If you want to sail downwind in big breeze it’s important to know how hard you can push. And how can you stay in control? Pro skipper Jelmer van Beek shares top tips with Andy Rice
\nPushing a boat close to the edge downwind is exhilarating and sometimes exhausting. Sailing hard downwind in waves requires 100% focus from the helmsman and trimmers, not to mention the grinders and other key members of the crew. One mistake and the gennaker can flap or, even worse, you end up broaching.
\nSo how do you keep pushing the boat up to the edge without reaching the point of no return? As the person with direct control and feedback from the rudder, the helmsman has ultimate responsibility. But seeing as the rudder is only one part of the equation in achieving a fast, balanced boat, it\u2019s also up to the helmsman to communicate what he\u2019s feeling to the rest of the crew.
\nHere are Jelmer van Beek\u2019s five best tips for pushing a boat hard, fast and to the edge when you sail downwind.
\nCrew weight
\nHave the crew as far outboard and as far aft as possible. It gives you more control over the rudder and helps keep the bow out of the water. It makes a big difference to the helmsman\u2019s control over the boat.
\nIf a job needs doing to leeward or forward, try to make sure it\u2019s only one person getting off the rail. If you\u2019ve still got 20 minutes of sailing before the next manoeuvre, it doesn\u2019t make sense to have everyone running around doing their own jobs.
\nDedicate one person to tidying the sheets for the trimmer, or going down below to fetch something that another team member needs. Maximum righting moment is super-important, even on a big boat where
\nit might feel like you\u2019re not making that much difference.
\nPhoto: ROLEX\/Stefano Gattini
\nWork the vang
\nOne person should be watching to windward all the time, calling in the gusts and the lulls so the rest of the crew can adjust the power. This might be the tactician, but it\u2019s sometimes a good job for the pit to do. You also need one person on the vang all the time. It\u2019s really good to have someone pull on the vang and tighten the leech in the lulls, and it\u2019s really, really good to have them dump the vang when a big gust hits to help keep the boat on its feet and avoid a broach.
\nCurl the gennaker
\nAim to keep some curl in the gennaker luff, or whichever downwind headsail you\u2019re using. Oversheeting the kite makes it harder for the helmsman to steer the boat. When you curl the luff, the boat feels less sticky and easier to steer around the waves.
\nBut of course some trimmers don\u2019t like to curl the luff because it\u2019s closer to collapsing the kite altogether, which you really don\u2019t want to do. To be a good trimmer you need to have a good grinder backing you up, who\u2019s ready to help you trim on just when you need it. So the teamwork between those two is critical.
\nWork the numbers
\nAs a helmsman, feel is your primary instinct for knowing what the boat wants. But it\u2019s also good to use the numbers on the instruments.
\nApparent wind angle is good to work to for power reaching, because whether accelerating down a wave or slowing down in a luff, the target apparent wind angle remains pretty constant \u2013 useful for the helmsman and trimmers to work to. Tell the crew what your target angle is, so there\u2019s no confusion.
\nIt\u2019s the same with heel angle. Work out what the right heel angle is for your boat in different conditions.
\nArticle continues below\u2026<\/p>\n
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Stay in sail range
\nEvery downwind sail has its designed window of use for a range of wind angles and strengths. Don\u2019t use any sail too far out of range. I learned this the hard way on the VO65 when we were pushing hard with our A4 on a tight reach. It wasn\u2019t designed for this, it\u2019s a VMG downwind sail, and I regretted it the moment the sail broke \u2013 a \u20ac35,000 mistake.
\nDon\u2019t try to sail slowly in a straight line. Instead, do a dog leg. Bear away until the kite is working within range, stay in that direction until you think it\u2019s time to drop the kite and sail back up towards the mark on a jib reach. That\u2019s better than the boat leaning on its ear, the kite flapping, trying to push when the boat doesn\u2019t want to go.
\nBroach recovery
\nAll these tips are designed to help you push to the edge without going past it, but occasionally you\u2019ll broach. If you haven\u2019t already released the vang and the mainsheet, let them go! And really smoke the kite halyard \u2013 I\u2019m talking releasing it by approximately half the mast height. Turn the boat downwind and, as the pressure comes off the gennaker and it starts to float behind the wind shadow of the mainsail, rehoist it as fast as possible.
\nGradually wind everything in again and work your way back up to your desired direction and speed again.<\/p>\n
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The post Expert tips: how to sail downwind in windy weather appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you want to sail downwind in big breeze it’s important to know how hard you can push. And how can you stay in control? Pro skipper Jelmer van Beek shares top tips with Andy Rice Pushing a boat close … <\/p>\n