capsize problem ...

Hello,

Thank you all heaps for your helpfull tips. No one else I know sails a Pico, everyone at the club prefers Lasers for singlehanded stuff. I have an old laser 4.7, which other people keep trying to encourage me into (I think they think at 38 I am too old to sail a bright yellow pico - I disagree!). However I have only sailed that a couple of times as I am very fond of my Pico and prefer it (normally not yesterday thoug!)

So my plan is

1) watch my tell tales more and remember what they mean

2) let the sail out more (gently!) on a windy reach and stop being such a scaredy cat. try and sit out more to heel boat to windward a little downwind ( eeeek!) , or at least dont let it heel to leeward

3) pull on more not less kicker, centre board down more

4) practice a lot more ! (the fun bit)

A couple of specific thingies

Nick A - Worryingly I already only use the sport sail, and my own homemade but much better than normal kicker, so I cant improve there ! I sometimes wonder if the sport sail is too big for me ( I am only 52 kg and maybe less now after all those calories burnt swimming around at the weekend!) when its windy - apparently the sail area 6.44 m2, so bigger than a laser radial (which I am apprently too light for) but then the Pico hull is quite heavy and more stable compared to a normal laser as well. I am thinking I will be OK even in strong winds if I improve my technique, wondered what your thoughts were. Also any tips on hiking out well, I find it difficult as the sides are quite curved and smooth ( compared to the laser) so i hover nervously on the side which is not as effective !

Umm what is pitch poling, is it where you and the boat do a somersault ?? If so I have not done it yet, but I'm sure it wont be long ! sounds scary though......

ColPrice 2002 - That makes lots of sense. I was wondering - do you mean that lots of weather helm is to be expected anyway if you are on a broad reach when windy due to the wind pushing the sail. Or if you get it balanced right with the sail out correctly, boat flat etc will the rudder be nice and light again. In light/moderate winds I dont really need to use the rudder much, sail and weight is enough to steer it, but this is just something I learnt recently so its not instinctive yet.

GRF - Photos of other people swimming always make me feel better !

Thanks for your help again

Claire

Originally posted by clairey GRF - Photos of other people swimming always make me feel better !

Please don't encourage him. I'd say he is jelous as he doesn't have a famous face but then again he didn't do this on his first sail in a new boat....

(this is another forum member - merlinboy)

I don't think you are likely to pitchpole a Pico unless you go out in some monster waves, so don't let that one bother you!

Originally posted by MattK i have tried to pitchpole a pico many times, and they simply will not do it, even when i ploughed it down the back of a wave in a force 4-5 sat at the front, with a mate running forward of the mast, they just go down a bit, screw up and capsize conventionally

Yeah it's fun playing submarines!

Sailing with my kids, lean forwards downwind, get the bow under and completely fill the boat, until it's completely underwater. ( but don't try it if it's too windy or things might break. )
I sail my ( I mean the kids ) pico if it's windy. The race sail works better in a breeze, it twists off better, and goes flatter so it's more controllable, and is more fun downwind.

Keeping flat is the main thing - ease the sheet a upwind in the puffs to keep the boat flat and moving - don't just sheet in and pinch, because then it goes very slowly and sideways.

Downwind in a breeze, sailing by the lee is faster, but more tricky. If you sail by the lee, heeled to winward slightly, the boat is balanced with no force required on the tiller. When a puff hits, the boat heels the wrong way ( to windward) , you need to sheet in a bit to keeo the top of the sail in the right place ( because the rig bends and stretches ), a small rudder correction to keep the boat under the rig, and it just whizzes away.  Which is better than the alternative of the boat heeling away from you to leeward, the rudder loading up and you are unable to bear away due to the rudder load, and the rudder coming out of the water.

MattK & AndyP speak words of truth - a pitchpole should be the aim of every keen pico sailor, but I know no-one who's ever managed it. 

What happens when you head down wind with the weight too far forward is that the nose goes down, the back goes up and water washes over the bows whilst the boat appears to sink .... BUT IT WON'T FLIP.  You can then put your weight right at the back, pop out the nose and set off like a ball from a cannon. Endless hours of fun.

Regarding effective hiking, the pico is WIDE and very bouyant.  As it heels it hoiks you, and that heavy hull, up in the air; which is how you can manage more sail area than a radial on it. But to go a reasonable speed and reasonably in the right direction you need to keep it flat - and at your weight in F4/5 that's going to be a fight.  There is no easy technique.  Basically lean out backwards until your shoulders nearly touch the water, if it heels despite that, shove hips down and chest up to thrutch it firmly back upright..   It will give you tummy muscles to die for!  No sitting up.

I weigh 76kg and am tall enough to hike out with my knees around those curved sides and my bum in free space.  And I only have the ordinary sail (plus a jib, sometimes).But I have most fun in F6+.   

The thing about heeling the boat to windward when reaching, is that it puts the centre of effort of the sail over the centre line of the boat, so you get less weather helm and less tendency for the boat to screw up wind.  The sail is higher in the sky and catches more wind.  So it's faster.  It's also wobblier.  This is really a laser technique which does work on a pico but to a lesser extent as the flat bottomed pico doesn't sail so well when heeled as a laser does.  Bit advanced really.  All but the best laser sailors only do it in light wind.

You don't mention up wind - a lot of people sit too far back (ie where they would be if they had a crew).  Don't.  Sit forward.  Fit a front footstrap and put one foot under it.  Otherwise it goes slowly .. and sideways.

As with other hiking boats: drink more beer, eat more pies, do many sit ups.

Edited by NickA