The Cappys Master wrote:
On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 10:30:04 +1200, The_navigator©
wrote:


The Cappys Master wrote:


True!


So you are saying that you think you can balance a boat with a FREE
rudder in a seaway? Are you sure?


Yep!
It won't go on forever because eventually, or even immediately, a
combination of gust and wave will unbalance the boat.
But yes it is quite possible.

A modern wedge shaped monohull with a _____free______ rudder? Are you
really sure -have you tried it? Or are you saying that she does not
balance (hence the immediately?).



Trouble is, it would almost never happen on a big boat if the crew were
alert to what is going to happen... Of course if you are really tired
it happens more often but a well skippered boat should not allow that to
happen...


Rubbish!
Things happen in only seconds. You may have a moment and drive thru it
without any problem. The next moment may catch you out, but then agian
it may just be another moment. To win races you drive thru the moments
hanging onto all the sail, power and speed you can. It's as much
throwing down the gauntlet to your competition and pressing them into
a mistake as staying clear of trouble yourself.
The early IOR boats were real frighteners downhill and everybody who
sailed them has plenty of tales of losing them, pirouettes, broaches
and gybes. It was part of the game, the fewer you had while still
driving the boat to the max, the better your chance of a win.

Yes, by all means try to hang on but the winning boat did not generally
broach and that was because the crew anticipated. That is the key to
both helming and sail trim. Not reacting quickly is why it happens more
often. You can even see it in the videos of world champions. Every time
the crew did not immediately react. While some human failing is
inevitable, I suggest all broaches would have been preventable. In many
cases the skipper/helm inhibits the trimmer from easing pressure early
enough (and in some boats the communication is appaling) because they
think to win they need every bit of boat speed -forgetting that if they
lose control they will lose far more time and she's be faster on her
feet with only a slight heel than laid right over at the edge of
control. As I see it, if all do their job properly there is no reason to
broach -it just doesn't happen that fast.

Have you ever seen a boat broach with the sheet freed?

The build up is slow (seconds as you said)(or the adrenaline makes it
seem that way). You should see/feel the gust/sea coming and the trimmer
should feel the boat starting to roll too much and hear the sound of the
helm pressure building (and this should be reinforced by a helm call -I
use 'Pressure!' and then 'I'm losing it!') etc... I suggest the real key
to winning races is not making mistakes...

Cheers MC