cavi wrote:
looks like we are in the same boat! i am also learning a hobie 16after a long long break from sailing
anyone care to describe correct tech for tacking a h16?
Some of the things I've learned:
* gentle and gradual works a lot better then slamming the rudder over
* ease into the tack, gradually tighten the turn, while bringing in the main sheet
* leave the jib alone until you've passed the halfway point, then unclamp it and set it on the opposite side; when you set it on the opposite side, you're going to start to accelerate
* rolling the tack is possible, but no where near as effective as a dinghy, but avoiding shifting your weight early does help
* speed going into the tack helps and chop can kill your speed faster then anything else
* expecting the sharp, crisp tacks you can get in a dinghy is going to make you very unhappy
* tacking for wind shifts doesn't work as well as in a dinghy; you have to be sure the shift is going to last long enough to pay for the effort
Best of luck,
Jim Clark-Dawe