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3.
On a close or beam reach, the sails should be set and cleated and the skipper should steer by the telltales,
regardless of the location of the next mark. False. Unless tactics dictate otherwise, sail straight to the next
mark and keep the sails trimmed with the sheets.
4.
On a sloop rig the outhaul should be tight all the time when beating. True. You need a flat sail for sailing up
wind, but just how flat depends on wind velocity. The higher the wind the flatter the sail; in light winds a
slightly fuller sail is required and thus the outhaul should not be pulled as tight.
5.
While sailing downwind on a broad reach, the skipper should sail by the bridle fly, and both skipper and crew
should keep the telltales flowing on both the main and jib by sheeting in and out. False. Set the main sail and
trim the jib to match the main. Keep the telltales flowing by turning the boat as the wind shifts. If a wind shift
makes you turn too far from the desired course and it persists, jibe.
6.
As the wind picks up and you can no longer hold the boat down even though trapezed, you should ease the
main sheet and leave the traveler centered to point higher. False. This causes too much twist-off (large twist
in the sail from bottom to top) and the majority of the sail will be out of trim. With this twist, only a small
portion of the sail can be in trim, thus the majority of the sail is out of trim. After trapezing, increase your
downhaul, if still flying too high; increase your downhaul as much as possible; if still flying too high, ease the
traveler out but keep the main sheet very tight. Using the traveler to let the sail out while keeping a tight main
sheet minimizes twist-off and allows the majority of the main sail to remain in trim. In heavy wind, you can
not over tighten the main sheet! Sheet it as hard as you can to flatten and depower it.
7.
Downwind on a broad reach, the sails should be set and the skipper should steer by the telltales. True. See
the answer to question 5.
8.
In light air going up wind, the downhaul should be very tight, the outhaul eased a bit, and the traveler out a
few inches. False. In light air, only downhaul enough to pull out the wrinkles, more downhaul will cause the
top of the sail to lose effectiveness. Always keep the traveler centered when going up wind except in heavy
wind, traveling out reduces your ability to point (sail close to the wind).
9.
Battens should be stuffed so hard into the sail, that it takes on that "hungry dog" look. False. Only tighten
the battens tight enough to pull out the wrinkles. Upper battens may need to be a little tighter on tapered
comptips such as the Hobie 18. If you must over tighten the battens to get the sail to take shape, either your
battens need to be sanded to reduce their stiffness (Tuned, see performance manuals) or your sail has stretched
and needs to be recut to return it to its original shape.
10. Going to weather, as the wind picks up and you begin to fly a hull and not make much forward progress, you
should first trapeze, then add more downhaul, and then begin to ease out the traveler -- in that order -- but
always sail with a tight mainsheet. Absolutely True, this is exactly what we talked about in the other answers.
This is the proper way to deal with increasing winds. See answer 2 and answer 6.
Catamaran Roll Tack
Roll tacking is the fastest way to tack a Cat, if you currently use roll tacking the following will test your
knowledge; if you don't, the following may open your eyes as to why some people tack so fast and rarely blow one.
1.
To initiate a good catamaran roll tack, push the helm over with steadily increasing pressure as skipper and
crew move aft toward the windward corner.
2.
The mainsheet should always be tight as you begin your tack.
3.
During the tack, the skipper should never beat the crew over to the new side of the boat, but rather stay on the
old windward, aft corner until the boat is on a close reach for the new direction.
4.
It is important to never let go of the tiller during a tack or gybe, otherwise the rudders will straighten, even if
for an instant, and the maneuver will be slowed way down.
Hobie University, NAHCA
Page 47
31 Mar 02
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