Another newbie question from a guy who has had a cat for 2 weeks now ;->



If I'm beating upwind and encounter a puff, I let out the mainsheet or turn upwind or both.



What if I'm running downwind and encounter a puff? In general, I want to keep the sail flat to depower when going downwind, so would I pull *in* on the mainsheet?



What do I do if I'm on a beam reach?



Jonathan

trapeze first, if you still are over powered crank on the downhaul, if you still are flying too much hull, start to travel the main out....try to keep your line and don,t give up position. Steer by the tell tales on your jib. Keep the main as flat as possible

In a puff drive it down,keeping the back telltales flowing. On a reach you want to play the sails keeping the tales flowing.

arb06 , when you tell me to trapeze first...I'm tryijng to avoid learning how to trapeze until I've gotten good mastery over the rest of the boat. Is that a mistake?



When you say to keep my line and not give up position, I think you may be thinking in terms of racing, is that right? I don't race, at least not yet, I'm just trying to make sure I have the basic knowledge to stay safe out there on the water, I've only been sailing a cat for 2 weeks, and spent some time this summer learning to sail a Sunfish before that.



But you say to keep the main as flat as possible, so you say I should not let it out if I encounter a puff. Thanks, that's what I need to know.



Jonathan

Thanks, catman - but I have to confess I have no idea what "drive it down" means, could you please explain?



And your advice for a reach seems to be that I should just trim the sails normally, watching the tales, right?



Thanks,



Jonathan

You must be sailing solo? But, if you are not yet comfortable with the trapeze action, use the downhaul first, when you have max downhaul and still can't maintain a reasonable heeling angle then start to travel out. In the beginning of the learning curve it easier to travel out too far and then bring it back in 4-6 " at a time until you find the "groove"

Jonathan,



you've asked some simple questions that really have some complex answers. I'll try to answer what I can.



Beating upwind, releasing mainsheet or turn upwind or both? You got it.



Running downwind: first of all you normally want to increase the fullness of your sails downwind. You may already know this but the typical 'running' straight downwind you see monohulls do doesn't apply to catamarans. Our boats are so much more efficient that we can actually get to a point downwind faster by sailing angles and jibing (zig zagging) to get there. Most cats can actually move faster than the wind speed like this. I'll be glad to go into more detail about why this is possible if you ask. The reason you want more fullness / power in your sails downwind is because the angle the sails are driving to is much more forward and less likely to tip the boat sideways. Likewise, there's less leverage between the sails and the hulls in the water. Back to your question: if you encounter a puff when sailing 'downwind' (at an angle to the wind), you want to center the traveler (if you have one) and sheet in the mainsail and/or steer farther downwind. If you are already pointing straight downwind the only way to depower is to bring your sails in tighter as you mentioned.



You are much more vulnerable when reaching....sort of darned if you do, darned if you don't. The best thing to do in an overpowered situation on a reach is release the jib (again if you have one - I don't know what kind of boat you are sailing) to take the pressure off the nose. Then release the main if you still need to reduce power. Usually in a reach the first "alarm" is not the boat flipping sideways but when the leeward bow starts to go submarine. If it goes too far (this is very dependent on boat design) the boat can literally trip on it's nose and "pitch pole" (see image). If you are on a deep reach, steering down with the wind might help. If you are puffed on a reach and you try to turn the boat into the wind, the turning force will only help the boat turn over.

"Running" strictly means you are headed dead downwind, exactly in the direction of the wind, a la monohull. If this is so and you really get a puff (Heavy Air) that requires de powering and you are downhauled and (depends on boat) sheeted hard and travelled out, theoretically you would lessen drive by sheeting in. Personally, I'd consider myself screwed. Sheeting the jib all the way in (as if to choke the main) actually helps but why I dont know because the main is stalled anyway.

What you are probably asking is "Where do I go when I am sheeted moderatelytight or tighter, travelled out all the way and smoking along, and I get a gust? Your point of sail is such that on releasing mainsheet tension, the instant fullness of you sail will heel the boat... and kills speed too. Heading up doesnt do anything for you immediately and may power you up more depending on exact boat and point of sail. Also the inertia/centrifugal deal may do you in, burying the leward hull. Driving off (turning further downwind) is the thing. It begins to stall the main quite suddenly, and this edge is what you want to learn for making good progress downwind. Heavy air is the place to learn downwind technique if you are physically up to it. Once you get the principle, you apply it to lighter air (harder to feel) and you are ahead of the fleet. If the fleet aint around that is OK to, 'cause nothing beats that heavy air off the wind sweet spot of diving off into shelter, coming back up and holding speed, back and forth, rudders only. Dont worry about trapping out off the wind untill you have upwind mastered. It is much harder and less of a payback. If its cranking enough to help, the boat will be surging and maybe burying and the trap wire will be pulling you foreward 'cause you are way back and... whereas upwind the moment trying to overturn you is substancial in relatively light air, so trapping pays, is steadier and you are forward. Off the wind smoothness pays and so sitting on the boat can pay off.

