crew does bring in the jib,don't have it too flat .Practice lots.

The trick I use to use back when I was VERY good at racing a 16 in the late 70's - early 80's was:

Have to crew go down and get on knees by mast , release the jib sheet from cleat and hand hold it. When he/she tells me he/she is ready THEN I will start the tack. As said crack the main a little as you go head to wind and let the jib back wind you thru the tack. With the jib hand held, you can release it easy and pull in lazy sheet fast. I learned this AFTER going over backwards few times, do to not being to uncleat the jib fast enough. IF you do go into irons, push and boom and tiller away from you and the boat should back into the tack. Just have patience, it will come around.

Hope this helps,

Doug

One other thing: once turned onto the new tack, make sure you sheet in the jib before the main. If you set the main too quickly, it will turn you back into the wind and into irons (see Rick's book).

Arie and his family are our newest members, so welcome to GYC. AND , after an 18 year lay-off, he and his wife finished in the middle of the pack. Well done!

We now have 4 (or 5) H-16s, 2 14s, 2 18s and a 21. Sadly, only a couple are active.



We hope to re-establish an active Hobie fleet in the new year. Racers or recreational sailors, all are welcome. So, bring the kids, the wife and your dog.

If I remember correctly, Ari has a wife, 11 y.o. son and Chocolate Lab.

http://www.gulfportyachtclub.com/

Pete-
you aren't going to be trading in the BLADE are you?

Yeh! On a F-40, Uni-rigged of course. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

No, I'm not trading the Blade.

I know... I was just attempting to be funny.

15 knots plus is a lot of wind. It helps to begin with a lot of boatspeed to make it through that kind of wind and associated waves, especially with full crew weight. Also, it helps to act more aggressively and quicker in order to minimize the time you're exposed to the forces trying to stop you (as opposed to finessing though the turn in lighter air). To maximize speed, initiate the turn from out on the wire (takes some practice). My sequence (as skipper) is begin turn, come in, keep turning, cut mainsheet (so as not to weathervane), keep turning, unhook, keep turning, make sure we've come across enough to complete the tack and that the jib is in on the new side, keep turning, then cross under boom and sheet main. For me, the worst part is if I can't unhook cleanly.....then I'm stuck to the trap wire, I'm on the leeward side of the boat, and I've got the boom coming at my face.

Lots of other good advice above, too, except I disagree with backwinding the jib. As mmadge says, fly the jib through the tack. (BTW...Rick White says the same...buy his books/videos on this site, and learn to do it right!) Backwinding is great....for going backwards. It may eventually push the bows over but only after it's killed what little momentum you had left after dragging two hulls through different arcs and pointing straight into the wind/waves for a couple of seconds.

If you stall, immediately reverse the rudders, and you'll back into the tack you were attempting to take. (In 15 knots, you won't even have to backwind the jib!)

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi

i think u r heading too low if you are beating before u tack or trying to tack reach to reach

if you sail it hard on the wind for maybe 20 seconds before you tack slam the tiller over and back the jib for a few seconds, it will go streight round 19 oout of 20 times, do this in any wind conditions and you will tack faster