Hobie Cat Forums

Hello, I am new to hobie, and to sailing. I picked up my AI last night, and used it for the first time this morning. I can do O.K sailing up wind, and across the wind, but sailing down wind is a lot of trouble. I can't get the sail to do right, or it never feels right it my hand. How do you sail down wind!?!?!?!


Another quick question, do you leave the battens in the sail all the time, or do you take them out?


Thank you guys so much, yall made the buying process and my first sail relatively easy!

The basic answer is: we don't sail directly downwind. We tack downwind 10 degrees or so off the wind. You can also install a barber hauler which allows you to pull the clew of the sail over the ama. There are several threads on the forum dedicated to this, try using the search function.

Welcome to the Club!

J

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2011 Golden Papaya TI with a 250 square foot spinnaker!
also a more manageable 100 square foot spinny...
&
the TI3 rear ama mod

About everything you do in regards to sailing comes down to the most efficient compromise.

I've found that to get downwind in the least amount of time, I'm usually better off sailing between a broad reach and a run, rather than a straight run downwind. True, you cover more distance to do it, but the speed you get versus sailing straight downwind makes the trip shorter, timewise.

I've thought about options like a barber hauler or spinaker, but for now I like the simplicity of the boat so I just don't bother trying to sail directly downwind.

Also, the battens remain in the sail permanently. There is no reason to remove them at all.

Something about multi-hulls, they just seem to go better tacking downwind.
Sometimes you don't have room. Besides the barber-hauler trick, there is also the line for keeping the sail furled dangling at the clew. Tie a bowline in the end, wrap it around the paddle, and pass the hook on the sheet through the bowline. The rubber grommet keeps the line near the blade. About the only use I have for the paddle, holding the sail out going down wind!
Bought a stainless snap hook to make it easier to do, which also serves to secure the sheet hook, in case it ever manages to slip out.

Thanks guys! I was hoping yall would say something else tho, i swore up and down to my dad that you don't tack going downwind!!!!


But thanks for the help!

"Tacking downwind" is a catch phrase. Technically, you are not tacking, but gybing, when you zigzag across the wind going downwind, so you don't have to eat your words to your dad.

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It's a lot easier to gybe with AI or TI because there is no boom to worry about hitting you senseless in case of an accidental gybe.

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Drive German, Dress Italian, Kiss French.

Also, if gybing in a decent wind, pull the sheet in tight as you tack and let it back out as you cross over. This tames the violentness of the gybe

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Alan W.
'07 Hobie Adventure Island #1
'07 Hobie Adventure Island #2 Golden Papaya AI LadyJane
... both in Golden Papaya
'06? Hobie Outback SUV

In addition to using a paddle to put more shape in the sail, I will sometimes reach out and just put my hand on the main sheet from the back seat and lean on it a little with my arm straight out. It's oddly comfortable, too.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that having a masthead wind indicator is a huge benefit going downwind, as well as the more obvious upwind. You can then see if you are sailing "by the lee", where the wind and sail are both on the same side, so you can then choose to either change direction slightly, or switch the sail to the other side and maintain your current course.