Topic: Roll tacking in light winds

The 12 is a joy to roll tack

The principles of roll tacking are similar to any other 2 person dinghies but once you've learnt to roll tack the 12 you won't want to go back to any other boat.

The golden rules are:

1. Keep it smooth
2. Use your body movements to help turn
3. Don't use too much rudder
4. Use plenty of heel

Choose when to tack

If in choppy waves choose your place to tack carefully (as tacking in chop can seriously dent your speed). Look for a flat bit of water.

The kicker should be loose enough so as to not hook the top batten, but should be tight enough to provide enough leech tension to flick the top batten as you come out of the tack.

Going into the tack the helm and crew will be sitting forward to lift the transom (creating less drag). Stay forward as long as possible.

Heel to leeward to initiate the tack

Helm and crew should move to leeward to heel the boat to leeward. This starts the boat turning without the use of the rudder.

Helm/crew positions will vary depending on the relative weights and also wind strength. The steps below give an idea of positions but yours might be different. Try experimenting.

The boat starts to turn into the wind

Let the boat turn in her own time, don't use too much rudder. If she's not going then try using a bit more leeward heel.

As she approaches head-to-wind

The helm can use a bit more rudder and also squeeze the mainsail in, this encourages her around more quickly.

Helm should change hands (swap main sheet and tiller extension).

The tiller extension on a 12 tends to be quite long. It is best to push it out in front of you (as shown here) to get it out of the way.

Start the roll

Start rolling the boat to windward as she goes through head-to-wind

To help the roll:

1. The crew comes across to windward
2. The helm moves backwards to give the crew space whilst staying on the deck

Roll

Helm and crew stay on the windward side to ensure a good roll. Aim to dip the gunwhale but not to ship water.

The crew backs the jib to help the nose turn.

The helm can now ease the mainsheet to:

1. allow the boat to turn onto the new tack without the mainsail filling and fighting the turn
2. allow the mainsail to be squeezed in on the new tack - which helps flick the top batten and also accelerates air across the sails.

Helm crosses

After the boat goes through head to wind the helm can move across to the new side.

A quick move all the way across is best. If you are stopping mid way then you are either:

1. not turning the boat enough, or
2. not putting enough roll in, or
3. moving too soon, or
4. crew isn't compensating enough.

Completing the tack

Crew

Crew stays down on the new leeward side to balance the helm and pulls the jib through. It is very important that the jib crosses the boat freely. If it gets caught then the air flow will be cut off when the boat is pulled upright and the boat won't accelerate.

Helm

When the helm gets to the other side the tiller should be in the middle. This ensures the boat accelerates in the correct direction.

Flick the top batten

It is really important that the top batten flicks as the boat comes upright.

The best approach is to bring the boat up smoothly, squeezing the main and jib in together at the same time. Don't bring the boat up too fast as you won't get the acceleration. If you bring her up too slowly you won't create enough airflow across the sails.

Common reasons for the batten not flicking are:

1. Too little kicker on - boom lifts up too much
2. Too much kicker on - top batten hooked

Sail fast on the new tack

The crew may need to help bring the boat up by moving to the new windward side if either the wind increases or the helm is light.

Helm moves forward to lift the transom.

Watch it on YouTube

Roll Tacking