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Renting a Sunfish. . .

3K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  SailNet Archive 
#1 ·
I'm renting a Sunfish this weekend. I will be practicing my basic mainsheet techniques, I but I started thinking, can I get more out of this time on the water?? So here it goes. . .

What is a good list of sailing techniques to knowlingly practice while I play on the Sunfish?
 
#2 ·
Not sure I understand what you mean by basic mainsheet techniques, or how much experience that implies. But how 'bout ..

Coming about
Jibing
Figure 8's
Stalling the boat by heading into the wind
Getting started again after being in irons
Righting after intentional capsize
Sailing backwards

An afternoon of that kind of stuff on a forgiving boat like a Sunfish and you should be able to make that thing dance. They're fun.

Kurt
 
#3 ·
To the above, I'd add:

getting away from and landing at a dock or float, if one's available;

rigging, launching from a beach, and landing again, since Sunfish are typically beach-launched;

Dare I say it? Intentional capsize and recovery (or unintentional works even better) since that can happen, too.

Upwind sailing in a breeze is a challenge in these boats. They have to be close-reached to get up speed after a tack before you can jam them up to close-hauled. And it's easy to pinch too much and stall out, hard to get going again, you have to reach off briefly, then head back up. So practice it if you can.

And have fun! That's the whole point, while learning.
 
#5 ·
Nolatom-

Most new sailors don't need to intentionally practice capsizing and recovery. :D
 
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