Fast tack...constant speed

[Giulietta]

Here is a video I made last weekend in the races, that shows an efficient fast tack, without losing speed.

You can see that after the tack, the boat hardly loses any speed and continues accelerating, as the genoa man trims the sail as the boat accelerates.

This tack takes about 3 seconds, and the key is keeping the boat moving, turn fast and move the genoa as the bow crosses.

The main trick is avoiding sheeting the genoa too much and too fast and too soon (a common problem), which removes speed off the boat.

Then as the boat accelerates, the genoa should be trimmed to optimal trim point with aid of the tell tales.


(sorry I don't have many videos now, as you know my collection is gone).

[Joel73]

BARDo!!!!!!!! Nice work.

[max-on]

Giu, you make it 'look' so easy!

[Giulietta]

Max, that man handling the genoa it's not me. It's is a friend and that was his first time on my boat.

I am behind them, steering and filming. They are fathers of kids that sail with Fred, and we raced that day a beer race. It was their first time in a big boat. But I trained them an hour before.

[tomaz_423]

Very nice.
I agree that sheeting the genoa just enough and progressively more as the boat accelerates is the difficult part to master - If you fail in this you can loose a few meters VMG on a single tack. The other hard part for me (on a regatta) is to point just high enough at the exit of the tack. I tend to point too high and than it takes too long to build up speed.

Funny story about fast tacks:
I was a Laser sailor and did very fast tacks on that dinghy.
Then I tried the same on a Hobby Cat.
Ha, ha, ha. What an idiot I was.
It does not work. instead of tacking I just stopped dead in irons.
Fast tack is for high aspect keels and rudders.

[CharlieCobra]

I always thought that was the way it was done. Ya mean someone does it differently? Why?


Nice job Alex, nice and smooth like it oughta be. The only time I can't do that is when we have the baby stay in place and I have to furl the Genny to tack. Needless to say, we only put that in place when it's gonna blow over 35 knots. Too much of a PITA otherwise.

[max-on]

The crew's execution is from superior instruction and training!!!! Congrats to Professor Giu!!!!

And Giu, I should have known it was not you, no flutter in the jib leech.

[chucklesR]

A fast tack on my boat is what I do if I want to stop dead and then drift backwards for a while (in irons). I certainly can't tack that fast. I have to make the time later at the top end of speed - and even then boats like Giulietta leave me standing.

Alex, no critique as I'm not qualified, but as a suggestion you might want to get one of those fluffy sponge things for the microphone of your camera - it would cut down on the wind noise so we can better appreciate the video.

[NOLAsailing]

The ideal speed with which you go through the tacks will vary from boat to boat and crew to crew. A larger boat can usually tack a little faster as it can carry the inertia through the tack. Smaller boats should tack slower to carry as much speed as long as possible.

Another consideration is crew work. If you're tacking faster than your crew can get off the windward rail, then you're not doing yourself any favors.

Obviously, tacking should be done quickly - racing is about speed and sometimes hitting that flat spot between waves can make a real difference. The helmsman can't turn faster than the boat or crew can handle, though.

When tacking, the helmsman should make everyone aware that the manuever is coming and the trimmers should ease for power. The driver should take care to be a little slower until the boat stands up, then move through the wind quickly. Another consideration is that if the trimmers are having to grind the genoa in most of the way, then the driver is tacking too quickly.

I haven't seen the video yet as I am at work and it's disabled. The Man doesn't like it when I watch videos, apparently. So, this is not a critique of Giu or, as someone recently referred to him - Gui. That will come later.

Rather, I just want to make sure that everyone doesn't jump on the fast tack bandwagon; I would hate to have a bunch of Sailnetters spend their weekend in irons or wearing out their crew.

[djodenda]

Help, I'm caught in irons and I can't get out!

Curse you, Giu!