MOD 70 Capsizes in Dublin Bay ... frightening to watch
- Thread starter Euphonyx
- Start date
westernman
Well-Known Member
Why did they not let go the sheets?
They had plenty of time.
They had plenty of time.
30boat
N/A
They didn't let the main go,strange.And it wasn't very frightening...
Euphonyx
Well-Known Member
well I was frightened fro the crew. See the way the rig disinetgrated and the hulls come crashing down on the crew in the water? Its a big machine. I was sure someone was badly hurt.. or worse. In the end one guy airlifted to hospital with back injuries but seems he's going to be ok. Lucky
30boat
N/A
There was one guy hurt the French guy was saying.Hopefully not seriously.It took a while for the rig to break and the hulls to come crashing down.I saw a crew climbing down a rope,it was a long way down.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
When I raced far smaller multihulls we used a 6:1 mainsheet purchase. Presumably these things use some astronomical ratio. It must take a long time for all that rope to pull through.
Not especially frightening.but there is always some risk of injury. We have both suffered fractures and serious bruising in spectacular capsizes and those boats were only 18 foot cats.
Woodlouse
Well-Known Member
Looks like it was a down wind leg. Letting the sheets go would keep the sails powered up as the apparent wind would go aft as the boat slowed down.
Also, with loads like they'll have on those boats you cannot simply whip the line off the winch drum and dump the sheet. Not in the 5 seconds they had before the point of no return.
Also, with loads like they'll have on those boats you cannot simply whip the line off the winch drum and dump the sheet. Not in the 5 seconds they had before the point of no return.
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30boat
N/A
Yes those are weird contratpions....
westernman
Well-Known Member
Yes you can. In those conditions a crew member should be holding the main sheet with three turns around the winch drum. Like that it is easy to hold - only requires a modest amount of load to stop it slipping.
Just completely let go of the sheet and it will go out at a fantastic speed - you do not want to be hold on to it - it will burn your hands.
They were not hard on the wind - but a long way off from running before it. There are effectively conditions in a mulithull where rounding up will cause a capsize (and if done too quickly the centrifugal force alone will tip you over), and bearing away (and if done too quickly you will dig in the leward bow and pitchpole0 will increase the force on the sails.
But in any case, dumping the sheets when pinned in like that will bring the windward hull back down into the water very quickly.
You can check the apparent wind on the jib of the boat in front - it is lifting at the top.
Dumping the sheets would have stopped the capsize (and they would have lost getting on for 500m or so before getting back up to speed again).
saltylegs
Well-Known Member
I thought most of the big racing multi's had rapid dump main systems or even automatic one such as this http://www.ganovelli-concept.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=47
click on "documentation" and open the PDF formore info.
click on "documentation" and open the PDF formore info.
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CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Well-Known Member
Clearly they made a mistake; with so many crew on the yacht they should have been ready for the eventuality of capsizing and should have taken appropriate measures. However, this type of mistakes it is part of sailing and can be fun if no one is hurt.
We used to sail small cats and trimarans and jumping off before the yacht capsizes, is always more difficult than jumping off a monohulls.
We used to sail small cats and trimarans and jumping off before the yacht capsizes, is always more difficult than jumping off a monohulls.
Woodlouse
Well-Known Member
You can see the true wind angle by the way the flag on the capsized boats shroud flies straight forwards just after the masthead hits the water. The boat has swerved more down wind by this time indicating a broad reach when they started to go over.
With loads such as you'll get on a boat like that the man on the main sheet would have more than just three turns on the winch and just dropping the sheet won't necessarily release it from the friction of the drum immediately.
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>Looks like it was a down wind leg.
I'm not sure about that it looked as though they were going upwind, the port outrigger dug in, the boat turned crosswind and was blown over. It was so fast there was no time to release the sheets.
I'm not sure about that it looked as though they were going upwind, the port outrigger dug in, the boat turned crosswind and was blown over. It was so fast there was no time to release the sheets.
Finbar
Well-Known Member
They were broad reaching with a NW wind, more or less blowing straight off the East Pier. Not exceptionally windy, about 20 to 25 knots, but very gusty. Amazing boats, they regularly sail at great speed with the centre keel out of the water, balancing only on the leeward keel. Apparently the first capsize since they were built two years ago. She is back right way up on the harbour pontoon today with people swarming all over her, but will need a new mast rigged before she leaves. I wondered how they got her right way up in the harbour, must have brought in a major crane. The injured crewman reported to be more or less ok, talk of a broken pelvis.