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SAILING HINTS
Corsair trimarans have several unique sailing features,
one of these being the ability to make continuous
360° turns in the one spot. To do this, while going to
windward for instance, just tack, but don’t touch any
of the sheets. You will continue to turn, jibe and tack
again indefinitely. This can be a handy tactic on starting
lines!
A simple way of heaving is to just tack as above but
immediately put the helm over to turn back into the
wind with the jib sheeted on the windward side. This
prevents tacking again and the boat will instead fall off.
The rudder then takes over again and turns the boat
back into the wind. You will then stabilize like this, just
off the wind, moving forward very slightly. The helm
can be lashed over and you now have a stable, barely
moving work platform to do any needed repairs, stop
for lunch or just wait for someone else to catch up!
Should you ever lose the rudder, for whatever reason,
don’t despair. Among the repertoire of tricks is the
ability to sail without the rudder. It takes a little practice
to get right and it is worth practicing sometime. Pull
the rudder fully up (first making sure you have plenty
of room). Now, to go to windward you sheet the jib
as per normal but let the main right out. Pull the main
on slightly and you will begin moving. Pull the main on
and you will go faster, let it out and you will go slower.
Pull the main hard on and you will tack. Immediately let
it right out until you stabilize on a reach and then start
pulling it in until you are going fast again.
This takes a bit of practice to get it right, and for a
time you will be all over the place but after a while you
should be able to work your way to windward, tacking
too, just by adjusting the mainsail.
You can also sail surprisingly affectively without any
sails. The mast alone is sufficient to get steerage way
downwind and once moving you can bring her up on to
a reach, even back into the wind. This can be a handy
feature for coming into a ramp or dock at a greatly
reduced speed.
Another feature is the ability to back up. This takes a
bit of practice but by turning into the wind, and waiting
until she starts going backwards, you can control
this backing for as long as you want. Just steer the
rudder whichever way you want to go. Can be useful in
backing off a beach, or away from a dock - just let her
go back, swing off a beach or away from a dock - just
let her go back, swing around once in clear water, and
then accelerate away.
The high potential speeds possible with rotating masts
off the wind can be intimidating to new multihull sailors
and, if necessary, the potential speed can be reduced
to a more comfortable level by reducing sail or by under
rotating the mast which depowers the mainsail. More
rotation can be used as one becomes comfortable with
the speeds possible.
When spinnaker running before large seas offshore with
boat speeds of 20 knots or more there can be a danger
of pitch poling. This can be caused by pressure from
the mainsail which cannot be caused downwind should
the bow dig in. The solution is to drop the mainsail,
which virtually eliminates this risk.
The limit for racers with modern rigs will always be
nose diving, though this is hard to do with a Pulse 600
design due to its ‘high volume, reverse bows’ .
Crew position is extremely important on the Pulse. As
crew weight can account for up to 30% of the total
boat weight. Upwind in light airs the skipper and crew
should be as far foreward as possible and sitting in the
center hull or even on the leeward nets. At the wind
increases the weight should be gradually moved aft
and to windward.
The boat should be heeled to leeward (crew on leeward
side) when sailing to windward in light winds, just as
with a mono. This keeps the sails in a more efficient
shape.
BEACHING
One major multihull advantage is the ability to come
right into a beach. You can raise the daggerboard and
rudder and pull the Pulse600 in far enough so that the
boat cannot move around in the waves.
RETRIEVING TO TRAILER
After sailing is finished, the jib and mainsail are furled.
Remember to lift the boom aft end as required with
topping lift for smooth roller furling.
The floats can be folded before arriving at the ramp for
reduced beam or after the boat has been pulled from
the water. Prior to folding, as with all rotating masts, the
mast raising wires must fitted.
Before folding, first check to see that no one is on the
side being folded and then undo the beam bolts. The
beams on the side first released may spring about 12”
into the air as the last bolt is undone. Hold the top of
the beam and lift upward to fold, taking care not to let
the float swing in too fast against the center hull which
could damage the stops. Attack the beam locking
strops. Now fold the second side.
WARNING
Take great care while folded in wind of 25 knots or
more. A combination of a high cross wind and a fast,
tight turn, may be sufficient to overcome the folded
stability of bigger designs resulting in a roll over
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