If you sail hard, in heavy conditions, pitch poles are inevitable, though their frequency can be reduced. Previous posters have covered the bases on ways to avoid/reduce pitchpoling. Pitchpoling is pretty much the only way I capsize anymore and usually it is because of either of two reasons. 1) It is blowing so damn hard (25-30+) that I can't get close enough to the wind to tack and have to jibe then loose it while taking off like a bat out of hell (either by ramming into the back of a big wave, getting the sail across, or poor rudder control). 2) Beam or broad reach, with weight back, sailing fast and bury the leaward hull into a wave (usually during a gust). The main point is a lot of pitchpoles can be avoided with 'surfing the waves' using good rudder control. On the plus side, sailing in big wind is really challenging, exciting, fun and fast (I've been over 20 knots several times). I almost always am in a wet suit and always in a PFD, so the suit/life jacket takes a lot of the abuse.
Login
Register
FAQ
