Broach?

[Joe Pasciak]

Just wondering how to keep the viper on it feet.   Are there any suggestions on avoiding broaching
on strong wind jibes?   Do you keep the main sheeted as suggested to provide backstay support for the
mast or do you let it out until you get back rolling?   I didn't over steer downwind but yet ended up broaching
(only one crew and she said that we got hit with a gust). Yea, more weight might have helped...

Thanks,

Joe (Sailing 101).

[Jay Harrell]

When gybing, the more wind, the more you have to bear off when the main is coming over.  Not after - at the same time.  And for recovery, you do have to ease the main and/or vang - moderation is the key.

Here's what Drew has to say on the topic....

Viper 640 - SF Bay - Breezy Conditions (sic)

I um...er.....have some experience in crashing.... LMAO.

We have it to an art.

Boat spins out remarkably easy as it jumps off of a 4' wave in 25+. The rudder just sort of dangles in mid-air. Need to add another 3' to the damn thing (6' rudder?), maybe a a little control wing at the bottom. Bora, Where are you?

As the boat lies down, #1 (helm) leaves Gnav on, but eases main to knot (boom 10" from shrouds), #2 (kite trimmer) big ease on kite sheet, #3 (jib trim/tactics) dumps off 6-8 feet of kite halyard as #2 &1 move back to the nuke (stern quarter) position. On a three count, the #3 rolls to the quarter with #2 & 1, hoisting the kite halyard on the move, calls the full hoist (2 block) and straps in for a simultaneous hike from all three...as the boat rolls to windward, #2 pulls a ton of sheet on, #1 trims in the main and the boat just squirts away off on about 165? AWD. Kind of like waterstarting a windsurfer. Works great, especially if you get to practice it as much as us :lol:

We keep saying we're gonna get this on film someday. Will try to this summer.

[Jeff Jones]

Joe - the last day of Miami was epic breeze..  we were able to keep the boat on it's feet and didn't crash once.  We probably finished the final race in easily +25, maybe gusts into the 30 range.  Below is my .02 for keeping the boat under control.

The line between epic speed and "out of control" is very fine.  There's very little warning for the driver and zero for the trimmer.    Here are a few things that help me stay ahead of the curve
1) Driver has to constantly communicate with the trimmer.   As soon as there's any hint that you'd loosing helm the trimmer has to give a big ease and all crew need to throw in a max hike.   That has to happen immediatly. 

2) Dont max-hike all the time, at least have the front guy lean in a little when your ripping down-hill.  That gives you a little extra righting moment when get those "oh hell" moments.   That said, you have to be very agressive with your communication to the boys' up front.   

3) When you jybe, make sure you're at max speed and drive through the jybe pretty quick so you dont slow down much.  However, dont heat up much out of the jybe..  stay deep until everyone is in position.  I come out of a jybe and ask my crew "ready" before heating up.. the front guy stay's in a little so we have that little extra just in case it gest crazy.

Practice..  your new to the boat - so it's good that your crashing .. means you're sailign the boat hot as you should.   Best thing to do is to strap on your PFD and get out there every time the breeze is on.. 

All any extra weight will do is slow the boat down, putting more load on the boat, making it easier to lay er' down.   

[Matt Rowlinson]

One small footnote to Jeff's points above--my experience gybing in heavy air is that, as Jeff says, you don't want to come out of the gybe too hot--but also that if you are too cautious and stay really low, the chute can stay in the lee of the mainsail.  This can result in the spinn sheet ending up over the main boom.  Anyone else had this one?

[Lee Shuckerow]

When it's windy just do safety jibes. They prevent you from wiping out and are very easy.

[Dave Dougall]

Lee....What do you mean by "safety jibe"?   As for broaching, I thought that was what happens on a simetrical chute going too low and having the main fly across.  I believe what happens on a viper is that after the jibe, that the chute loads up too quickly and the boat flopps over to leward.

[Jay Harrell]

 As for broaching, I thought that was what happens on a simetrical chute going too low and having the main fly across.  I believe what happens on a viper is that after the jibe, that the chute loads up too quickly and the boat flopps over to leward.

You could call it a "Round Up" instead of "Broach" if you want.

So Lee - care to step us through your safety gybe?

[Drake Borer]

After my fantastic broaching display (where I went overboard and the boat continued on), I am quite interested in this "safety jibe" thing.

If anyone's interested, the boat goes faster on it's side than your average guy can swim:)

[Brian Shores]

I think by "safety gybe" Lee means that you oversheet the kite going into the gybe and let it blow through the fore-triangle.  This is done on skiffs to avoid the kite loading up before the main comes across.  I've also seen it done on Melges 32's.  Continuous spin sheets that don't catch on the forestay are necessary for this to happen.