[MHml] FW: Mac race multihull capsizes

[Bill Gibbs]

I've been active big multi racing in SoCal since '97.  Not counting R33s, I'm only aware of 1 capsize, Santa Barbara to King Harbor,
'98 or '99, Warp 10 (Tom Roland's Roland 36) pitchpoled in 25+.  Boat was totaled, crew was injured (broken ribs?).  

The common capsize is a slow lateral roll over, maybe part of a round up, almost always crew error in not releasing sheets fast
enough, and/or heading up when you should be falling off, or vice versa.   Capsize recovery mechanisms seem reasonable in coastal
flat water.  

The bad capsize is the pitchpole, fast, nasty, dangerous.  Even if the boat/rig survives, the risk of injury is very high.  Easing
sheets is no help.  Sailing too fast downwind in high winds, hit a wave back hard, big slow down, as the apparent wind clocks up and
swings aft.  There is also an inertial rotation from suddenly slowing that is also trying to pitchpole the boat, that has nothing to
do with the wind.  It can also happen by just pushing the boat too hard downwind in high winds.  Without reefing, you will sail
deeper and deeper as the wind increases.  At some point there is no deeper to go and you're in trouble.  This is the central reason
Bethwaith doesn't like cats, I believe.  One well known east coast pitchpole was the Tektron(sp?) 50 cat transiting under spinnaker
at night, and ran into big waves.  Game over man.

Interestly, Dave Culp's kites lift the bows and may be immune to pitchpole.  Prevention is the far better solution.

Bill
Afterburner







-----Original Message-----
From: multihulls-bounces at steamradio.com [mailto:multihulls-bounces at steamradio.com] On Behalf Of Dave Howorth
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 12:38 PM
To: Informed discussion of multihull issues
Subject: Re: [MHml] FW: Mac race multihull capsizes

On Mon, 2006-04-24 at 23:31 -0400, Ira Heller wrote:
> Ask and ye shall receive...  This very same question was answered
> by Ron White in the discussion that ensued following his initial posting
> which was copied here by Bill Gibbs.  Here is his answer:

> 3. 2 multihulls have capsized and required outside assistance, last
> year alone one led to 29 requests for redress for those rendering
> assistance or stopping to do so
> 
> 4. No monohulls have sunk or otherwise requested outside assistance
> over the same time period

This is quite depressing! Is it typical? Does anybody know equivalent
figures for any other races?  Round the Island? Fastnet/Crystal Trophy?
RBI? and whatever non-Brits do :)

Cheers, Dave

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