I have been practicing tacking, and I'm a little stumped.
When I go from a starboard tack (the "good" tack) to a port tack, I can
make a pretty smooth tack. I'm working on a roll tack. I'd say I have the
motion down. I'm just a little conservative about it now. That is, I'm not
getting as wet as I should!
Anyway, when going the other way, from a port tack to a starboard tack, I
am more likely to stall. Often I make the tack too slowly to work in
strong winds. (The Sunfish is not symmetrical, and I don't think it points
as high on the port tack. That means while tacking, I have to turn the
boat through a greater angle, and while it's pointing into the wind, it
doesn't have as much power to keep the boat moving forward. That might be
the source of the problem.)
So, while tacking from a port tack to a starboard tack, if I push the
tiller hard, I lose a lot of speed, so that's not a good strategy. If I
ease into it first and then give the tiller a little more of a shove,
sometimes that works. Are there any techniques I should consider? I find
it harder to get the boat to lean to windward, which is what I want during
a roll tack. Should I just hike harder?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Charles Neuman
Long Island, NY
P.S. For those who don't know what a roll tack is, check out the Sunfish
Bible. It explains it with pictures. It's a technique of tacking that is
especially useful for racing.
