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Light wind downwind

A technique for downwind sailing I have recently discovered is to 'Kite' the boat.

Kitiing means sitting out on the windward side and heeling the boat over towards you such that the hull chine becomes your keel, and the mast now overhangs the windward side deck.

For boom stability it has to be accompanied with the boom set slightly forward, afew degrees, of abeam, i.e. ahead of 90 degrees off the centreline.
Top Lase sailors whom I sail with sail with boom ahead in very light wind. Some also heel the boat. Unlike the Aero the Laser has a rounded hull and lower freeboard, so it cannot be done to the extreme possible in an Aero; particularly an Aero with the 9 rig stepped.

So far I have managed to sail my Aero like this on starboard tack, boom out to port. When I have outsailed lasers, and most other 'Slow Single Handed Fleet '', the group I start with in my club, boats.

I have yet to s'Kite' on port, boom out to starboard. The Kicker / Vang contacts the multiple Cunningham blocks at the mast foot and prevent inhibit the boom going forward of abeam, 90 degrees + from centreline.

It takes some balancing to sail smoothly, weight is balancing sail pressure. And steering input needs to be minimal if any speed, way, is to be maintained.

If a gust catches the main sheet must be pulled in immediately to bring the boom inboard of abeam and weight shifted to lower the heel; else the boat will come over on top of you, capsize to windward.

I would emphasise that I sail on a large inland lake and don't have waves to contend with in light wind.

Has anyone else managed to 'Kite' downwind on Port Tack, boom out to starboard?

WARNING: Permitting the boom to go forward of abeam will have a consequence in stronger wind. I have found it can take only a few degrees past abeam for the boom and sail to pin the boat down in a capsize; even with the 5 sail rigged. And make it difficult to bring the boat back upright without assistance.

30/01/2021 16:04:00
Jonathan Rickels
Posts: 120

My suggestion is to position your body (center of mass) at about the dagger board to lift the stern out of the water. If you are sitting (or kneeling) in the cockpit behind the main sheet block, then moving fwd should allow you to stay with or be slightly faster than the Lasers. If the wind comes up above about 8 knots, be careful sitting this far fwd. While I think it is still very fast, the Aero gets squirrely with weight that far fwd. The other obvious solution is to switch to your 9 sail when the wind is light.

19/10/2018 00:32:00
Posts: 0

Also use an elastic to fully release the outhaul and Cunningham. Sam Whaleyâ€™s lates tips video shows the easiest set up for that.

12/10/2018 01:04:00
[email protected]
Posts: 64

Thanks for the tips, will give it a go. I don't think they are any lighter, perhaps I am using too much rudder. When I ease the outhaul and cunningham the sail gets large creases and without enough pressure from wind to push them out it loses it's laminar shape completely. To get rid of the diagonal creases in the sail I have to pull the vang a long way on. By which point, the leech is v tight.

11/10/2018 19:28:00
James Penn
Posts: 3

Use a JC strap. Some vang is good, but try different settings. No cunningham, loose outhaul. Weight very far forward. Turn using body weight only, no rudder. At least a bit of lift in sail, either by the lee (esp. light air) or broad reach. Are those passing you significantly lighter? Lesser weight makes a huge difference in light downwind.

10/10/2018 01:38:00
[email protected]
Posts: 64

I'm really struggling to get my Aero 7 going well in very light downwind conditions (i.e. hardly enough pressure to push the boom out). Upwind I pull away from the Lasers, downwind they run straight passed me.

Does anyone have any advice on sail trim? In these conditions I get slow looking creases in the sail running from tack to batten. When I pull on enough vang to remove the creases, the leech looks horrible!

09/10/2018 11:43:00
James Penn
Posts: 3

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