Boating chit chat thread.

I said that I understand that it's difficult to bear away with a powered up main.

I'm repeating myself here, but...

I don't understand why the boat stood upright rather than heeling more when bareing away with a sheeted in main.

Generally speaking am I right in thinking that if you are close hauled and bare away without easing the sails, the boat will heel extremely to leeward?

If you are close hauled and can bear away, the boat will come upright.

Good protest decision. I co-owned a fractional rig half-tonner for several years, back before they were allowed to be modified by an in-fill piece between the rudder and the fin keel. That was done to add/aid directional stability. They were highly skittish downwind in a following sea as the rudder often was half out of the water. Similarly, close hauled the power of the mail could lay the boat over, minimizing the ‘verticality’ and the function of the rudder. That could be countered in gusts by spilling wind using the main sheet, but if the weather was heavy it could be achieved by reducing the slot by using the traveller and using the mainsheet occasionally. The wind was only 14 knots at the time of the dismasting incident so anything about steering-way is IMO irrelevant.

Supposedly five boat lengths apart before the start of the manouver- 150 feet/45m? That lots of space. 2Farr passed too close when trying to pass astern, simple. Back-wing from Headhunter, or too much weight to weather in a momentary lull could have cause a heel to weather. Everyone – including the helm – appears to have been on the weather side. No mention of anyone calling starboard on the protest docs shown.

Very tough on Headhunter, hope their crew is OK. 2Farr was lucky their crew did not have legs injured on the weather deck!

Just curious, is that what they call nailing the start?