Coastal & offshore training course by Eugene Platon

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Coastal & offshore practical training course What is what?

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES

Ахтерштаг

Backstay

Кранец

Fender

Приборы

Instruments

Топенант

Topping lift

Ванта

Shroud

Концы

Rope

Релинг носовой

Pulpit

Транец

Transom

Входв каюты

Companionway

Крыша рубки

Релинг кормов.

Pushpit

Boom

Лебёдка

Рундук

Locker

Трап купальн. Трап-сходни

Swimladder

Гик

Coach roof Winch

Гика-шкот

Mainsheet

Леер

Guard rail

Ручка газа

Gear control

Утка

Cleat

Грот

Mainsail

Stanchion

Сдвижной люк

Sliding hatch

Фал

Halyard

Закрутка

Furling

Jackstay

Слани

Floore

Kedge anchor

Mast

Спасат. плот

Life raft

Флаг регистр. Форштаг

Ensign

Запасной якорь Иллюминатор

Леерная стойка Леер штормовой Мачта

Portlight

Оттяжка гика

Vang

Стопора

Jammers/piano

Форштевень

Stem

Каретка

Car

Перо руля

Rudder

Стаксель/генуя

Jib (genoa)

Швартов

Киль

Keel

Поручень

Grabrail

Стаксель-шкот

Jib sheet

Шкот

Mooring line Sheet

Корм. подзор

Counter

Погон каретки

Traveller

Талреп

Turnbuckle

Якорь

Anchor

Gungway

Forestay

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES

Day 1. How to be a winning skipper – the surprisingly simple secrets to forming and leading a great crew What is the secret to a happy crew that bond at sea as a team and can go on to win? All skippers try to form a good, harmonious team but not all succeed. It’s not about technical abilities or race strategies; it’s all about managing people. More details: https://youtu.be/7AjwFxMqRfE Upwind trim Sailing well to windward is all about equilibrium; the relationship between the helm, the trim of the sails and the boat’s angle of heel must be carefully balanced to ensure best performance. Every adjustment made to the trim in one area of the boat will have an effect elsewhere. As a starting point, set up the jib, then the main and monitor the angle of heel and the feel of the helm. With every change note your boat speed and apparent wind angle and keep tweaking until you have the perfect balance.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Jib trim Halyard The jib halyard controls the position of the draught of the sail – aim to keep this just over a third of the way back from the luff. As the wind increases, you will need to use more halyard to keep the draught in this position. Newer or laminate sails generally need less halyard tension than older Dacron and roller-furling sails.

Sheet and jib cars To get the best performance from your sail you need to use the jib cars in conjunction with the sheet. They control the sail’s leech profile, so tensioning the jib sheet with the cars forward will pull the clew down and close the leech at the top of the sail. Moving the cars back allows the clew to rise up and the top of the sail to twist and open. Luff telltales are a good indicator of the best position for the car; aim to have top, middle and bottom telltales breaking at the same time. A higher inside telltale breaking before the others indicates that the car needs to move forward and vice versa.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Be careful not to move the car too far forward as this will close the top of the sail too much and direct the airflow into the back of the main, causing excess backwinding – always check the effect your jib trim is having on the main. In stronger winds, moving the cars aft will allow the top of the jib to open, so help to reduce heeling moment. With roller-furling headsails the jib cars must move forward as the sail is reefed. It is a good idea to have a spare sheet handy to change between forward and aft tracks. Mainsail trim Draught Aim to position the draught around the mid-point of the sail. The main halyard and cunningham can be used to achieve this, using the same principle as for the jib. A cunningham should allow you to adjust luff tension without easing the sheet. Mainsheet When the boom is close to the centerline, the mainsheet is the primary control of the leech profile of the mainsail; increasing the mainsheet tension has a similar effect to moving the jib car forward as it closes the top of the sail. A closed sail will generally allow you to point higher, while sacrificing speed, with an open sail the reverse is true. Telltales on the leech of the main can help trim. A flying telltale indicates airflow over the leech of the main, a hanging one indicates a stalled sail. Aim to have the top telltale flying around 70 per cent of the time. Bringing in the mainsheet will make the airflow stall more, giving better pointing, but less speed. Easing the mainsheet has the opposite effect. If you don’t have leech telltales, matching the main leech profile to that of the jib is a good start. Traveller The traveller is often overlooked, but used correctly it can make big improvements to your upwind progress. When beating, the traveller controls the angle of the mainsail relative to the wind and by pulling the traveller to windward you can get your boom on (or close to) the centerline, thereby maximizing the power in the sail. The further forward your mainsheet along the boom, the more traveller you need to get the boom close to the centerline, especially if the sheet is over the coachroof.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Depowering Gusts or increasing breeze creates heel, so you can depower the main in two ways. It is worth experimenting to find out which method maintains the best balance and speed on your boat in different conditions. The first method is to keep the main sheeted on while easing the traveller down to reduce power. This method is often preferred in flat-water gusty conditions. The second is to keep the traveller locked off, but ease the mainsheet, which allows the wind to spill from the top of the sail, effectively reducing heel. You can compensate for this by pulling the traveller to windward, which helps to keep the boom on the centerline and maintain drive from the bottom of the sail. This method is often preferred in waves as the twisted main copes better with the large wind changes created at the top of the mast when pitching. Backstay As the wind increases, pull on the backstay, this will reduce forestay sag, giving better pointing from the jib and will flatten, so depower the mainsail. Angle of heel Experiment with your sail trim, watching the boat speed to find your optimum angle of heel; it will often be less than you expect. Trimming the sails to maintain this angle will stop the helmsman from having to make excessive helm movements. In gusts the helmsman can feather the boat into the wind to reduce the angle of heel, but a long-term solution must be found by depowering the sails. Be at one with your boat Take time to enjoy steering upwind and learn how your boat feels when it is going well. The feel of the helm should tell you a lot about your sail trim – if it is hard to steer, then trim the sails again. Most boats sail best with just a little weather helm upwind. And don’t forget to watch your apparent wind angle as well as your speed. It is all too easy to sail fast without pointing, meaning that your VMG does not improve, you just sail further! Top tips • • •

Practice steering upwind with your eyes closed – this will help you feel the angle of heel and get an impression of how well the boat is balanced. Inclinometers down below and on deck will help you check the angle of heel when the autopilot is driving. Mark and measure your jib car and traveller positions and when the boat is set up well record the wind speed, sea state and car positions to enable you to reproduce the sailset easily in future.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES •

Don’t forget to ease the tension on a roller-furling headsail halyard at the end of a day’s sailing.

