Tuesday 1 September 2009

Hiking out

So in principal we all agree that to balance the boat is important especially when on a close haul...centre board stays deep keeping the boat pointing upwind as much as possible and it does not act as a rudder trying to turn the boat...right!!

Also, we agree that the proper technique for hiking is legs straight and back slightly bent to get the weight out with as little effort as possible.....this works for me at the helm as the Topper Xenon does not have any cosy area for the helm to sit and it's great to stretch the legs....

What I have found in my 1x season as a skipper/helmsman is the tendancy of some new crews not to not want to lean over the edge of the boat and get their weight out but a preference to lie across the middle (i.e. feet against one side of the boat and head at other which is possible in a Xenon as it is about 2m wide).

BALANCE THE BOAT they'll hear me say.

Anyway here is an excellent article on what I am on about   http://www.uiowa.edu/~sail/skills/racing_basics/chap4.shtml @ Mark Johnson

2 comments:

  1. Hi captain can go sailing on sunday, but my phone has lost all its numbers. the barman

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  2. Great - I have finally figured out how adjusting the cunningham (and what that is) effects the luff and where it should be set so we might point a little better.....er in theory.

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