Re: Dinghy sailing in bigger winds

toad wrote:
> On 28 Sep, 07:03, Stephen Page <st...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>> My two sons sail/race Cadets and, being light (50kgs+23kgs) struggle
>> badly in the bigger winds (f4+).  I don't have the expertise to guide
>> them but I believe it is as much a matter of technique as weight.
>>
>> So far I have (a) rake the mast back
> 
> I'm not sure raking the mast back will help much. Surely that just
> helps you point better/gives you more weather helm? I could be wrong.

Depends on the boat.   Raking the mast aft means that when you apply 
kicker (vang) the mast bends thereby flattening the mainsail.  It's a 
common way to depower a dinghy.  Of course, it only works if the mast is 
capable of bending.









> 
>> (b) de-power the sails with
>> cunningham/outhaul/kicker
> 
> Yup. Cunningham and outhaul bar tight. Kicker slackened to let the top
> of the sail twist to spill wind.
> 
>> (c) sit further back on a run, lifting the
>> bow.
> 
> Yup, near the front up wind near the back downwind.
> 
>> So what am I missing?
> 
> Nothing. I think they've just got to go out and do more and more of
> it. No substitue for practice. I'm assuing they both have wetsuits so
> they're comfortable and warm when they bin it?
> 
>>   I seem to think that pointing up or bearing
>> away when a gust comes has a bearing on this.
> 
> Yup. Either, point the power away or ease off and bear away for speed.
> 
>> I also seem to think
>> there are better techniques of easing the sails than just letting go.
> 
> Dunno, dumping a bit of main is a pretty effective way to de-power. Of
> course you don't need to totally let go, just let out a handfull. (IME
> in a two man dinghies it's best if the crew dumps the jib first.)
> 
>> What else can we do?
> 
> I think you've got it sussed. Tune the boat appropriately, let them
> spend time on the water to work it out for themselves as they surely
> will.
> 
> IME being light is no handicap at all in the heavy stuff. I used to
> campaign a fireball and we were bang on the right weight for it. We
> thought this would be a massive advantage over the light crews in big
> winds but it it wasn't at all. The light crews just lifted up onto the
> plane earlier and the power was converted into forward motion. Had the
> same the first season I sail my laser as a young lad. I weighed 3/4 of
> bugger all and was unbeatable in light winds. I think everyone
> (including me) assumed I wouldn't be competative in heavy winds. Sure
> enough on the windy days I'd come off the windward mark, pop onto the
> plane and disappear into the distance.
> 
> Is it worth them going out on a day when they're not racing make no
> effort at all to go up wind or dead down wind? Just beam reach up and
> down all afternoon like a windsurfer a) having a great time and b)
> getting totally comfortable with the conditions?
> 
> One other thing. I recal me brother and I sailing a Mirror Dinghy one
> season as nippers. On windy days Pa Toad (not a sailor) always
> recommended not using the kite so we didn't. Then one day it struck us
> that dead down wind it might actually make things more stable, not
> less - and it did. Might be worth considering.
>