Day 2. Reaching in moderate and/or heavy breeze Reaching is the glory point of sail for many boats; it’s the time we record our best speeds and eat up the miles on long passages. Setting the boat up to reach well under white sails is about harnessing as much power as possible, yet keeping the steering manageable. I’m going to share with you the methods I use when racing to make a difference to performance in moderate and heavier breezes. Genoa Easing the headsail sheets when reaching can cause you to lose a lot of power from the jib as the head twists away from the wind. Moving the car forward will help control this. However, as you bear away further, closing the top of the sail will lead to the bottom being hooked in. In these conditions an outboard lead will improve your performance enormously, allowing you to trim the sail to an even shape all the way up and this can make a decent impression on boat speed. Set up a snatchblock on or close to the toerail. Start with it level with the forward position of your jib car. Attach a spare sheet to the clew of the headsail, pass it through the block and then take it back to a winch in the cockpit. This sheet can lead inside or outside the guardrails. By transferring the load onto the new sheet, you can pull down harder on the leech, powering up the top of the sail without over-sheeting the bottom section. Play around with the fore and aft position of the snatchblock to achieve an even depth all the way up the sail.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES The use of a spare sheet as the outboard lead means you can revert to the original sheeting position quickly, or even tack. Mainsail Bearing away onto a reach and easing the mainsheet alone will allow the boom to lift, creating twist in the top of the main and so depowering it. By dropping the traveller to leeward you can set the correct angle of attack for the sail without having to release as much mainsheet, keeping the sail powered up. Use the leech telltales as a guide and ease the sheet until they fly 95 per cent of the time. As you bear away further and the boom nears the quarter, you may find the mainsheet alone will not control twist, so try pulling on the kicker to assist. Watch the top batten in the mainsail and aim to have it parallel with the boom as long as this is not creating excess heel. Easing the outhaul will put a little more depth and so power into the bottom section of the sail, though be careful not to over-ease and decrease your sail area. Easing the kicker in gusts, when the boat is thrown off course by waves or if it looks as if the end of the boom will dip in the water, should allow the boom to rise up in the air and so help keep control of the steering. As the wind rises and the angle of heel increases, depower the main to keep in control and reduce the risk of a broach, by easing the mainsheet or taking in a reef. On longer passages to stop the sail from flogging it is often better to reef the main early, reducing the sail area aloft and so heeling moment, but allowing you to keep the mainsheet sheeted in and the reefed sail powered up. Autopilot Reaching is one of the conditions where your autopilot could be better than you at steering, doggedly following the given course and not getting distracted by the surrounding environment. To make life easy on batteries balance the sail plan well, remembering that pilots react to a change in heading, they do not pre-empt waves or gusts, so often it is better to take some of the power out of the main by easing the sheet or reefing, so reducing the tendency of the boat to round up. Many modern pilots have settings that will allow you to compensate for a cross swell and stop the boat from weaving back and forth as it is thrown off course. This is known as counter rudder and in confused seas increasing this setting can make for a smoother ride and allow you to turn down the pilot’s response level, so reducing drain on your batteries.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Top tips • • • •

Allow the angle of heel to dictate the power in your mainsail – often putting in a reef will increase your speed. An inclinometer will help to gauge this. Make sure any attachment points for snatchblocks are well secured from underneath. Put in an extra plate to take the load if you are unsure. Watch out for chafe on the genoa, particularly where the guardrails attach to the pulpit. Covering this area of the rail in leather or tape should help. If your pilot is steering well, record the settings and conditions in your logbook, so you can replicate them without experimentation another time.

Day 3. Light airs sailing - the delicate interplay of trim, speed and course We all know the frustration of trying to sail in light airs – it can be hard to resist firing up the engine. Yet most of us love to trim sails to tease the last quarter of a knot from our boats and light airs is when this matters most. The main rule is: strong breeze – flat sails; light airs – deep sails. Upwind In light airs upwind it’s all about power and momentum. Trim the sails for maximum speed. Jib Ease the backstay to increase the sag of the forestay and give a deeper, more powerful shape to the jib. Make sure the draught of the sail is kept just forward of center – this will need a fairly eased halyard. Upwind trim in light airs requires less sheet tension than normal; move the jib car slightly forward then pull on the sheet, being careful not to hook the back of the sail. Try to keep the telltales at the top of the jib flying at all times – it is easy to over-sheet and stall the sail in light airs. Speed and momentum are more important than pointing.

Ease jib halyard. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Mainsail As with the jib, the main should be as powerful as possible. Maintain shape in the sail by easing the backstay and outhaul, and keep the draught in the center by easing halyard and Cunningham. Obtain maximum power by bringing the boom to the centerline of the boat; however, be aware that using the mainsheet to do this will close the top of the sail and stall the airflow across it. Instead allow the mainsheet to remain slightly eased and haul the traveller to windward, watching the top leech telltale – if it’s not flying, ease the mainsheet and haul on the traveller some more. Stand close to the backstay and sight along the boat to check your boom position.

Traveller to windward. In extremely light airs flat sails are faster, giving a surface with less drag for the wind to flow over.

Ease outhaul. Steering Movements of the helm should be kept to a minimum – use your fingertips to guide the boat. The idea is to keep moving, so build up momentum. You may need to sail a little deeper than © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES normal upwind, then try to steer the boat higher once you have momentum. Do not try to compensate for big shifts in wind direction with the helm, as this will just slow you down. Instead, trim the sails and steer straight. Downwind Spinnakers Light airs is where large lightweight spinnakers or cruising chutes come into their own. With asymmetric sails, ease the tackline to increase power in the sail. In a swell this may make the sail shape less stable, so pull it in again to strike a balance. The pole on symmetrical spinnakers has a similar effect to the tackline. Moving the pole higher up the mast allows the whole sail to rise in the air for a fuller shape, but if the pole is too high, the windward clew will be suspended in the air while the rest of the sail sags over it. It is worth playing with the pole height to see what produces best results. Change to light sheets if possible – any long piece of lightweight line will do – and keep easing the sheets. An over-sheeted spinnaker in light airs will be very slow. Mainsail If there is not enough wind pressure to keep the boom out in a swell then use a preventer to keep it in position. In very light conditions it is sometimes worth centering the main to allow a clean flow of air to the spinnaker, or even dropping it to stop excess flogging. Steering It is almost impossible and certainly not quick to sail a boat dead downwind in very light airs. In these conditions you will need to find your best downwind VMG by sailing the boat higher to increase the apparent wind and get the sail to fly. Striking the balance between your course and speed downwind is the fastest way to reach your destination, but it usually involves gybing. If your instruments do not read VMG downwind, use the passage time to a GPS waypoint. Autopilot Autopilots really struggle in very light airs as they cannot react to the subtle changes in conditions and often drive the boat to a halt. Do’s and don’ts • • •

DON’T give up as soon as the wind drops – trim the sails and persevere. DON’T try to point too high, and keep up power and momentum. DO change down to lightweight spinnaker sheets.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES • • • • •

DO make a note of light-wind settings for halyards, sheets and cars, so if the wind drops during the night, you can easily power the sails up. DO keep the boat moving; maintain speed first, then consider direction. DO walk gently around the boat, heavy movements will knock the air from the sails. DO use a preventer if necessary to keep the boom in position. DO hand steer and take pleasure from the fact that you are better than the pilot!

