How does a supermaxi sail?

toastchee · #1 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Hey Gang,

Just looking at this boat makes my pulse quicken. How do you sail such a beast? It seems to have about 3x the mast height that I do on my sloop. What would you do if you got overpowered? Is it easy to get knocked down?

Alfa Romeo wins Sydney to Hobart race - CNN.com

Faster · #2 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

If the rig's only 3 times your mast height you probably have a pretty good sized boat yourself!

These boats nowadays have canting keels, large crews, tremendous righting moment to enable these powerful rigs, it's all relative but these huge boats have very high boatspeed potential. Many of them now also rely on extensive hydraulics/electrics so the generator has to be running at all times just for that.

But it would be really something to get a ride on one, doing 20+ knots on a broad reach with a huge A sail up!

blt2ski · #3 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

I've been sorta kinda watching the race, max speeds I saw were upper teens for "THIS" race. But low to mid 20's would be doable in the correct conditions. This was a pretty slow race, IIRC about 6-8 hr off the record set by WOXI a couple of yrs ago.

marty

bubb2 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

One of my favorite videos. One minute of 20+

YouTube - Pirates of the Caribbean racing

smackdaddy · #5 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Wow Bubb - that is pure beauty. What a rush to be on one of those babies.

Let me know when you get hired to deliver one. I'm in!

Sanduskysailor · #6 (**permalink**) 12-30-2009

Never raced on a Super Maxi but a 68' sled quite a bit. The big difference with the big boys is that the apparent wind moves forward and fast. The most I've steered in was 30knots downwind where we managed 18knots sustained with the runner up. A real hoot to drive just don't let the boat slow down because things start breaking quickly. Yah, they let me drive for a while. Jibing in those conditions can best be described as interesting. It will get the crew's full attention. I can't imagine what a 100 footer would be like. Waves that mere mortals find to be rough are not an issue for a boat that big. I imagine the biggest thing would be keeping the rig in the boat when the speed jumps up, and you have that big A-sail driving the boat. Way beyond my skill set.

The real shocker for me is light air. In 7knots true wind these big boys are doing 10+ upwind. Even on the 68 footer our upwind targets were over 8knots at 6knots true wind. Hot smaller boats like a Farr 40 might be doing 6 knots in those conditions so the speed difference is amazing when you pass them. Good times.

NICHOLSON58 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-30-2009

YouTube - Hydroptere - Fastest Sailboat in the World HYDROPTERE

If you like that one check out the fastest ride on water. Also a few related videos of a big tri- haulint two on water skis.

smackdaddy · #8 (**permalink**) 12-30-2009

Wow Nich - that thing is screaming. What does the flat head on the main do exactly? Is it just to keep more sail area up high?

Has anyone here raced or crewed an Open 70?

sarafinadh · #9 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009

that's not sailing.
that's heaven....

ok, pardon me while I go take a cold shower...

CalypsoP35 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009

Amazing, with all the technology in that boat, they still rely on "rail meat" to squeeze that last little bit of speed of her.