8/20/2014 Vanguard capsize Righting A Vanguard 15 After A Capsize

After watching some folks struggle to right their V15's last Thursday night, I thought I'd offer a few key points to getting this done quickly. This isn't meant to embarrass these folks, but to help everyone learn from their experiences. We can all use a refresher on "de-".

1) Safety - Once you've capsized, make sure that you and your teammate are OK.

2) Positioning - The heavier person of the team needs to get to the (DB). The lighter person goes to the cockpit. Sometimes as you capsize you can climb right over the windward rail and get on the board without even getting wet! The sooner you get on the board the less likely it is that the will turtle, also, the less likely it is that the daggerboard will drop down through the and need to be pushed back up from beneath. If the boat is turtled, the cockpit person should maintain close contact with the boat near the until the DB person has gotten the boat back to simply being capsized.

3) Tasks - The DB person needs to get on the DB FROM THE FORWARD EDGE. It's really easy to break the aft edge, so avoid climbing or stepping on it. Not only will the repair cost some money, but the edges will be quite sharp! The cockpit person needs to make sure that 1) the is down (NOT pointing skyward), 2) the jibsheet is uncleated (both sides!), 3) the mainsheet is uncleated/untied, and 4) if possible, release the vang.

4) Righting - The DB person applies pressure to the board as far outboard as possible. The cockpit person grabs on to the lowest set of straps as the boat is coming up so they end up in the cockpit.

There are two possible situations here, and I'll cover how to deal with each.

The first is a standard capsize, with the pointing downwind. This is rather simple. As the pressure on the DB lifts the mast out of the water, the DB person begins moving weight inboard. The boat gently rights and comes into the wind. The cockpit person is "scooped" into the boat. The cockpit person balances the boat. Ideally, the DB person can climb over the gunwhale into the cockpit, but if not, is aided into the boat by the cockpit person.

If both teammates are particularly light, it may be necessary to have the weight of both the DB and the cockpit person on the board. It would probably work out best with the DB person standing on board and the cockpit person hanging part of their weight on the tip of the board. Another alternative is that the cockpit person can swim to the masthead and lift it clear of the water, "walking" toward the hull.

The second situation is with the mast pointing upwind. This is often the situation after a "deathroll" (windward capsize), but can occur when the boat turtles or drifts. I saw a lot of this Thursday! The problem is that the boat will right, but will frequently be blown right over again into the "normal" capsize situation I described earlier with the mast now facing downwind.

Here’s how to deal with this:

The DB person can attempt to scramble over the gunwhale and across the cockpit to what will very quickly become the windward side and to try to prevent the otherwise inevitable subsequent capsize to leeward. If the cockpit person is hanging on to the hiking strap from the windward side as the boat’s rail starts to come up and the DB person makes it across quickly to the windward side, there is a good chance of success. In any case, it is well worth a try.

Really the worst case in this is that the boat does re-capsize to leeward. If this happens the cockpit person should go for the board even as the capsize is happening to prevent the boat from turning turtle. Basically, the teammates swap righting tasks. If the cockpit person (now DB person) is heavy enough, right the boat with the other person to leeward positioned to be ‘scooped in’ as the boat rights. If the new DB person is not heavy enough to right the boat, hopefully they are heavy enough to at least prevent the boat from while the other person swims under or around to assist on the board.

Another option is the "California Roll". The DB person hangs on to the DB as it goes under water, and ends up still clutching the board in the "normal" capsize position. Yup, full immersion. The cockpit person can "catch" the board as well, putting both teammates on the DB for a quick righting.

I think the big point is to recognize which situation you're in. Is the mast pointing upwind, or down? If upwind, is the wind light enough to employ an optimistic technique, given my quickness and balance? Or do I expect the worst and prepare for a second capsize and righting? http://www.cedarpointyc.org/uploads/Vanguard%20capsize.htm 1/2 8/20/2014 Vanguard capsize This brings up the point that if the boat is turtled, you should try to bring it up so that you will end up with the mast pointed downwind as the mast reaches the surface rather than having it pointing upwind and risking a re-capsize.

A word about "planting" your boat. On occasion, a mast gets stuck in the mud, or rocks, or whatever on the bottom. Patience is the key to overcoming this situation. Steady pressure on the DB, and maybe some very gentle rocking, will generally free the masthead. Violent bouncing on the DB may also accomplish this, but at serious risk to your rig, , and DB. If worse comes to worst, have the cockpit person swim the of the boat around in a circle while the DB person very gently rocks the boat.

A note about boat preparation. I saw a rudder float away Thursday night. That retaining tab should be positioned and angled so that the rudder can NOT be removed without some decent pressure on it. Also, make sure that the daggerboard fits snugly in the trunk and that the retaining shock cord is tight enough to retain the board in a capsize. MAKING SURE YOUR RUDDER AND DAGGERBOARD STAY ATTACHED ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

And back to safety. Dress to get wet. A shorty wetsuit is a better choice than a similar amount of clothing (similar in terms of how warm they are when dry). Chris swears by his shorty wetsuit that doesn’t have any sleeves. If it’s marginal, it’s very comfortable to wear the shorty with the top unzipped and rolled down to the waist. If the wind comes up or temperature drops, pull it up, zip it up and you’re in business.

If you do feel chilled or get short of breath, have the Safety Boat pull you out of the water. Don’t push your limits, that’s a recipe for putting you and your teammate at risk. Each teammate should carry a whistle to attract a Safety Boat (maybe tied to your PFD?). If you are uncomfortable in a situation and have an out, take it. Think about your safety and that of your teammate. Don’t worry about the boat if it will put you in danger, we can rescue the boat and solve any problems with it later. And please, be aware of changing conditions so that you aren't sailing in conditions beyond your abilities - particularly your team's combined abilities to right the boat.

Brian Raney

http://www.cedarpointyc.org/uploads/Vanguard%20capsize.htm 2/2