Day 4. Downwind sailing - how best to set up your yacht for downwind sailing Downwind sailing doesn’t have to be about screaming off waves under full spinnaker, and those of us who have crossed oceans in boats that are also our homes will know there is a balance to be had between sailing fast, reducing the risk of wear and chafe and having time to relax and enjoy the sunset while still making the miles. Preventers When sailing downwind for extended periods of time in rolly conditions and light breeze a preventer can be an essential part of the boat’s set-up.

Setting a preventer. Remember, a preventer is to stop the boom from swinging across the boat, it does not stop the boat itself from gybing; and it is possible on pilot failure or with an extreme windshift for the whole mainsail to fill from behind while pinned by the preventer. To cope with this scenario or dipping the boom end it is essential that you are able to handle the preventer from the cockpit. Attach a strong line – a spinnaker guy will do – to the end of the boom, either by placing a loop around the boom end outboard of the clew of the sail, or passing through an attachment already there and designed for this purpose. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES If using a shackle to attach the rope, make sure it has a tripping line through the trigger device, which can be taped loosely along the preventer and fired from inboard while the boom is out. If you are tying it, then make the loop long so the knot can be reached in the same manner.

Preventer led forward. The preventer will have best purchase to hold the boom if led from the outboard end, well forward to a turning block on the toerail or simply under a cleat on the foredeck. From here lead the rope back, under the jib sheets to a winch in the cockpit, where it can be tightened, paid out under control or released quickly. Poling out The trick here is to set up the pole entirely independently of the sail, using its own set of guys, enabling completely free movement of the sail with its own genoa sheets; meaning you manoeuvre the sail without the pole swinging around in the way.

Set pole independently of jib. With the headsail rolled or on the leeward side, attach a guy to the end of the pole itself – normally this can be done on the same fitting as the downhaul – take a long sheet and attach this to the clew of the headsail, pass it through the jaws of the pole and continue outside the boat to a turning block aft. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Once the sheet and pole guy are in place, raise the pole on the windward side and secure it with the pole guy and pole uphaul working against the pole downhaul to keep it steady. Aim to have the outboard end of the pole at the same height as the clew of the genoa and the inboard ended higher up the mast. You will not need to use the full length of the pole so don’t put it horizontal.

Roll sail out to pole end. With the pole secured, use the new sheet to bring the genoa over to the windward side, releasing the normal sheets. If you need to roll the sail quickly or gybe it, simply release the long sheet and pull on the normal sheets; the sail will move away while the pole stays in place. Twin headsails A tried and tested method for tradewind sailors, using twin headsails allows you to maximize your downwind speed without using the mainsail, giving a stress-free ride with no worries about gybing or long-term chafe from the spreaders. Have a clear strategy for hoisting and dropping the headsails so if you get hit by a squall or a change in wind direction you can act quickly and won’t have to deal with two flapping monsters at the front of the boat. If you have a twin-groove furler, then it may be possible to feed the second headsail up the spare groove and attach it to the same points as the tack and head of the other, using strops at either end if the luff length is shorter. Set this in port to make sure the roller will still be able to turn with both sails on and will not be damaged. Hanked-on headsails can both be attached to the forestay, but remember if you need to drop them, both halyards need to be released together. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES If only able to attach one sail to the forestay then the other will need to be free- flying like a gennaker; this allows you to fly the sail with an eased halyard, giving it more a fuller shape, but making it less stable. It is possible to fly both headsails loose-luffed in this manner; just remember if you need to get them down in a hurry, this can be hard work. Aim to stabilize the bigger headsail on the windward side with the pole, and the smaller one can be stabilized in a similar way using the boom. Position the boom using a preventer so the end is outboard, then hang a block from the end of the boom and, as with poling out the headsail, pass a long separate sheet from the clew of the genoa, through the block and then to the back of the boat. Top tips •

• • •

Use compass mode on your autopilot to steer the boat. To set the pilot up well you will need to play with the response or gain. Do this by hand steering and monitoring how often you have to move the helm to stay on course. Aim to set the response level to make adjustments at the same rate. Sailing for extended periods downwind under preventer can cause chafe on the mainsail from the spreaders. Try putting extra wear patches on for long passages. Watch for chafe of the genoa sheets through the pole end. A protective jacket on the first foot of the rope provides a good solution for this. Practice taking down the pole and releasing the preventer with delivery crew. It’s easy to set up, but to take it down in a hurry in the dark can be a different story.

Hoisting a spinnaker - the spinnaker hoist can be simple The basic principles of hoisting a spinnaker are the same whether you are sailing fully crewed, short- or single-handed and use an asymmetric or a symmetric spinnaker – get it to the top of the mast in one go and without twists. The secret to a successful hoist is to break the manoeuvre down – that way you can understand the constituent parts and the order in which each should happen. Through this technique is total novices to hoist successfully and also manage large spinnakers single-handed. Preparation Take your time to prepare for the hoist: clear winches, set your pole height, make sure your sheet will be free to run. Double-check that the halyards, sheets and guys are not twisted. A good briefing to your crew or a mental run-through if alone is essential to success; plan each part of the hoist in sequence and make sure there is only one person conducting the orchestra.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Hoist a symmetrical spinnaker This is usually best done behind the jib, which will act as a windbreak, prevent a forestay wrap and give you more of a chance to get the spinnaker up before it fills. Oversheet the jib to give the spinnaker a more direct route to the top of the mast.

Use the jib as a windshield. Steer a safe downwind course, reducing the apparent wind. If you are using the pilot, set it up in compass mode, with the response levels high enough to cope with any waves. Be prepared to wait for a minute after engaging it just to make sure that any swell is not knocking you off course. Pull on the guy, until the pole is about a meter off the forestay; this helps to prevent wraps by keeping the two clews apart. But be aware that if you pull it too far around, the spinnaker will be exposed to the wind and could fill before you get the head to the top.

