So I sailed my first F18 event this weekend with the new Tiger in a wide range of breeze and water conditions. I had not sailed a cat in 10 years and had not driven one in 15 years. The one condition we struggled in was light upwind in flat water.
My question is – where do you have your crew sit in these conditions. I have always hated the crew sitting or laying on the leeward bow because it is too hard to have them look around and for them to communicate with me on what the course is doing. However, everyone has told me that the Tiger drags it transom in the light air unless the crew is sitting on the bow.
I think I am going to focus on sailing the boat with my crew on the weather hull just in front of beam (like I did in the Tornado years ago) but I wanted to get some feedback as to what others are doing in the F18s.
Cheers…
in light wind i have the crew leward and at the cross bar
i am wind ward and at the cross bar
Keep skipper and crew as close together as posible.
Then sit far enough forward so as to stop the transome draging in the water. Do not excesively raise the transome out of the water as it will reduce your stearing.
Our boat seems to be pretty well ballanced with crew to leeward on front beam with myself to windward just behind the front beam.
I ask the crew to get a far forward as they can and still be comfortable. If they are on the leeward side you will have to watch for any little puff as you could be flying your hull very quickly. After your weather hull goes in the air and you are sheeting out while your crew is scampering to re-balance the boat you have lost lots of forward momentum. Best in these conditions to keep the crew near the mast just below your placement, which is near the front crossbar. This is for the Tiger. An Infusion likes to have the bow pressed down in light winds and it kind of needs the crew out on the leeward hull. This can get tricky in puffs.
Dan