We have better tacking days and worse. In general they are getting better and better. We've tried a few ways of doing this but what follows seems to be the procedure that's working.
Tacking is a teamsport, and getting it right can make all the difference in upcoming crosses with our competitors.
- Prep
- As soon as we've tacked we get ready to tack again, the lazy sheet on the winch with no slack to the sail, the working sheet belayed ready to run free.
- Ideally the helm gives some warning - "Tacking in five boat lengths", though this is not always posible
- Helm: call "ready to tack". Everyone responds "Ready" of course... if not clearly call "NOT ready and give a time estimate, "NOT ready, need 30 seconds". Timing of tacks is normally critical happening either in response to the wind, or a tactical decision based on the fleet positions
- Main: Secures the lazy traveller to prevent the main running across the boat
- Trimmers: Makes sure enough wraps are on the new winch with the handle in place
- Trimmers: Make sure the new jib lead is in the power position (#7 with our secondary #1 sail, #5 with our 3Di #1).
- Helm: call "Helms a lee"
- Tacking
- Main: Release the backstay
- Main: as the boat starts turning the main trimmer goes to the low side and releases the working jib sheet as the headsail luffs. This makes sure there is space for the trimmers and tailer who otherwise often pin the main trimmer highside.
- Tailer: Start aggresively tailing, watching the clew position, when it reaches "just the right place" [which for a #1 headsail is around the shrouds on the new side and before the sail starts to fill] the tailer launches themselves to the new high side taking the line with them and continues applying pressure from the high side. If timed correctly this pulls the sail inside the lifelines and leaves it in about the power position. Thinking about it we should mark the lines so this is can be done consistently.
- Grinder: Grind the drum as fast as possible, this makes sure overrides spin out and means there is no pause between tailing and trimming.
- Bow: Skirt
- Main: Bring the traveller up to the new side. Wait until the sail fills and then let a little sheet out (unless in strong winds) as the helm drives down to meet the headsail's power position. Use the fine tune to let this sheet out.
- Helm: Drive down a little (sail to the headsail in it's power position)
- Grinder: The grinder becomes the trimmer. We're looking for the head of the sail to be about a hands width outside the top spreader for the initial power position.
- Recovery
- Trimmer: As speed builds (>5 knots) starts letting the jib lead come back to the pointing position, about #3 for the crappy headsail, perhaps #1 for the good sail. At the same time trim in further until the base is close to the shrouds and the top of the sail just about touching the shrouds. In low winds the tailer can manage the jib lead while the trimmer trims in the headsail to its final pointing position.
- Helm: Bring the boat up as the headsail changes to its pointing positions
- Main: Bring the fine tune in to close the leech and drive the boat up.
- Main: As speed builds pull the backstay back on
The backbone of a good tack here is - start with full wraps on the winch and the handle in. Spin that handle and the grinder goes straight into trim mode.
Modifications
- Light winds
- Roll tacking, pit forwards shifts weight low at the start of the turn to help the boat around, swaps back to the original side (now the low side) as the sails fill and shift back high side to bring the boat back upwards.
- Leave the sails a bit deeper, leave the jib lead forwards closer to the power position
- Really light winds - just trying to get the boat moving.
- Perhaps flatten the sails again
- Take up another sport
- Strong winds
- Go straight to pointing trim rather than fighting the under powered jib lead (we're going to beef these up a bit but likely still a bit underpowered). Not roll tacking, weight goes highside and hikes as hard as possible
- Waves
- Trim: Leave a bit more twist in the main sails, don't sheet in quite so hard.
- Helm: Time the tack so the next wave helps pull the bow down on the new side
- Single handed
- With autopilot:
- Lock main traveller, get both jib sheets in hand
- Trigger tack on AP (-1&-10 or +1&+10).
- Sheet like mad to power position
- Trim main quickly
- Adjust AP to get sails pulling
- Start fine tuning
- Get back on helm and sail to the wind
- Without autopilot
- Same as above but using the wheel lock and stopping the tack from in front of the wheel
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