Hoist at the mast for speed. Hoist from the mast with someone tailing in the cockpit. If you do a lot of short-handed sailing it’s a good idea to put a small cleat on the mast to take the load of the halyard once hoisted while you tail it through to the jammer aft. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES If you have enough crew, start to bring on the guy during the hoist, so that the sail comes out from behind the jib and at the correct angle of trim. Once the spinnaker is hoisted, sheet on. If racing you can consider sheeting on mid-hoist, but make sure someone is willing to wind up the last few feet of halyard – it’s much tougher! Hoist an asymmetric The same rules as for the symmetric spinnaker apply; take your time to set up the hoist and ensure your tackline is completely free when you pull out a retractable bowsprit, so it does not take the spinnaker out with it. When ready for the hoist, pull on the tack line, then the halyard then the sheet. Tidy up Finally, once the spinnaker is set, put away your jib and tidy the cockpit. Always make sure your halyard and windward sheets and guys are ready for a quick drop. Snuffers Snuffers make the job of hoisting a spinnaker easier. The compromise is they mean you lose a little sail area from the head of the sail and have more weight at the top of the rig. Snuffers are easiest to operate from a clear foredeck, so to avoid a tangle put away the jib and give yourself some space.

Using a snuffer. Again, take time to prepare: get your pole set up or your tack clipped on if you are flying a cruising chute from a fixed point on the bow. Snuffer lines have a habit of tangling while they are in the bag, so lay out the line on deck and ensure that the snuffer line will end up on same side as you when you attach the sheets, guys or tacklines.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Hoist the snuffer first, then pull on the tack line or the guy. Be careful in breezier conditions as this could allow wind to funnel up the snuffer and start your hoist early. Before raising the sock, it is sometimes a good idea to reach all the way inside the snuffer and pull down on the spinnaker to make sure it is not bunched up in the first third of the sock – this is where most of the spinnaker lies. With this done, once the tack or guy are pulled out, pull on the sheet a little, so the spinnaker will fill gently as the snuffer goes up rather than just flap. Ensure you pull the bucket right up to expose the head of the spinnaker – it is easy to miss this last little bit – then tie it off to an easily accessible place on the deck so that you are ready to drop quickly. How the experts do it Here’s a neat trick used by professional solo sailors – mark everything to make hoisting easier. By marking the guys and sheets at the perfect position for the hoist, you can pre-set them and be sure you get it right every time. This is also true of halyards because it lets you focus on the rope while you are hoisting and not stop until the sail has reached the mast head; it is easy to miss the last meter of the hoist, especially at night, thereby sacrificing speed and making the sail less stable. Hoisting to a mark will mean you get it right every time. Top tips •

If flying a spinnaker short-handed it is a good idea to ‘wool’ the spinnaker before each hoist in order to be sure that it does not fill too early.

•

If you do not want to wool the whole spinnaker then just do the first couple of meters of the leading corner. Keeping the tack or the windward clew bound will allow you to pull the leading edge of the sail out and as a result be confident that it will not start filling. This tip also works well with snuffers.

•

If the spinnaker does twist as it is hoisted, don’t panic! Try spreading the clews by pulling the pole back and sheeting on. If the twist is high up in the sail, ease the halyard about a meter. This moves the head of the sail away from the mast and gives it room to rotate. The twist sometimes works its own way out.

Spinnaker drop can be simple One manoeuvre that really makes my heart race when sailing short-handed is a spinnaker drop. One problem and the wind or sea could rip the sail from my hands – game over. Good preparation and a mental rehearsal of the process is my key to success; take it step by step and don’t let anything go until you are sure you are ready. Preparation Flake all lines involved in the drop: the halyard, guy, tackline and also the lazy sheets if you are using them. The latter are often forgotten, but have the potential to create an unseen knot and © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES a whole heap of problems. Make sure they will run free and are not under anyone’s feet in the cockpit. It is essential to steer the boat onto a deep downwind course to reduce the apparent wind and therefore the pressure in the spinnaker. If conditions are very rolly when I am sailing single-handed, I even rig a preventer, which allows me to set the pilot close to dead downwind without the worry of the boom gybing midmanoeuvre. Hoisting or unfurling the jib before the drop, provides a natural windbreak to help depower the spinnaker. Symmetric drop When you have prepared the boat and your crew are ready, ease the guy fairly quickly until the pole is at the forestay. The windward clew will fall around behind the jib and the sail will collapse.

Gather foot of sail. At this point, start to gather in the foot of the sail, letting off the rest of the guy, and ease the halyard. Aim to let off around the top one-fifth of the halyard very quickly – this allows the head of the sail to blow away from the boat and depower just long enough for you to be able to pull the rest of the spinnaker down away from the masthead and into shelter behind the mainsail. Then let the rest of the halyard out in time with the crew retrieving the sail to keep it out of the water. If alone or short-handed the fast initial release does not work, so I either leave a wrap of halyard around the winch, using the extra friction to control the speed of the drop, or I throw the halyard out behind the boat, then the drag of the line trailing through the water will have the same effect. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Solo or short-handed, gather the foot all the way into a sausage before releasing the halyard, that way you can pull the whole sail down under control.The letterbox If you have a loose-footed main, a letterbox drop is a safe and easy method, especially if shorthanded. Before the drop, pull your lazy guy over the guardrails and pass it between the foot of the mainsail and the boom. Carry out the drop exactly as before, but use the lazy guy to pull the sail down between the boom and the mainsail. This method has two advantages; first, the spinnaker is pulled in from directly behind the mainsail, meaning it is completely shielded from the wind; and second, the boom gives you an element of purchase, should the sail fill with wind or even water. Asymmetrics and cruising chutes The same principles apply as for symmetric drops, but the manoeuvre starts with a quick ease of the tackline to allow the tack of the sail to blow off downwind like a flag and depower the sail. Your crew can then pull on the lazy sheet to bring the chute behind the mainsail once the tack is inside the footprint of the boat; the halyard can be released as already described. Asymmetric sails which fly from a bowsprit are more difficult to depower before the drop because they are further away from the boat in clean air. The initial release of the tackline must be rapid; a slow ease or a snagged line will cause the spinnaker to stay full as it flies away from the boat making it uncontrollable. Snuffers Unless it is very windy it is often easier not to hoist the jib when using a snuffer, so you can see clearly the top of the sail.

Pull snuffer smoothly. The basics of the manoeuvre are the same; steer a deep downwind course and prepare the cockpit beforehand. To depower the sail, ease the sheet a little then the guy or tackline as with a normal drop. Once the sail collapses, start pulling the sock down. ÂŠ Eugene Platon Yachting Schoolâ&#x201E;˘ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES In more difficult conditions run the snuffer line through a snatch-block on the foredeck and pull up on it. This will give you a little purchase on the line and make it less likely that you are taken off your feet if a gust fills the sail and forces the snuffer up again. In these sorts of conditions, gloves and a safety harness are also a good idea. You may also find by pulling the snuffer down from the leeward side and close to the mast you encourage the sail to fall in behind the main and collapse in its shadow. Once the sock is down, drop the halyard, gathering the sock on the foredeck. Top tips • • • •

Don’t simply let go of the halyard: watch the crew too and if the sail is not coming in fast enough, slow down the rate of release. When short-handed, take an extra minute to ensure all lines will run snag-free; one knot could ruin your day. Think ahead: always be ready for a drop should conditions change, mentally run through the manoeuvre. Your autopilot can help out in a drop too. If your pilot has been steering to the wind, reset it to steer in compass mode. Increase the sensitivity by one or two levels to make sure the computer reacts to the sudden change in velocity and will not allow a wave to round you into the wind at the critical moment.

