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How to get sailing by Paul Brotherton
By now, most readers of this handbook will have realised that 5000
sailing is very different to sailing the types of boat that have
previously available.
This realisation is a very important one. If, for instance, the opposite attitude is taken - "I'm a sailing superstar and I know everything there is to know about sailing," the sadly a frustrating period will follow. If a more positive "This is new, I'm a beginner" attitude is adopted the pleasure of learning and refining a new style of sailing will be simply irresistible. I was fortunate enough to be part of the development team for the 5000, and therefore had plenty of hours sailing where we were able to try different techniques and make many mistakes. The following pointers may help you to avoid the swims and steepen the learning curve.
Under no circumstances should you sit down whilst performing a manoeuvre. Most boats we have sailed before have been "sit-in" type boats. The new boats, particularly the 5000, are the "stand-on" skiff variety. the trick is in the initial manoeuvre of coming in off the trapeze. the temptation is to unclip the trapeze wire and take a seat while you organise yourself for the next tack or gybe. Far better is to use the momentum gained from the swing-in to flick yourself onto your feet. This is helped by pushing with your back leg at the same time as curling up your stomach muscles sit-up style.
Try to perform all manouevres at speed.
This requires
confidence, determination and a certain amount of stupidity. Crew,
particularly the neat and tidy ones, will initially find this difficult
to accept as there is almost no time at all to prepare. However, the
benefits will quickly become apparent. 5000 sailing is similar to windsurfing in that speed makes things far
easier. It is therefore important not to spend too much time on the
preparation of a manoeuvre. I do not mean psychological preparation, I
mean the "swing in off the trapeze, sort yourself out" type preparation.
If you do insist in coming in off the wire, sitting down and sorting your
sheets out, there will be a consequent loss of speed. When this happens,
one mistake and the pressure in the rig will be too great to control and
the boat will gracefully but irretrievably tip onto her side.
It is amazing how much falling around and general sloppy crew work you
can get away with if you tack or gybe at full speed. Again, swing in,
stand up and immediately follow through into the manoeuvre. Try not to
worry if the tiller or sheets are in the wrong hands, or if you are
slightly off balance, just go!
After a while you will be confident enough to progress from swinging in to jumping in from the rack, and beginning to alter course simultaneously. The same techniques are true for both the crew as well as the helm. As the swing turns into a jump, the initial part of the tack or gybe can become quicker, and then timing becomes more important. A reasonable guide is to begin your swing or jump as the weight comes off the windward side. You'll know when you've left it too late as you won't be able to swing in as the boat will be going away from you! Once you are in the centre of the boat focus solely on grabbing the new sheet. Try to avoid watching the boat. When the new sheet is in your hand you can focus on the trapeze wire and the necessary footwork that will get you trapezing as quickly as possible. Once hooked up and flat out, trim the sail to its correct position. The tips and guides set out above are by no means comprehensive, or for that matter final, but should arm you with a few basic ideas to help you overcome the initial big differences of sailing a 5000.
MANOEUVRES
Launching
With the genoa furled and the main hoisted, slide the boat off the
trolley in the water.
Crew - Hold the rack on the upwind side and balance the boat.
Helm - Jump in over the rear of the boat and place the daggerboard in the
slot. Feed the genoa furling line though its cleat to ensure it will
unfurl cleanly, then get control of the main and tiller with the rudder
half down.
The crew can then jump in and lower the board and unfurl the genoa as
required. Get the rudder down when possible - be careful not to load up
the rudder when it is not fully down. Steer only gently until it is
lowered.
Tacking
Crew - Wait for the boat to start to tack, and as the power comes out of
the sails, stand up on the rack using the handle, and unclip from the
wire. Uncleat the jib and walk into the centre of the boat. Pick up the
new sheet at the cleat, and turning as you move, grab the trapeze handle.
