When the fit hits the shan

[kingfisher]

How to pitch pole a sports catamaran.
http://217.18.67.78/avkfotografie/rtx2002boothdercksen/

Photo's taken during the Round of Texel race last weekend

unfortunately Mitch booth got injured. But he's left the hospital today, and is recovering.


Obi-Wan
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[BrianJ]

I couldn't open... ckeck the site for me again please.
Brianj

 

[WayneS]

worked fine for me

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

Thought cats tended to do this by burying the bow in a wave they are overtaking?

 

[gtmoore]

Re: Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

I've had this happen in flat conditions when the wind gusted while at speed and I had too much weight forward although both helm and crew look well back here.

I've never used a spinnaker with a cat so maybe that makes them more prone to a bow digging in?

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

It happens very easily in a reasonable amount of wind because cats with big sail areas need almost more attention to fore-and-aft trim than they do to lateral. As speed increases the crew need to steadily move aft. On some cats, notably the singlehanded Hobie Turbo, (a 14 with a jib) the top helms stand on the rudder to keep the bows up and above about a F6 it is almost impossible to move weight aft enough to prevent a pitchpole.

I speak as something of an expert. I have pitchpoled Hobies, Darts and Prindles countless times, occasionally doing severe damage to the boat and ourselves. Many were on inland waters. The worst was on Loch of Skene, W of Aberdeen, when we pichpoled a Prindle 18/2 in F6. The loch is very shallow and the bows hit the bottom. The boat stopped but we didn't. I broke two ribs on the bridle, i.e I was catapulted about 8 ft, and additionally received a perfect shackle-shaped bruise on my chest. Jill hit the shroud and did some damage to her lower back/pelvis that she still suffers from more than 15 years later. One hull was split over a length of about 4 ft.

Our main reason for giving up cat racing was the levels of damage being sustained to ourselves, especially to Jill, who suffered constant deep bruising to upper legs. There comes a point when these injuries begin to outweigh even the greatest pleasures, and I must say that cat racing was one for us. There are few thrills greater than a start line in a F4-5 with 100 other Darts or Hobies.

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

Astonishing.....gave up racing Dart18's after got caught at 1999 National Championships in F8. The cat lost her rudder extension in a cartwheel (not just a pitch-pole!) and the effort required to hold the rudder pintles getting back caused so much distortion/damage to muscles on left side of body that it took a year to recover proper use. My wife went out with me at Snettisham, got caught in a squall, and quickest way out was to drive the cat up the beach at a fair speed - never again, she said and she didn't. Best pitchpole was with my son - when the hull dug in and virtually stopped her, he flew round the front of the mast (still attached to the trapeze without restrainers which on Dart were lethal so never used them) and made a perfect, both feet, landing on the leeward hull. He had time to say "hi dad" before she went over.

By this time the kids had grown up, fleeing the nest, we found ourselves richer suddenly, and it was time for more sedate sailing!

Anyway, the picture (F18 or Hawk?) shows her with a gennaker. These were only just becoming class legal in 1999 and as far as I understand, these gennakers will, normally, hold the bows up but he's got his jib up as well so perhaps too much.

As you said, these cats were tremendous fun.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Nigrita Rum?

Must be something in that Aussie water down there Brian or is it becauses you are all upside down. That photo site worked OK for me, just copy the address from the original thread and paste it to the address line, then, even if you're seeing double it will all work out.

 

[gtmoore]

Re: Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

What always amazes me is the slow motion effect as the cat actually goes over. I remember a hull digging in whilst making good progress in Penang - the sea was full of jelly fish and I reckon I had a full 15 seconds hanging on time to contemplate swimming among them before I actually was!

This is obviously very different to a hull grounding when your "braking distance" suddenly matches that of a F1 car and all things unattached including crew and helm continue on their previous trajectories!!

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: Bizarrely, seems to be in relatively flat water

yes, at times it's in slow motion, almost surreal feeling. vyv's must have been vicious and very abrupt to break two ribs on the bridle wire.

I think these two in the photo might not have let go the jib - it's still cleated. Was always the crew's fault!!