 Jeff Browning |
In The Hot Seat A Place to Discuss Hot Issues Affecting Our Sport |
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Cross that chasm and sail better!
It never ceases to amaze me how such a religion-like chasm divides monohull and catamaran sailors. While both types of boats operate under the same physics, there always seems to be this barrier between those creeping along in "monoslugs" and others "flying a hull". The sad thing is, there's something to learn regardless of what you're sailing and by experiencing a variety of sailing situations, you can become a significantly better sailor. A few weeks back, I did a day race on a monohull and had a great time. Sure, it was certainly slow but I learned some new jib trim tricks that I can apply directly to crewing on an H-18. I also got a kick out of the crew staring with amazement as some Corsair F-27s flew by us with their windward hulls flying. But, everyone seemed to discredit the speed as a gimmick, as if the multis were cheating. What is unfortunate is that they could probably learn something from sailing on a multihull. Then at the last Hobie race in my area, I was talking with a fellow sailor about tactics and strategy. He seemed to take interest in and agree with the ideas I offered. Later, while relaxing after the day's racing, I mentioned that monohulls represent the majority of my racing experience. I instantly sensed that he felt he had been getting tactics tips from "the enemy" and that they were therefore irrelevant! It's unfortunate that in both of these situations, a sailing "moral high ground" came into play. It was as if the design variations between monohulls and cats suggested that they had nothing in common! This could not be further from the truth. There are many skills to learn from sailing both styles of boats and beauty is that these skills can improve your sailing in very complimentary ways. Cat sailing requires you to think more quickly and excellent boathandling is essential. No matter how much you your boat, a blown tack can take you out of the running instantly. I've sailed on plenty of monos that would benefit from learning this lesson. But, I believe many cat sailors can learn alot from how monos approach racing. By sailing on a monohull, the slower speed can help you to better practice and digest tactics and strategy. Sails, tuning, and hull-prep also contribute a great deal to your success. While boathandling is important, a Star sailor with a rough hull or poorly tuned rig will not do well in a regatta. With cats, some neglect taking the time to fair hulls and tweak their rig. Why not take every measure to improve your chances against the faster boats? Tactically, why not use a timed run to hit the line with speed as monos try to do instead of parking on the line and waiting for the gun? Each type of boat requires attention to a different set of details. Each of these details is essential to improving your chances of success and building a complete set of sailing skills. I am not proposing that your chances of becoming an excellent sailor are limited by sticking with only a cat or mono or that the monohull holds the source of skill. What I am suggesting is that by crossing that "chasm" between cats and monos, you can become a more complete sailor in any situation. (I know that Hobies have improved my sailing dramatically!) By building a broader range of sailing experiences and skills, your knowledge will help you excel where you might otherwise be having difficulties. Take the time to seek out opportunities and sail on another type of boat. No one will hang you for Hobie treason or excommunicate you for beach cat sacrilege! Throw out your cat-sailing morals - sail on a "lead-sled". You never know what you might learn... and you'll probably teach them a thing or two! Cheers, Jeff Browning Jeff Browning, new to Hobies and a lifelong monohull racer and cruiser, offers a unique perspective on a number of issues that affect the Hobie and general sailing communities. He lives in Seattle, WA and works as a Product Manager in the software industry. Back to Features |