These roll tack thingies..

I'm advised as of today that 'you can tell I'm a windsurfer because of my crap roll tacks' not that I've ever formally assumed that this light wind technique I've fumbled into has ever been formerly taught or shown to me, but basically it's staying the wrong side of the boat (for the new tack) until it's gone round then using the leverage as the rig comes vertical and sheeting in at the same time to propel the boat forward on the new tack.

Now I know y'all can do this by rote and half my problem is sometimes wanting to grip the boom which you're not supposed to, but it helps feel 'pressure'. I am apparently sheeting in too hard rather than I presume sheeting the rig vertical then rolling the boat to the new side.

I can't even remember what it is a I do do, but I'm sure there must be little rid bits of intel here should think about in lining up for them, this is virtual drifter wind was on and off today and I'm never much good when there's virtually nothing to work with wind wise.

If you could point me at any videos you've seen might help, bear in mind this Solution is quite a wide bodied affair and it's a fair distance from one side to the other compared with a Laser, not quite as bad as a Blaze, but still far enough.

Edited by iGRF - 03 Dec 17 at 6:38pm

The hull shape becomes asymmetric.

There is nothing illegal about roll tacks. It is against the rules to come out faster than you go into the tack, due to your actions, but given how much a boat slows going through the wind bringing it back up to speed quickly is a must.

As for tips, one thing to remember is to release the main a little in the tack. When you pull the boat upright, you are, for a brief moment, on a beam reach, as the mast pulls upright. Sheet in as you bring her up and get back on course. Steve Cockerel and the Boat Whisperer DVDs show it well, and get specific Solution training on the long walk across!

Just noticed this is in the keelboat section, which makes things harder. Can remember too tacking a Sonata up the Dart in the 80s. Surprisingly effective.

As for the 2 types, I guess I grew up in Fireflies, and have just seen type 1 as a slowed down version of type 2 for less nimble boats.

Originally posted by mozzy I'm not convinced it is hull shape is the main factor which is turning the boat with heel,

depends on the boat, some hull steer enormously, others much less so.

I know about footsteering things without rudders and get immense grief down the lake everytime I stand up to get the damn thing to heel to leeward at the end of a little puff. Also downwind they don't like me stood up making 'corrections' using my weight rather than the rudder. It's natural to me, you can't eradicate forty years of footsteering and these sitty down things need a lot more pressure to make them do what you want.

They work like boards as you would 'flare' rather than 'carve' gybe the difference being turning with the plate down or up which requires pressure on the opposite side to the other. i.e. windward side with the plate down, leewood side if the plate is up, so I get all that.

The bit I can never fully get is the amount of leverage to apply on the sail via rope and always end up reverting to holding the boom to get the right feel, but, 'they' don't like me doing that much either and I'm constantly watched like a hawk for 'illegal' moves.

Now 'they' are a particularly good couple of females who sail rings round me in their Miracle in any wind and they seem to have a better 'feel' obviously born of experience and ability to trim their rigs conventionally in iffy wind. What with them and a the bloody green ghosting solo my sunday morning has once more been ruined just as I thought I'd returned the natural order of things to the universe with an earlier win.

Oh and thanks for all your help I've read it all and some of it does occasionally sink in..

and apologies for putting it in the wrong section, not on it at the moment, think it's early onset man flue..

Edited by iGRF - 04 Dec 17 at 12:20pm