Recent strong downwind mishaps of Martin Hewitt & Nigel Rolfe published on Facebook plus my own several started me wondering whether techniques I'd learnt on a Dinghy Instructor course & Catamaran sailing would be applicable to sailing the Aero better in these conditions?

 

Dinghy Instructor Course:-

I did my assessment in wind gusting over 30 mph in a 2000.  Controlling speed downwind was by sitting well back and sheeting in the main hard; such that flow over the mainsail reversed!!  

 

To ease sheet pressure & maintain trim, prevent the bow sinking, required a flat sail and straight leech; ie precise sail tune: cunnigham off, outhaul max out for flat  sail, kicker set for straight leech - neither curl nor twist off in the upper part.

 

Now I'm sure this can be done in the Aero, but to transition rapidly to this mode of sailing from the usual downwind mode: boom out, outhaul & kicker set for max depth, curvature in the sail, crew forward & centered is just not going to happen when a slammer comes through - witness Martin.

 

However if you're  already sailing downwind Catamaran style, continuously heading-up onto a broad reach & then bearing away, i.e. playing the boundary between reaching, normal airflow over the sail, and running, then the transition will be much easier:  crew already on side deck and aft, boom already part in, in expectation of strong gusts sail already tuned for less depth, flat, similarly kicker tuned for straight leech.

 

The Aero does not have a significant reserve of bouyancy forward from the mast step, similar to catamarans; so possibly this way of sailing downwind maybe the way to go?

 

Another question would be: at what wind strength would broad (deep ?) reaching downwind be faster than running?  Strong wind survival conditions, or moderate to light?

Comments, particularly trial results would be a welcome addition to the Aero sailing technique body of knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just had my first day's racing in 1741. Not much wind at all most of the time. Upwind I was fine and competitive. Downwind I was not. I was on pretty much a dead run (hadn't read the "by-the-lee" posts at that stage). I had enough kicker on to take out the vertical crease at the front but virtually no cunningham. I'd be grateful for your views on the best approach to sail tirm for a run.

 

 Thanks in advance,

 

Ivor K

Agree with Brian.

 

We just had our first Aero regatta and some Lasers joined in too.

 

Sailing by the lee when under 10 knots was fast. Faster than broad reaching by an equivalent amount from dead downwind. But you need to move, just like in a Laser. Don't just sit there. Heel the boat to weather, but not too much. The Aero doesn't like that. Then trim the main using the aft 2 lines. i.e. directly from the boom with a light touch. Ease a little, bear away deeper by the lee and the boat will heel a touch more. Look for a low spot in the waves and then flatten and got straighter to the mark. Then repeat. Be gentle and don't rock the boat too much in light air as it will disturb the flow.

 

Look for an opportunity to broad reach if the wind shifts to get you back closer to the rhumb line. Your speed can really jump if the wind shifts to the windward side and you get a good angle to reach a little. But it is very easy to come up to high and sail too long a distance. So be careful. 

I've recently come to the Aero from a laser, so I'll put the question more simply, (hopefully for some response). Am I doing wrong, sailing the Aero by-the-lee downwind?

 

Cliff W.