Tips
from the Top
After Denia I quizzed Sten on
a few topics - here are his words of wisdom ...
In
a race most ground is lost tacking and it is also the
hardest part of the Musto Skiff to master, Wire to wire tacking
is the ultimate tack but much easier and not that much
slower is an advanced safety tack.
1 - Trapeze on the handle in to the tack Keeping
the boat flat and fast.
2 - Lead with your front foot. steer smooth and large
turning circle into tack
3 - Uncleat main sail as you duck the boom, allow the
main to run out to the shroud.
4 - step forwards on the new tack and stand around the
kite ratchet block on the gunnel while you hook on,
this prevents going into irons.
5 - use more rudder to turn boat as it slows down.
6 - use the step out onto the rack to make sheeting
in one arm full.
Big breeze survival bear away
1 - uncleat gnav and cunningham before bear away, this
stops you having to go forward to uncleat them and the
gnav powers up the rig making it harder to bear away
and increases angle of danger zone. the cummingham twists
off the top of the rig which pushes you bow down the
mine :-)
2 - in medium to light winds I wire in to the bear away
but in breeze it all happens to quick. I sit on the
T of the rack with my front foot on the gunnel and rear
hooked against rack bar
3 - keep the boat flat and traveling at laser speed
(i.e. not too fast)
4- on suitable wave ease main and bear away hard
5- as it bears away, sheet in and over sheet main and
continue to bear away on to a run.
6- Ease the main to the shroud and hoist the kite and
send it :-)
7- Or, if you can take the flack, single sail on a run.
Control the speed by how eased the main is. Over sheet
and bear away if it looks like a bad wave ahead but
maintain laser speed (slow) with main over sheeted to
slow down. You will get blown over and pitch pole if
you go to fast.
Capsize Recovery
Best not to capsize but if you do;
1- Bag the kite first from the dagger board be carefully
of halyard on deck or from in water at the back of the
boat before it turtles.
2- With the boat on its side, pull the cunningham and
gnav on full this de powers the rig, you will be there
all day trying to lift all that water otherwise.
3- If the rig is into the wind do the eskimo roll hold
on the dagger board and as the boat flicks over go under
the board and reach around to the new windward gunnel.
This should stop it going over again, Climb in between
gunnel and rack unless you are an Ant (Very light and
agile where you could go out side the rack)
Top tips fro Denia
1- Use tie downs on your trolleys its easier to rig
and if it capsizes it brakes your mast
2- Weather forecasts I use WWW.Windguru.com backed up
with more local weather forecasts www.theyr.net
3 - Regular checks of boat and equipment (you know who
you are ...)
|