Hey Doug here's a good helming question for you:


Lets say you are racing hard on the wind with no boats near you and the
wind strength changes from 10 to 15 knots with the same direction.

Q1) As helm what should you first do first:

1) Nothing and wait
2) Immmediately change course to keep apparent wind direction the same
3) Counter increased weather helm but keep course the same
4) Reduce helm and let boat round up more quickly
5) None of the above -explain.


Q2. The wind drops to 10 knots again with no change in direction.

Your immediate reaction is to...

There's some good racing lessons in the answers and their explanations.

Cheers

Nav wrote:
Hey Doug here's a good helming question for you:


Lets say you are racing hard on the wind with no boats near you and the
wind strength changes from 10 to 15 knots with the same direction.

Q1) As helm what should you first do first:

1) Nothing and wait
2) Immmediately change course to keep apparent wind direction the same
3) Counter increased weather helm but keep course the same
4) Reduce helm and let boat round up more quickly
5) None of the above -explain.

It depends largely on the boat & crew. The difference between 10 knots
true wind and 15 knots true wind is rather substantial, at ten you're
still powering up and at fifteen you're depowering. In some boats you'd
be reefing.

In general, the response to a short term increase in wind is to feather
up slightly, traveller down slightly... also tighten the backstay, and
bring the jib sheet leads aft a bit. Then yell "Hike, dammit!" at the crew.


Q2. The wind drops to 10 knots again with no change in direction.

Your immediate reaction is to...

Undo everything above.


There's some good racing lessons in the answers and their explanations.

We'd be glad to see your explanation.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote:

Nav wrote:

Hey Doug here's a good helming question for you:


Lets say you are racing hard on the wind with no boats near you and
the wind strength changes from 10 to 15 knots with the same direction.

Q1) As helm what should you first do first:

1) Nothing and wait
2) Immmediately change course to keep apparent wind direction the same
3) Counter increased weather helm but keep course the same
4) Reduce helm and let boat round up more quickly
5) None of the above -explain.


It depends largely on the boat & crew. The difference between 10 knots
true wind and 15 knots true wind is rather substantial, at ten you're
still powering up and at fifteen you're depowering. In some boats you'd
be reefing.

In general, the response to a short term increase in wind is to feather
up slightly, traveller down slightly... also tighten the backstay, and
bring the jib sheet leads aft a bit. Then yell "Hike, dammit!" at the crew.


Q2. The wind drops to 10 knots again with no change in direction.

Your immediate reaction is to...


Undo everything above.


So, the helm does nothing? Oz will be disappointed in you!

Cheers

Nav wrote:
So, the helm does nothing?

Did I say that?

... Oz will be disappointed in you!

Oh well, he can console himself with a nice sail on one of his yachts.

DSK

Case 1:

The apparent wind would shift aft and increase slightly.

I'd ease the fine trim on the jib and the main, and trim
back in as I headed up.

Case 2
I assume you mean the true wind direction does not
change. That would not be immediately "apparent".

My immediate reaction would be to wait a bit and coast
while I studied the water upwind for clues.

In this case, I'd have the option of coasting in the same
direction hoping for the wind to fill in again--powering
through the lull with the momentum of the boat. Or, if
I felt the original puff was not representative of the
typical conditions of the day, I'd bear away slightly to keep
the boat in the groove, which you might be forced to do,
if the wind did not pick up immediately. I'd try to get a
little bit of coast on my present track before bearing away
to power up. At that point I would want fuller sails for
more power and make adjustments accordingly--easing
the backstay for example.

Nav wrote

Lets say you are racing hard on the wind with no boats near you and the
wind strength changes from 10 to 15 knots with the same direction.

Q1) As helm what should you first do first:

1) Nothing and wait
2) Immmediately change course to keep apparent wind direction the same
3) Counter increased weather helm but keep course the same
4) Reduce helm and let boat round up more quickly
5) None of the above -explain.


Q2. The wind drops to 10 knots again with no change in direction.

Your immediate reaction is to...

Bart Senior wrote:

Case 1:

The apparent wind would shift aft and increase slightly.

I'd ease the fine trim on the jib and the main, and trim
back in as I headed up.


Very close. The trim should be carried out automatically by the
trimmer(s). When/how do you head up?


