Dave_Noakes
New Member
Thanks for all the responses - lots of good advise to ponder while decorating a bedroom this afternoon /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Dave
Dave
Main Sheet Traveller
- Thread starter Dave_Noakes
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AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Another way to control power when you are hard on the wind is to pinch. This is only really effective in smaller tiller steered boats, because you need to be able to steer quickly, and have good feedback from the rudder (an early warning that you are going too far is a change in helm force). It's a very close boundary though between slightly pinching to reduce power sufficiently to bring the boat to an acceptable angle of heel, and over-doing it, and completely losing boat speed. It requires 100% concentration from a non-distracted helm to work. An additional advantage is that as long as you can keep boat speed up, you can claw your way to windward. You can see some people doing this very effectively on a breezy day when racing, they seem to be able to float upwind of the other boats on a beat.
It doesn't really work if there is much of a sea running, when a wave will be able to knock you past the optimum point, and into the stopped dead zone.
It doesn't really work if there is much of a sea running, when a wave will be able to knock you past the optimum point, and into the stopped dead zone.