Hope this helps.

so, Jwrobie, on which feline do you ride? Much more specific info can be offered based on the breed of cat......

Hi, Jonathon,



The other guys have given great info on your question - I have only 2 points to add.



But first: Get Rick's book, "Catamaran Racing: for the Nineties" Rick covers all this lucidly, with supporting detail, historical research, equal time to opposing points of view, etc.



Okay, "Running down" you can get to any point directly downwind of you faster by sailing aproximately 45 deg. above straight downwind - but the apparant wind will be a beam reach! You'll equal or exceed the wind speed on this heading, so if you suddenly turn downwind, you'll experience virtual calm, while speeding along. There's a sudden drop off, about when the apparant wind crosses forward of the beam, and turning down, "driving off" etc is how you get there - and it's a great escape from a big puff.



So to run downwind reeeeeal fast: Sail about 45 deg above straight-downwind. Set your traveler at either the leeward footstrap, or the inboard side of the leeward hull, I've heard both schools of thought Use leach tells low and high to set your main's twist. The main will need more twist offwind than upwind, as the small difference between windspeed aloft and near the surface produces a large change in apparant wind between the top of the sail and he bottom. Sail a course around 45 deg above straight-downwind, and hunt with your helm until you find the "turbo" spot. Now sail that line and look at your tells and tweak the sheets until they all break and flow simultaneously.

Like the man said, practice using that dropoff to escape from puffs- your upwind reflex to head up in times of trouble can surprise you with wet results.

Hi Eric,



I'm not sailing solo, but my wife is no more experienced than I am, actually a little less.



The rest of your message is clear, and I'll give it a try next time.



Thanks!



Jonathan

Thanks, Jake,



Yes, when I said "running downwind", I meant on a broad reach. I'm scared enough of an accidental jibe that I never go straight downwind anyway.



I am surprised that you say a cat can go faster than the wind on a broad reach, I knew that was possible on a beam reach or a close reach. And yes, the details of why this is possible would be very interesting indeed!



So if I interpret your message correctly, I'm not all that vulnerable to a puff on a broad reach, but you are also clear on the measures to take if I do encounter a strong one.



I do have a jib, so this is all directly applicable. I'll try to add this, together with other feedback received, to my "cheat sheet" and post what I come up with later today.



Jonathan

My feline? A Prindle 16.



Jonathan



"Felines, nothing more than felines...."

Ah, I did not mean heading dead downwind. I have been using the term "running" to refer to broad reach or running free. Is this an incorrect way to use the word? Similarly, I use the term "beating" to refer to close reach or close haul.



But yes, you are absolutely right about what I am really asking - "Where do I go when I am sheeted moderately tight or tighter, travelled out all the way and smoking along, and I get a gust?" And I appreciate your clear, detailed answer to the question.



We'll try light to moderate air at first, progressing to heavy air a little later, I think. We've been out only 3 times, since we've had the cat for two weeks now, and we got caught in a thunderstorm once. I want to start easy and build up to where I have some confidence we can handle the unexpected.



And yes, this sounds very helpful indeed!



Jonathan

Thanks! The embarrassing truth is I bought Rick's book, along with Phil Berman's and a few video tapes, and am still working my way through them. I'll check up on what it says in the Downwind chapter.



And thanks for the additional detail!



Jonathan

In order to make it all come together, it is absolutely necessary to read Ricks book and sale simultaneously.

If it's an older P 16 you can "reef" the main and this is a GREAT way to learn how to handle the boat in higher wind until you get comfrtable on the boat.



You will know if this is possible by looking at your mainsail- it will have a row of grommets in the panel 2 (?) up from the boom-



Kirt

Thanks, Kirk,



It *does* have a reefable sail, with only one row of grommets, which seems to take in about 1/3 of the sail.



Jonathan

"...Read Rick's book and sail simultaneously..."?!

Either you have the rare waterproof edition of Rick's book, or you're sailing way too cautiously!

Can someone please define TWIST OFF....



Are you speaking of traveller out and mainsheet off to open the leech? I am still trying to figure out the whole down wind equation and the last time I went to play with my boat on the water it was blowing 25. There was no time for expirimentation, just big fun.



No waves on an inland lake and that kind of breeze makes for unholy speed and devilish grins. I didnt bother to rotate anything. All I could think of was FLATTEN FLATTEN FLATTEN. My main looked like a board. Amazing how deep a cat can sail in a toot.



My point?.... It was imperative to [color:red] drive down in the puffs. While this did not burn much speed, it did allow the leward bow to come up to periscope depth at least. Honestly, I think the 6.0 likes to sail half under water.