Singlehanded wildthinging
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- Rank: Lubber
- Registered: Jul 04, 2007
- Last visit: Sep 30, 2010
- Posts: 22
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 03:37 PM
I know I am not the only one here enjoying soloing in 20kts. I've installed a roller furler on my N5.5SL to be able to quickly adjust to the conditions. However in our gusty winds wild thing with main only is hard to keep, but if I unroll the jib in 15+ kts, the boat becomes more stable, but the wild thing likely to end up with a swim. How do you gentlemen do that solo? Going with jib or without? Wind ranges, mast rake and everything else. -
- Rank: Chief
- Registered: Jul 16, 2009
- Last visit: Oct 28, 2014
- Posts: 1271
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 05:46 PM
found this, not sure if it helps but it's interesting:http://www.boatdesign.net…ass-catamaran-24259.html
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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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- Rank: Lubber
- Registered: Jul 04, 2007
- Last visit: Sep 30, 2010
- Posts: 22
Posted: Sep 20, 2010 - 02:13 AM
Thanks coastrat. I got to be too simple for that stuff. I don't know how I can measure 22 degree "sail's incidence" for example. It must be very A-cat specific.
So some practical details...
I went out today to experiment and get some details on what I am doing.
Wind about 10kt, down to 6 or 7, up to just below 15. That much I can handle solo upwind with jib. Downwind: boards up, barber hauler 4" up from the front beam, main traveler 14" of the center, sheet tight, both main and jib cleated, handling gusts with rudders only, sitting in the middle of the tramp. Max hull flying time was under 5 seconds. Afterward talked to A-cat sailor and he said it takes about 12kt to do it on his pretty new boat, so seems I was underpowered. Talked to Jim Young http://jimyoungsailing.com/ and he pointed that square top is essential for that, because more power aloft creates that nice heeling force.
On Nacra F18 we would do wild thing in this wind, but solo on 5.5 just doesn't work... unless I am missing something. I guess next time I'll be sitting on leeward hull...
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- Rank: Master Chief
- Registered: Jun 20, 2006
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- Posts: 7089
Posted: Sep 20, 2010 - 10:17 AM
for me, being all the way on the low side make my steering crazy, i have to remember that i have an extreemly limited range of helm, and i now have to do the reverse to go the direction desired...
i personally THINK doing the wild thang would be reserved for light air when you NEED to your weight down there to get the windward hull out of the water. at 15+ it should not be to hard to get the hull out of the water downwind.
If you are distance racing and need to keep your layline/vmg (can't head up to far to gain your speed...) then i would get as forward as possible and lay down with as much weight as possible on leaward.