Case 2
I assume you mean the true wind direction does not
change. That would not be immediately "apparent".


Huh? The apparent wind changes immediately.

My immediate reaction would be to wait a bit and coast
while I studied the water upwind for clues.


In this case, your pragmatism is close to what I think is the best response.


In this case, I'd have the option of coasting in the same
direction hoping for the wind to fill in again--powering
through the lull with the momentum of the boat.

Yes. You keep the head slightly too high (due to the wind moving
forward) until boat speed drops to that expected for the wind conditions
and only then bear off slowly. The key is to hit the polar spot on with
minimal drag inducing helm changes (i.e. it's OK to take helm off but
not to add it). Your immediate reduction in helm applied that results
from the reduction in pressure helps the coast carry too. Less able
skippers cause the boat to bear off immediately to follow the apparent
wind shift by not immediately easing the helm or even worse by adding
it. Sail trim happens as the boat comes back onto her polar.

Or, if
I felt the original puff was not representative of the
typical conditions of the day, I'd bear away slightly to keep
the boat in the groove, which you might be forced to do,
if the wind did not pick up immediately. I'd try to get a
little bit of coast on my present track before bearing away
to power up. At that point I would want fuller sails for
more power and make adjustments accordingly--easing
the backstay for example.


Much better answers than Doug by the way. You can helm.

Cheers

Nav wrote:
Very close. The trim should be carried out automatically by the
trimmer(s).

You have automatic trimmers? I hope they are Linux machines for reliability.

... When/how do you head up?

Don't you know?


Yes. You keep the head slightly too high (due to the wind moving
forward) until boat speed drops to that expected for the wind conditions
and only then bear off slowly.

This is what's called a velocity header but it's a lot more noticable at
lower wind speeds.

... The key is to hit the polar spot on with
minimal drag inducing helm changes (i.e. it's OK to take helm off but
not to add it). Your immediate reduction in helm applied that results
from the reduction in pressure helps the coast carry too. Less able
skippers cause the boat to bear off immediately to follow the apparent
wind shift by not immediately easing the helm or even worse by adding
it. Sail trim happens as the boat comes back onto her polar.

A nice longwinded way of saying that if the wind drops suddenly, you'll
get a header into which you bear away slowly and gradually.

If the velocity header is a bad one, you should ease the jib to keep it
from slowing the boat down as it backwinds.


.... At that point I would want fuller sails for
more power and make adjustments accordingly--easing
the backstay for example.


Much better answers than Doug by the way. You can helm.

I knew you liked him better than me. And I said to ease the backstay,
you just weren't paying attention.

BTW do you not know what "feather" means when referring to steering?

DSK

DSK wrote:

Nav wrote:

Very close. The trim should be carried out automatically by the
trimmer(s).


You have automatic trimmers? I hope they are Linux machines for
reliability.

... When/how do you head up?


Don't you know?


Yes. You keep the head slightly too high (due to the wind moving
forward) until boat speed drops to that expected for the wind
conditions and only then bear off slowly.


This is what's called a velocity header but it's a lot more noticable at
lower wind speeds.

... The key is to hit the polar spot on with minimal drag inducing
helm changes (i.e. it's OK to take helm off but not to add it). Your
immediate reduction in helm applied that results from the reduction in
pressure helps the coast carry too. Less able skippers cause the boat
to bear off immediately to follow the apparent wind shift by not
immediately easing the helm or even worse by adding it. Sail trim
happens as the boat comes back onto her polar.


A nice longwinded way of saying that if the wind drops suddenly, you'll
get a header into which you bear away slowly and gradually.

If the velocity header is a bad one, you should ease the jib to keep it
from slowing the boat down as it backwinds.


.... At that point I would want fuller sails for
more power and make adjustments accordingly--easing
the backstay for example.


Much better answers than Doug by the way. You can helm.


I knew you liked him better than me. And I said to ease the backstay,
you just weren't paying attention.

BTW do you not know what "feather" means when referring to steering?



No, but I know what it means when trimming or helming.

Cheers

Nav wrote

Bart Senior wrote:

I assume you mean the true wind direction does not
change. That would not be immediately "apparent".


Huh? The apparent wind changes immediately.

That was a joke! Meaning, how would you know the wind
was coming from the same direction?