This past weekend was the FANFARE Regatta at our local Nepean Sailing Club. Classes were 505, Albacore, Fireballs, and Open Catamaran, which meant I could sail with my wings in place on the SX18. (It's dryer that way, plus not enough time to take them off.)
Saturday, a cool but sunny day, had NW winds which were very fluky, with 5 -8 knots accompanied by gusts of up to 18 knots together with a 35 degree wind shift. By the end of the first race, I knew that my new crew would be able to cope, and we soldiered on as the wind (and the gusts) began to pick up.
So here is what happened - On the 2nd upwind leg in the 4th race, port tack, both of us out on the wing, and we are catching up to the Tornado. I cleated the main so I could shift my weight a touch forward, and as I was leaning in to uncleat the mainsheet, BAM, we get hit by both a gust and a wind shift. I tried to uncleat (unsuccessfully), and as I turned the H18SX into the wind, she corkscrewed, and I realized there was a problem. The starboard wing hit the water, and we could not save the situation without further forward momentum, and the slow capsize began.
No one was hurt, so all is good, other than my pride. Tell the crew to stay with the boat, furl the jib, release the main traveler and mainsheet, grab the righting line, and with some help from the Mark Set boat, the mast comes up. As both hulls are now in the water, I grab the dolphin striker, and the boat starts sailing away fast, really fast, leaving the crew behind.
How to get on board? Hanging onto the dolphin striker for dear life, I found that the pressure of the water on my legs was preventing me from raising myself up onto the hulls or the tramp. Yikes, what now? I made the decision to drift under the tramp (glug glug) and grabbed the rear cross bar, then put a hand on the tiller bar so I could turn the H18SX into the wind. Whew! She stopped, I climbed on board, tidied up the sheets, and went to rescue the crew. Dang, DNF. 4th place, so no free beer.
Besides the suggestion of losing weight or going the gym more often, has this 'pressure of water' problem happened to others, and how did you solve it?
In retrospect, what I did was potentially very dangerous, which is why I am posting. What else can cat sailors do after a capsize?
_________________ 2015 H16, with spin, SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..." 'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'
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