Spinnaker trim - how to sail downwind under asymmetric or symmetrical spinnaker and make the best of your trim There’s nothing quite like surfing off a wave in the open ocean, spinnaker straining and helm vibrating under your fingertips. For me it’s sailing at its best. There are a few ways to maximize that feeling, making the most of your miles under spinnaker and finding the right balance between comfort and speed. Asymmetric With all spinnakers make sure the sail is fully hoisted on the halyard. A great way to get this right every time is to mark the halyard at full hoist just by your rope clutch. If you are using a snuffer, double check the bucket is hoisted high enough to expose the head of the spinnaker underneath. The tackline on an asymmetric spinnaker controls the volume in the luff, but also allows the sail to rotate to windward. Let the tackline off to give a fuller, more powerful shape and to allow the sail to rotate to windward when going deep downwind; as the breeze increases or you come up to a reaching course, pull on the tackline to make the sail more stable and stop the luff from falling down to leeward. To find an initial setting for the tackline, pull it on until a crease forms in the luff, then gently ease it back out until the crease has just disappeared. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES For maximum speed the sheet will be played constantly, to ensure that the luff of the spinnaker is always curling. However, if you are short-handed or looking for a more peaceful passage, over-trim the sheet a little and lock it off.

Keep the luff curling. Luff telltales can help enormously with setting an asymmetric spinnaker, both with trimming your sheet, but also with positioning the tweakers to change the sheeting angle. The tweakers on an asymmetric work rather like the jib cars on a headsail; pull them on to bring the clew down and stop the sail from rotating too far to windward, but let them off when reaching. Symmetrical kite Setting the pole correctly is a good place to start with symmetrical spinnaker trim. As a rule of thumb, the outboard end of the pole should be set at a height that will keep the two clews of the spinnaker level. Where possible set to make sure the pole is horizontal to project the spinnaker as far outboard as possible.

Keep the clews at the same level.

ÂŠ Eugene Platon Yachting Schoolâ&#x201E;˘ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Remember that raising and lowering the pole will also have an effect on the shape; a higher pole gives a fuller, rounded shape, with a center of effort further up the mast. In breezier conditions, or when reaching, move the pole down the mast to flatten out the head of the sail, making it less powerful, but more stable. Once your pole height is established, set the pole angle at about 90° to the apparent wind. Aim to have the luff of the spinnaker flying vertically above the pole; if the luff falls to leeward, let the pole forward, if it rolls to windward bring the pole back. As you steer the boat further downwind, keep bringing the pole back to get the spinnaker out from behind the mainsail. When passagemaking most of us are prepared to sacrifice a little speed for a more relaxed sailing mode so, to make life easier, set up the pole to optimum position and then ease it forward by about a foot. This will give a poorer performance, but will allow for small variations in the wind direction without requiring a retrim. When sailing deep downwind with the pole squared right back, easing the spinnaker sheet will allow the leeward clew to lift and the leech of the sail to twist open. Pull on the tweaker and move the sheeting angle further forward and this will gently pull the clews level again. When reaching don’t forget to let the tweaker right off. In bigger breeze or rolly conditions pull the tweaker on even more to keep the sail stable; this will take some of the power out of the sail and should make it more manageable. On longer passages use the tweaker to keep the sheet from chafing on the bottom of the boom. Mainsail Don’t forget your mainsail when sailing downwind. Drop the traveller all the way to leeward and let the boom out until you get a bubbling in the front of the main. It is fine for the sail to rest against the spreaders, but if you are planning on making long voyages downwind it is wise to put extra wear patches in these areas. Use the kicker to adjust leech tension, using the leech telltales as a guide; make sure they are streaming out behind the sail; too much kicker and the top ones will stall. Don’t forget to ease the outhaul, halyard tension and backstay to maximize downwind power from the main. Steering In lighter winds it is all about keeping the boat moving. Lock off the spinnaker sheet and steer the boat to keep the sail full, watching the luff, and sail steering to telltales or making sure the luff stays curling over, but not collapsing. The autopilot will work best in moderate airs downwind – as always, to save battery hours adjust your pilot settings and your sail trim for the conditions to ensure the pilot is on the © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES lowest response or gain setting possible. As a guide, make sure your pilot is not working harder than you would if you were on the helm. In stronger breeze or greater swell it can become harder to steer both for you and the pilot. If the boat is rolling a lot try depowering the spinnaker by easing the pole forward, pulling on the tweaker and over-sheeting the sail a little, then steer a couple of degrees higher. Most modern autopilots are able to steer to True Wind Mode. If you have a machine that can do this, it is by far the best mode to use when sailing downwind in bigger breeze. If this is not possible then steer the boat to a compass course, but the sails must be trimmed to allow for a change in the apparent wind direction as the boat surfs down waves. Top tip: night sailing •

Chevrons on the luff of the sail with reflective tape will help when you’re trimming at night time

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White spinnakers are easier to trim in the dark

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Allow for small alterations in course by easing the spinnaker pole forward and overtrimming the sheet a little

•

Before it gets dark mark your guy and sheet position with a piece of tape on each rope; that way if you have to make a short-term alteration it will be easy to find your base settings again.

Do’s and don’ts • • • • •

DO be ready for a quick drop, especially during the night DO use a preventer to keep the boom out of the cockpit if there is a lot of swell DO check the guy for chafe through the pole end on longer passages (a protective jacket is a good idea) DON’T set and forget; check your spinnaker pole angle regularly and bring it back when you can DON’T let your autopilot work too hard. If it’s going lock to lock there is something wrong; change your trim

Spinnaker problems - What can you do when it all goes horribly wrong with the spinnaker? The problems with the spinnaker can be a total nightmare. The size and power of the sail that drags you through the water at such great speed work against you when you have a problem. This can make a solution seem almost impossible.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Getting the sail back under control or into the boat is a job for the head before the hands and here are a few of the techniques used to sort things out when it all goes wrong. Spinnaker in water The two crucial initial actions are to slow the boat down and to stop the spinnaker from taking a net shape and filling with water, but to get it to stream out as one long piece.

Allow spinnaker to stream.

