Reducciendo potencia con vientos frescos

Entramos en el otoño y en pocos días empezaremos a sentir en Canarias las colas de las borrascas atlánticas.  Es por ello que nos ha parecido interesante colgar aquí un articulo de George Szabo, gran snipista norteamericano, donde explica que debemos hacer para conseguir un buen trimado cuando el viento sube de los 15 nudos. 

Aunque está en inglés no es dificil su lectura, aun así al final podréis encontrar las palabras más técnicas traducidas para poder seguirlo con facilidad. Esperamos que os guste.

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This year I wasn’t able to sail Don Q to defend our win last year, but I was able to spend two days in a powerboat watching sail trim. The two days had breeze from 15-20 knots, which made for a wet powerboat ride, but for some interesting watching as well. Taking numerous pictures of sail trim, it was simply amazing at just how many different variations there were to tune to go fast in breeze. The pictures show a number of ways you can shape your Quantum BW-2 main, and PS-5 jib.

In light air, rounder sails with draft aft are faster. In light-medium air, we want to add power so we can hike sooner and point higher. Once it gets to medium breeze, and we are overpowered, we need to begin adding shroud tension to flatten the sails. The flatter sails also help us switch from a pointing mode to a mode where we foot faster forward to get more flow over the centerboard to create point.

In 15 to 20 knots, we know that flatter, and quiet sails, with zero helm are the way to go, but how do you get there? At Don Q, sticking with the increased tension shown on the tuning guide was a faster. Slower boats had looser shrouds, full jibs, full mainsails, and not enough vang. While faster boats had more tension, more forestay tension, and flatter sails and eased jibsheets.

There are several ways to flatten the jib. More forestay tension (accomplished through more shroud tension) is the best. 2nd, keeping the last foot, of the middle seam of the jib, parallel to center-line is fast. If you can’t get enough forestay tension to keep the jib flat, you may need to move the lead aft one hole. Over 18 knots, moving the lead outboard 2-3 inches to reduce the return in the bottom of the jib is also faster. Easing the jib to 17-18” on the splash rail is better as well. For the mainsail, we want to make it flatter, but we want to keep it quiet (not flogging) and in ‘one piece’. By one piece, I mean that the sail must be balanced from top to bottom – for instance if we let the aft puller all the way off, the bottom might be nice and flat, but the top

would be full and twisty, and we would not be going as fast as possible. Increasing shroud tension is the first thing to be done, 2nd, easing the aft puller to flatten the overall section is good. Third, increasing cunningham tension to keep the draft between the front two numbers (on Starboard tack) is good as well. Vang tension to flatten the main is also thing. Lastly, if you drop the traveler significantly (10 inches) and sheet HARD on the mainsheet, you will flatten your main even more, and you will increase your forestay tension – flattening the jib even more. Hiking hard and trying to foot over the guy to leeward of you helps too.

Don Q:regata anual en EEUU.
Shroud: obenques

jibsheets: escotas de foque
pointing mode:más ceñido
vang: trapa