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Home >> Sailing Tips & Technique >> capsize to windward
After doing all the excellent suggestions above, you find you still have the occasional capsize to windward, you can often save it by not coming into the boat.
 
If you hike out horizontally into the water, and stay in the hiking position, you will unweight the boat because your body will be in the water, supported by the water. So the boat won't capsize on top of you. If the lull is brief, you will be picked back up when the wind resumes. Sounds strange, but really works to stop a capsize. Yea, I know it is cold. 
 



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26/05/2015 16:38:51
mob
Posts: 38
Certainly for me Judy on the 9 rig, I have to force the first bit of bend in the mast with the main halyard when the kicker is at its loosest. So kicker off fully still gives slight bend in the mast. When sailing I never let off anything like full kicker off. Just too much power is lost out the leech. But that does prompt the leech forcing the boat to windward (like rudderless sailing) so you must revert back to full hiking to keep it flat, and especially fast tacks or you end up in irons each time. M


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26/05/2015 09:57:29
Matt Thursfield
Posts: 33
Thank you, these are all really helpful. I can get the kicker block to block easily so maybe I need to adjust it. I did think there was very little kicker adjustment. However, I also thought that RS must have a reason for supplying it like this ???!


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24/05/2015 22:36:02
Judysail
Posts: 2
As Matt says - The kicker well on makes a big difference. It gives a much more gradual release of power. I can't pull the kicker hard enough on its own with the 9 (can on the 7) - I have to sheet in really hard and then snatch the kicker tight. I've shortened the strops on the kicker a couple of times because I was making the blocks touch.
 
When I first got the boat I found it very easy to over-correct - like losing the back end of a car in a skid and over correcting. You have to correct small and early. There's less inertia and inherent stability in the hull with it being light and narrow so you have to react sooner.  More kicker makes the transition less abrupt and helps de-power the rig. 
 
First capsize I had was exactly that - to windward on a beat.  Fingers crossed but it hasn't happened recently. Smooth everything down and also try to keep looking to windward to see when the next gust/lull is coming.
 
Gareth 



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22/05/2015 13:57:10
Gareth
Posts: 165
Hi Judy, Yes I know the feeling and after a couple of windward dumps I thought I better work it out. Basically I realised I was being lazy with the main sheet . I realised that if I was more physical with the main sheet while sailing upwind nicely, then I never heeled to leeward to far which requires too much main sheet ease and in you go to windward. So, please try keeping the boat flat in the first place and in a comfortable hiking position, when you then see/ feel a gust ease a little sheet which will also increase speed if flat and pull back on when gust easing. Don't wait for the boat to heel before easing some sheet. Without being rude, I think you may be just allowing the boat to heel to leeward too far in the first place requiring too much ease and speed loss causing that humbling feeling of going in to windward. With practise, you will become very good at main sheet playing and your performance will improve dramatically and you will enjoy your boat even more. Just my opinion.


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21/05/2015 00:36:44
Brian
Posts: 20
Hi Judy. My dad kept having this in the gusts at the weekend at Chelmarsh. A few solutions that seem a bit strange but worth trying. 1- got to have kicker on - more than would consider. That keeps the leech powered as release main in a gust so no extreme loss of power which could prompt windward capsize. 2- make sure ratchet on so again no sudden loss of power as release main in gust. 3. must have full board down. The loss of the sideways resistance will be felt as lull hits that could lead to windward trouble. I don't even raise on a reach as too much sideways slippage. 4. Shorten toe strap. 5. Gets those abs toned!!!! I try to hike like a trooper and at 6'4" it's a long way back for me. Matt


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20/05/2015 22:05:31
Matt Thursfield
Posts: 33
Hi,
 
I am a reasonably experienced sailor ( sailed lasers and RS500). I love my aero to bits but it keeps tipping me in to windward when beating. I have never experienced this in any other boat ( only deathrolling down wind in my laser). It happens so quickly I cant find a way of preventing it. I have sailed on some very gusty, shifty days but I am used to that. I am at a loss as to how to prevent it but the water is rather cold at the moment!!!!
Judy



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20/05/2015 17:02:06
Judysail
Posts: 2


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