To slow the boat down, turn towards the wind just enough to make the mainsail depower, leaving the spinnaker on the leeward side of the boat. Hold the boat on this angle if you can. Try to get the spinnaker to stream out; I normally let go one of the clews immediately by releasing the sheets from the sail, first making sure the other is secure. Next try to get the head of the spinnaker to lie flat on the water – as long as it is up in the air it will be powered up and the sail will be close to impossible to pull in.

Tie and winch in. There are a couple of ways to do this, but you need to think on your feet. Often there will be a moment when the head of the sail is within reach; there would be no point in pulling it in as © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES there is too much pressure in the sail, but if you can act quickly and release the halyard from the head of the sail this could be a major step as the sail will stream out on top of the water and with a bit of perseverance you can pull it in. On smaller boats it is a good idea to have halyards long enough to allow the head of the spinnaker to lie flat on the water momentarily should you have a mishap. Obviously, this technique would not work on larger boats; however, if you regularly sail short-handed I would recommend a long halyard with a knot in the very end. Once you have the sail flat on the water, it is time to pull it in. Start from a corner, bunch the sail into a sausage and pull it in small sections. If you are struggling, use ropes and winches; tie a rolling hitch around a section of sail, lead the tail of the rope under the guardrails and into the cockpit, then wind the sail in, lock it off and tie another one further down the sail. Time and doggedness will get the job done. Spinnaker wrap This normally occurs when the spinnaker has been packed incorrectly or the two bottom corners are too close together during the hoist. Prevention first: take your time to pack the spinnaker away properly each time and make sure your tackline or guy is pulled on before you hoist, even if you are using a snuffer. If the sail ‘wine glasses’ during a hoist, don’t drop the jib immediately as this will be acting as a good windbreak for you to work behind. Bring the guy back about halfway to expose the leading edge of the spinnaker to the wind while sailing deep, but not dead downwind. If the twist is high up close to the head of the sail, try sheeting on, easing the spinnaker halyard about a meter.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES These actions together should open the foot of the sail, encouraging wind to funnel in, while allowing the head to fly slightly away from the mast, giving the halyard shackle a chance to swivel. With luck the wind in the foot of the sail will force the twist upwards and it will spin out at the head. If the wine glass is larger or further down the sail, this method may not work, so ease the guy forward and allow the body of the spinnaker to rotate behind the jib. Then grab the leech of the sail and pull down on it (make sure you let go if it starts filling), slowly work your way up the leech as far as you can go, pulling the twist out. If all else fails, drop the spinnaker, sort it out and rehoist. If you end up with a mega-twist inside a snuffer, this will mean you will have to drop the sail, then lift the bucket and sort it out. Wine glass in the asymmetric With an asymmetric spinnaker and inside gybing this usually happens because the clew of the sail has not been pulled through the forestay quickly enough and the body of the sail has been allowed to rotate well forward of the luff and twist up. A light wrap close to the head of the sail can sometimes be forced out by pulling on the new sheet and heading up into the wind to force air into the foot and the twist up and out – again a small ease on the halyard can help the head rotate. With larger wraps keep the boat further downwind to reduce the force in the sail and pull like crazy on the new sheet to try to stretch the leech out and force the sail to unwrap itself. If this fails, trying gybing back again, this will often untwist the spinnaker, reversing the action it has just made. Wrap around the forestay When making longer passages and at night the spinnaker can float into the boat if momentarily deflated and wrap itself around the forestay. This generally happens on downwind courses and in lighter breeze.

Spinnaker net on Fazisi in the Southern Ocean. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES A couple of tricks I use to guard against this are to hoist my smallest headsail and sheet it into the middle of the boat while sailing downwind. If the jib is sheeted in hard it has minimum effect on the spinnaker and it becomes impossible for the sail to wrap. The other method is to make a Belgian jib. This works very well if you have a babystay. Take the jib halyard and wrap it from the forestay around the babystay and back a couple of times, making a net so the spinnaker cannot pass through. If you do not have a babystay, but do have a second jib or spinnaker halyard, then try taking this down to the toerail on the leeward side and do the same thing.

Day 5. Gybing, Broaching, avoiding a Chinese gybe, Helming skills How to gybe a spinnaker successfully? It can be done by breaking down the task into component stages and focusing on preparation and timing. Symmetric spinnaker My goal here is to make sure the kite is flying well throughout in order to avoid wraps. Ensure the sail is stable and under control before the gybe. Preparation Once on a downwind course, square the pole back and fly the spinnaker out to windward to ensure it’s not hidden behind the mainsail. Consider pulling on the tweakers, bringing the sheeting angle forward to help keep the kite more stable. Pull on the lazy sheet to ensure it is taking the weight of the windward clew before releasing the guy, so the spinnaker is flying on the sheets alone. Top tip If the windward sheet is not tight enough when you release the guy, the spinnaker can blow forward, making the sail unstable. If this happens, don’t carry on with the gybe procedure. Instead, take time to wind on the windward sheet and get the spinnaker flying again before retrying the manoeuvre. Gybing the spinnaker With enough crew, the spinnaker should be rotated around the front of the boat, by easing the old sheet while pulling on the new one in time with the boat’s rate of turn. If short-handed, a good tip is to keep the spinnaker positioned on the windward side while you go into the gybe. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Lock off the sheets and gybe through a slightly larger angle than normal, exiting a little higher than you usually would, so the spinnaker is being blown to leeward away from the forestay and the risk of a wrap.

The sail is stable and under control before the gybe. Gybing the pole There are too many techniques to cover here, but there are some vital points to note. First, during the gybe, there should be no load on the pole, so check the guys, uphaul and downhaul are free to run as needed. Second, to prevent rips in the spinnaker and help your foredeck crew, the cockpit crew must be looking forward, not down.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Exiting the gybe The helmsman should come out of the gybe at a rate which matches the trim of the spinnaker and the time it takes for pole to be ‘made’ on the new side. As with all of the above, this will differ by boat according to the number of crew and their ability. Asymmetric spinnaker This time the key to success is the rate of the turn and watching the passage of the clew around the front of the boat like a hawk. Preparation Take time to prepare the cockpit, flaking the leeward sheet so it will run out without snags. Load the new sheet onto a winch and pull on the tackline to give a hard leading edge and a more controllable sail. If outside gybing make sure the new sheet has not fallen under the bow. Outside gybe The helmsman will aim to steer the boat quickly through the gybe onto the new course, keeping the apparent wind high enough to blow the clew forward round the front of the luff – like a barn door swinging open. The lighter the wind, the faster the turn. As soon as the helmsman starts the turn, the trimmer must release the old sheet to allow the sail to fly forward. Any snags here will hamper the process, so that by the time the boat has turned downwind the force of the apparent wind might not be enough to carry the clew around the front of the boat.

