Maximum Wind

Hello,

I'm just wondering if anyone has some thoughts about how much wind is too much for the Getaway.

I went sailing last weekend in high wind (30 knots gusting to 40 knots), and found the boat almost impossible to control - although this might be due to my inexperience (2 years with the Getaway, and 3 or 4 with a Laser).

I generally find that if the wind is greater than 20 knots, it becomes much more difficult to tack the boat. Even when the sails are tightly sheeted in, as the bow comes to wind, it seems to stop the boat dead in its tracks. Tried turning slowly, different crew placements, etc. I always back-wind the jib until the boat completes the tack, and I also loosen the main as the boat goes through the wind.

The only time it tacks well in high wind is when I have the boat loaded to full capacity - this seems to generate enough momentum to always make the tack.

After blowing multiple tacks last weekend, and coming close to a rocky shore, I tried a jibe which was a pretty scary experience in high wind. I first "beared off" a bit too quickly from the wind, and it buried the leeward hull pretty good. The jibe was really, really fast, and we almost dumped the boat before we balanced things out.

We decided to call it quits after about 30 minutes - but we were quite a bit upwind of our destination. The sailing downwind was exciting but scary too. Completely furled the jib to slow the boat down a bit, but we were still blasting over some pretty big waves, with not much opportunity to further slow the boat down. It was a relief to finally turn into the wind as we approached the dock.

Are there tricks to sailing this boat in really high wind (specifically tacking as I'm not sure I would be interested in jibing in those conditions). I'm sure the main sail isn't "reefable" like a laser, due to the sail battens. Perhaps the wind was just beyond what the Getaway was designed for?

Humm... I don't think I have been out in 30 knots, but I would imagine any catamaran above 25knots wind would be a handful.

Oops. Made a bit of an error in my metric conversion

That day it was 40km/hr gusting to 60km, which would be 21 knots gusting to 32. But very difficult to control. One local sailor mentioned that he lets the traveler out alot when the wind is high - both for tacking and jibing. I had mine in very tight, so maybe that was part of the problem.

Ah! That's better!
21 knots shouldn't be a problem to tack.
What I usually do is get some speed, push the rudder, keep the jib back winded, and when we are almost into the wind, I change side, and while I move underneath the main, I release the main push it out 2 or 3 feet, almost to the end of the track. The main remains into the wind while the boat is turning on its center, helped by the backwinded jib.
If I keep the main sheeted through the tack, it just won't work, and the boat will stop dead, as you noticed. By pushing the main, I really tack on a dime, even when facing waves, although wave timing becomes part of the equation.
Crew placement is less important, except that you want of course the crew to switch side at some point

I also tried tacking without the jib, and it worked, although that was not as easy.

In my experience, the Getaway will handle 21 knots without problem.
Are you sure however about 32 knots gusts ? that's a big jump from 21 to 32 !

You mean you push the main towards the new leeward side (old windward side), right?

I also had trouble tacking and that's why I had to gybe and had the pitchpole I described in the reply to your other post.

Do you also reverse the rudders in case you start going backwards? Before I had tried having my crew holding the jib backwinded (more towards the front of the boat than you can do it by just cleating the sheet), and then reversing the rudders to go backwards into the new course. It kinda worked, but it was a hazzle.... I'll try holding the main the next time out.

guillermo

correct.


I rarely go backward anymore.
If it happens, yes, I reverse the rudders, and force the main back to the old windward side.