To be honest, the more I learn the more I realize I don't know. In an effort to learn this stuff better, I'm putting together my own Cliff notes from "Cat Racing for the 90's". Is this right for a roll tack?:
Edited by charlescarlis on Mar 08, 2024 - 05:58 PM.
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Chuck C
NACRA 500 Mk2
Hobie 21se (sold)
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Is this procedure about right?
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Directionally - yes. Generally speaking, stay on the old side until the new side hull flies – cross late. Helm is super critical on controlling boat heel with steering. And then as you cross to the new side, make sure the hull stays flying. It's easy to "kill" the tack if you rush to the wire and dunk the hull back into the water.
In wind that is "hard but doable to fly a hull", crew stays on old trap and pumps the trapeze to pop the new hull out of the water.
You can spy the timing of tacks and crossing in Nacra 17 sailing. There's a video of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic final that has some very nicely executed tacks recorded from a heli or drone. One of the recent regattas in Europe has Tita/Banti doing the "pump the trap" trick on a light-ish air tack.
All of this is fancy technique in buoy racing; it'll get you out of the tack faster. It'll also take a few swims, so make sure you swim in the practice side of it