Once the clew has passed the centerline of the boat, pull like crazy on the new sheet. If there is a snag going into the gybe, it is often better to stop the manoeuvre, come back onto the breeze, refill the spinnaker and start again to avoid a wrap. If there is no snag, but not © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES enough pressure to float the clew around the forestay try starting at a higher angle and gybing a little faster. Inside gybe While this can be a slower turn than outside gybing, the passage of the clew remains allimportant. This time, as the helmsman bears away, the trimmer will ease the old sheet until the clew is just forward of the forestay and has room to pass around it. Try marking the sheets, so you will know exactly where this is in the dark. Pull on the new sheet as the old one is being eased, so that when the clew is level with the forestay the new sheet is ready to take the load. Once the new sheet has control of the clew, let the old sheet go completely and pull hard. The foredeck crew can help considerably if they pull the new sheet around from the foredeck. Key point The further forward of the forestay the clew passes, the more the body of the spinnaker will overtake the luff and risk a wineglass wrap. Co-ordination between the helmsman and trimmers is vital. Gybing the mainsail With sufficient crew aboard the mainsail can swing across the boat; appoint a crewmember to watch the apparent wind angle and the leech of the main for an indication of when it will go. If short-handed, consider sheeting in the main and locking it off for the whole manoeuvre, thereby giving one less thing to think about. However, remember that this can make it harder to steer in quartering seas. Inside or outside gybe? The bigger the gap between the end of your pole and the forestay, the easier it is to do an inside gybe, and vice versa. Inside gybing is generally easier in lighter airs; outside gybing is preferable in stronger winds. Top tips • • • •

Once the gybe is complete, tidy up: coil ropes, clear winches and make sure you are ready to gybe again or perform a quick drop. Even more important at night. Talk through the manoeuvre before you execute it – tired solo sailors often write down the steps involved, just to make sure they will not miss anything out. Keep your eyes forward and keep the communication flowing – if you have a problem, let people know immediately. A great way to clear a wrap created while gybing is to gybe back immediately.

See “Hetman Sahaidachny” crew training video.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Broaching - what to do when you start to broach? Most of us will be familiar with that final pull on the helm that cannot be overcome as the boat rounds up to windward in a massive broach. The ensuing chaos can be hard to recover from, and damaging both for the boat and for crew morale. Well-trimmed sails and keeping a close eye on conditions can help to avoid a lot of broaching situations.

Constant spinnaker & mainsail trimming on Fazisi to avoid broaching. how to trim the sails to avoid losing control, as well as steering, crew interaction, what to do at night and when you are sailing short-handed. Mainsail Prompt action with mainsail trim can often be the simple answer to stop a tug on the helm from becoming a full wipe-out. On the first signs of a broach a quick ease of the kicker will twist off the top of the sail and so reduce the heeling moment. When reaching in gusty conditions, the mainsail should always be well eased, traveller down, with a backwind ‘bubble’ at the mast as the default trim. Make sure the kicker is in easy reach and if you are struggling to steer, place a crewmember next to it. If you often sail short-handed, think about leading the kicker to a position in the cockpit where it is more accessible. Double-ended systems are ideal. If releasing the kicker does not reduce sufficient pressure on the helm, release the mainsheet until the boat comes back upright. All these actions will need to be done in quick succession, and as always it is good practice to make sure your mainsheet is kept flaked and ready to run out. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES If you continually need to ease the main, then it is maybe time to reef; shortening the mainsail can make the boat easier to manage with less heel and often an insignificant loss of speed. Spinnaker Broaching can occur under any sail plan; it is not a spinnaker-specific occurrence, though having the spinnaker up can make it a more intimidating experience. If the mainsail cannot be depowered enough to prevent a broach, the spinnaker sheet is the only remaining ‘get out of jail’ line. Top tips for short-handing •

Make sure all the crucial lines – kicker, mainsheet and spinnaker sheet – are within easy reach of the helm. Cross-winch across the cockpit if necessary.

•

Put some luminous tape on the wheel so at night you can tell at a glance how much helm the autopilot is using.

Immediately ease out a large amount of spinnaker sheet until you feel the boat start to come upright or the helmsman tells you they have feeling back in the rudder. If you are using a lazy guy, ensure this will not catch on anything or prevent an ease.

Spinnaker trimming on Fazisi to avoid broaching.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Keep the spinnaker sheet eased until the boat is upright and starting to get back on course – an insufficient dump of the spinnaker sheet or bringing it back on too early will cause the boat to roll straight back into a broach every time it tries to recover. When reaching under spinnaker be very sure not to let out the guy. This will make the situation worse as the pole will crash onto the forestay and the spinnaker will slew to leeward, heeling the boat even more. A constant need to ease the spinnaker is probably an indication that it is time to take it down. As always, have the halyard flaked, ready to run and be ready to drop. Steering A broach can be averted by good communication between helmsman and crew. A first indication of a broach will be a marked increase in weather helm which it is difficult to steer against; at this point the helmsman must involve the crew. The crew will not always know exactly how much kicker or sheet to let off and when, so to avoid all sails being dumped every time the boat heels over, the helmsman must keep the crew informed. If, despite easing sheets, the boat continues to broach, pump the helm by bearing away hard, steering straight, then bearing away hard again. However, if you do not regain control you will get to a point where that is no longer effective. At this point, try putting the helm back to center. With eased sheets and a little patience the boat should come upright and start to move forward, water will start flowing over the rudder and you will be able to steer downwind to avoid another broach. If you are continually having to ease the sheet to avoid a broach, try steering a little lower or changing your sail plan. Under autopilot Autopilots are particularly sensitive to gusts and waves when reaching and so a change in conditions can cause the pilot to broach quite easily. Keep an eye on how hard your pilot is working. As conditions worsen, increase response level to help it cope. Trim the sails to the pilot and not the other way around. Think about taking in a reef earlier when using the pilot in potential broaching conditions – remember, it is not able to tell you to release the kicker. Do’s and don’ts • • • • • •

DO stay calm and keep talking DO ensure sheets are flaked and ready to run out DO practise reaching in gusty conditions to learn how quickly your boat responds DON’T shout DON’T ease the afterguy Be ready to reduce sail before you stop enjoying sailing

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Avoiding a Chinese gybe - how to deal with a Chinese gybe? Chinese gybes – (here's what happened when Turn the Tide on Plastic dramatically crash gybed and recovered in the Southern Ocean during Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race) overnight on windy days are a good spectator sport, but with the right prompt response they can be averted. This type of accidental gybe is caused by the boat heeling excessively to windward. The center of effort of the spinnaker also moves to windward, accentuating the angle of heel. As this happens, the boat starts to turn on her longer windward waterline edge and bear away on her own. As the boat heels, the surface area of the rudder receives less water so steering is less efficient and you lose control, with the boat usually ending up flat on her windward side with the spinnaker pole in the water and the boom in the air. Inevitably, the point arrives when the force of the wind on the mainsail is no longer able to support the weight of the boom, now up in the air, and it comes crashing down. Spinnaker Your spinnaker is the biggest and most powerful sail on the boat; so, you need to be the boss, depower it early and stop it from wandering around and excessively heeling the boat. Having the center of effort of the spinnaker outside the footprint of the boat, giving windward heel, is not always a bad thing; but when the breeze gets up and the boat starts to roll, then it’s time to depower.