Sheet the jib in as you move out on the wire, and cleat it slightly
looser than normal. With the sheet cleated, your aft hand can now be used
to hook yourself on, after which the jib can be gradually drawn in to its
normal position
Helm - Step in to the boat, standing up as you go in. Ease the mainsheet
slightly then duck under the boom. Twisting your body as you move, take
your mainsheet hand behind your back and grab the tiller. Your new
forward hand can now come round the front of your body and take the
mainsheet. This hand is then used to hook yourself on, and you can walk
back wards out onto the rack sheeting in as you go.
Hoisting the Gennaker
Helm - Bear away and keep the boat as upright as possible. If you are
able to sail deep enough, hoist the halyard while the crew pulls out the
pole. If you need to sail too tight for this, or more control is needed,
the crew hoists the halyard and pulls out the pole (...relax!)
Crew - Check the halyard is forward of the spreaders before the hoist and
the "flick flock" is down. If the helm is hoisting the gennaker, stay on
the wire as the boat bears away, moving aft on the rack and slowly easing
the genoa to keep the bows up. As the helm starts to hoist, jump into the
boat, staying on the windward side, and pull the pole out. If the helm is
not hoisting, pull all the halyard up first, then pull out the pole.
Quickly grab the sheet before too much of it smokes out though the block,
jump out on the trapeze and go!
Gybing
Helm - Pre-set the genoa sheet on the new side, and release the cleat on
the old side, keeping the genoa sheets aft of the gennaker sheets. Sail
into the gybe with maximum speed and gybe the mainsail.
Crew - As the boat bears away, use your front hand on the handle to pull
yourself up on the rack, and unhook as you walk into the boat. "Walk"
your hands in on the sheet to prevent it being eased by you moving in to
the boat. Then as the main gybes, give a small tug on the old sheet and
drop it. Quickly pick up the new sheet and set the gennaker on the new
side.
Helm - Luff the boat out of the gybe and get out on the wire to balance
the pressure in the sails. This will also flick the mainsail battens on
to the new side. Steer the boat onto the fastest course as the crew joins
you on the wire.
Gybe drop
Coming in to a port rounding buoy on starboard, you will execute a gybe
drop, where the gennaker is dropped as the boat luffs out of the
gybe.
Crew - Move into the boat as you would for a normal gybe, but sheet in
the gennaker. Open the bag and grab the clew of the gennaker. Release the
pole and halyard cleats and raise the "flick flock" to prevent them
recleating (a piece of elastic through the body of the "flick flock" and
tied around the halyard and pole line raises it automatically.) Quickly
grab several armfulls of the gennaker, and then before it gets unwieldy,
stuff the lot into the bag. Continue feeding the foot and the leech into
the bag together until the gennaker is stowed. Close the bag and lower
the "flick flock." It may be necessary to sheet the genoa in at some
point in these proceedings.
Helm - Keep the boat downwind for as long as possible as the kite is much
more difficult to pack when the boat has luffed onto a reach.
Windward drop
When approaching a port rounding leeward mark on
port, the kite must be dropped to windward.
Crew - Pull the windward gennaker sheet and release the old sheet and
pull the clew round to windward, then continue as for a gybe drop.
Capsizing
An important technique to perfect whilst learning. Get at least one of
you onto the daggerboard as quickly as possible. Righting lines are
fitted to the underside of the gunwale to aid your balance. Ensure that
the genoa is uncleated, and in high winds ease the kicker before righting
the boat. If you have capsized with the kite up, let go the halyard and
pole line and drag it out of the water on to the upper side of the boat
with the sheet. As the boat comes up, quick work is required getting in
to the boat and getting it under control again.
Light weather
Crew - In light winds the crew can tack and gybe forward of the mast to
keep the weight forward and the wetted area down.
Above all, have fun, and if you are having a problem, ask someone who's been doing it for a while, they've probably been there too.
| Copyright © 2007 Laser 5000 Class Association | Last updated: 29 Oct 2008 |