Andy Repton wrote:
On 2005-05-31, Flying Tadpole wrote:

I sail with arcane rigs, so some of what I do isn't
translatable. However, on both the light schooner and Lady
Kate the AS29, turning up into a bullet is a recipe for
capsize and swamping in the one, and knockdown in the other.
The light schooner (a boat requiring crew) as an open and low
boat would already be sailing with her lee rail down. A sharp
turn into the wind would knock her down further, assisted by a
powerful spade rudder tending to act as an elevator plane
because of the angle, both reinforcing the knockdown; also
stop her dead allowing the waves to take her over also.
Bearing away, turning downwind, brings the boat up to level
rather than heeled.


I'm trying to picture turning up producing more heeling force and
having difficulty. I've been sailing dinghies recently and if hit
by a gust, feathering up reduces the heeling force whilst bearing
away places more of the sail square on to the wind and increases
the heeling. How is the schooner different?


First, we always sailed her as hard as possible, so anywhere
on the wind the lee rail would tend to be a few inches above
the water. Think "not much scope for error"

Second, the rudder is way aft, deep and powerful, pintle hung
and _not_ balanced, carrying over a quarter of the lateral
plane the daggerboard carries half-and-a-bit when heeled, and
the chine (sharpie hull) carries the rest. Think "lots of
water/pressure at the rudder"

Third, the boat, though half a ton with a two-up crew, is as
rapid in response to helm movement as a small dinghy and will
be travelling, in the circumstances described, well over hull
speed. 8-12 knots depending on where the wind is. Think "momentum"

Putting the helm down to round up, sets the rudder, on an
already heeling hull, acting like an elevator plane, heeling
the boat further as she starts spinnong ruound. At this
point, the lee rail cuts under...boat slows, and blows over
(or would, but we've probably let fly the sheets at this
point, of up to four sails.

Incidentally, the hull shape is sufficiently narrow for its
length _not_ to also suddenly transform the boat into a foul
mouthed broaching monster, which is what happens to most of
the trailable yachts in her sailing grounds.

The falling off when hit by a bullet is also a standard
catamaran trick, and we used it to the same advantage.
Bullet? Fall off, come more upright, pick up speed, come back
on course at higher speed. Really too much bullet? Ease the
sheet while doing so. Really, really too much bullet? Still
fall off to recover, then come to the wind while easing sheets
(staying as upright as possible) and heave to to reef.
Incidentally, the boat fore-reaches at about 2knots hove-to,
so in close proximity to obstacles, reefing is done as fast as
possible.

More info on the website, from memory
--
Flying Tadpole

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