Starting to heel windward. Start by gently easing the pole forward and at the same time sheeting on. This will move the center of effort of the sail back over the boat. It is important to do this simultaneously. Easing the pole forward rapidly and not taking in on the sheet, will simply cause the kite to swing round to leeward and could put you into a broach. Pull on your leeward tweaker or barber-hauler and oversheet the spinnaker slightly. This will have the effect of bringing the sail down towards the deck, flattening it a little and giving it less scope to wander around. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Top tip When conditions start to become windier, watch the windward leading edge of the spinnaker; if the head of the spinnaker is often rolling out to level with or to windward of the end of the pole, then pull on the sheet a little to bring it back on board the boat.

Ease spinnaker pole forward. Moving the pole down both on the mast and on the outboard end will also have the effect of ‘strapping’ the spinnaker down, so lowering the center of effort and making it more stable. With an asymmetric, pull on the tack line. This will tighten the luff of the sail, stopping it from wandering and taking away some of the power. Mainsail The mainsail’s job in this situation is to try to balance out the power in the spinnaker and remove windward heel. Pull on the kicker to keep the head of the main powered up; this maintains a counter force in the mainsail, pushing the boat back over to leeward and also stops wind spilling over the head of the mainsail and into the top of the spinnaker, making the situation worse. When sailing short-handed or on longer passages with a cross swell, you could consider using a preventer to keep the boom up in the air should you roll excessively. This could give you vital seconds to depower the spinnaker before the boom comes crashing down. But the preventer should be led forward then back to the cockpit, in a place easy to reach, so should the situation deteriorate, you can let it down quickly.

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES Steering When the boat starts to roll, it is easy to make it worse with excessive use of the helm. Try to keep the boat steady and make gradual changes – the rudder requires water to be flowing over it to steer so going full lock will simply stall the boat. Initially, try to steer the boat out of the roll – remember it is not necessarily because the boat has altered course that you are in danger of gybing, but because the boat is rolling to windward and the boom is up in the air. Gently steer the boat to a higher wind angle and try to sail flat or with slight leeward heel. A sudden rounding up could send you straight into a broach. Be ready for a drop Chinese gybes can be caused by difficult sea conditions, perhaps an old residual cross swell, but often they are an indication that the boat is starting to become overpowered. Recovery should be followed by an assessment of the conditions. Perhaps it is time to change to a smaller spinnaker or go with a poled-out headsail. Make sure your cockpit is ready at all times for a drop. Pilot guide When short-handed sailing in marginal conditions, it can often be the autopilot that will Chinese gybe the boat. Most pilots have controls now which can be adjusted to help the unit react well to these conditions, by balancing response and counter rudder settings. However, simply programming the pilot to steer 5 -10° high of the course while you are off the deck will keep the boat safe. Do’s and don’ts • • •

DO act early, as the wind increases start to change your spinnaker trim to keep the sail depowered and under control DO keep your cockpit clear so sheets and guys are always ready to go DON’T over-react – rapid counter actions can cause you to go straight into a broach

Helming skills - tips for super-hot helming When you’re sailing upwind in a monohull, the key is to minimize helm movement to tiny corrections and keep a steady heel angle. If the telltales are flying and the heel angle is correct, there is little reason to change course, so steer straight. Remember, it is easier to lose speed than to build it up again so watch the boat speed; if it starts to drop, make a quick, small bear away to keep the boat moving fast. In small waves or chop steer exactly, as you would in flat water. There is no need to steer around these waves; your speed should take you through them. © Eugene Platon Yachting School™ http://www.yachting.ms/association/members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Platon Contacts: GSM:+38-050-206-9872 Skype: eugene.platon e-mail: eplaton@msn.com

MONTSERRAT YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2013 BRITISH WEST INDIES The technique is different in big waves on modern boats with flat-bottomed bows. In this case, to avoid slamming, gently steer to windward up the face of the wave and bear away slightly off the top. This creates more heel so you land on the stronger side of the boat. Reaching When I’m reaching on a monohull, again I aim to go straight and fast with a constant angle of heel. A good technique for dealing with small changes in wind speed is to alter course slightly, coming up in the lulls and bearing away in the gusts. With a big change in wind angle you must decide whether to follow the wind, or to retrim the sails. When sailing single-handed I tend to follow the shifts a bit more to avoid retrimming the sails all the time. Try not to move the helm too much and to feel the boat’s balance. If it’s overpowered then ease the mainsail rather than fight the rudder. Downwind On yachts such as the Volvo Ocean 65, which travel faster than the waves downwind, we aim not to surf too deep, but to sail higher and carry the speed on and over the next wave. On more traditional boats with symmetrical spinnakers or poled-out headsails, steer to keep a constant speed and angle of heel. This should help prevent excess rolling. As the wave approaches your quarter, come up a little to keep speed on, then bear away to surf down the wave. As you come to the end of the surf come up a little to keep the boat heeling. This will stop her rolling to windward when the speed comes off. In lighter winds aim to keep your spinnaker powered up, concentrate on the luff and boat speed. At the first hint that you are slowing down and the chute is collapsing, come up to reattach the airflow to the sail. Try not to exaggerate helm movements, keep it all calm and once the boat is going well, steer straight and keep on moving. In reality, the wind does not often make massive shifts so there is no need to make huge alterations in course. If you keep slowing down, then it is probably because you are oversteering. Make sure the telltales on the gennaker are flying well and don’t get greedy; if you have a good boat VMG downwind then stick with that course. Top tips for setting up your autopilot •

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To set up your pilot to steer to windward, handsteer the boat on a good course, engage the pilot, then dial down two or three degrees as this will allow for any small variations in the wind direction and allow for waves knocking you off course. If your pilot has apparent wind mode, this is the best way to steer upwind, but check that a windshift will not put you off course and into danger. A well-balanced sail plan should require much less work from the pilot, allowing you to turn down the response or gain and save power. Take over from the pilot for short spells at regular intervals, as this will let you feel the balance of the boat and make adjustments when necessary. Remember you are still smarter than the machine!