Heavy Weather Sailing

Being in the midst of winter we thought it would be Interesting to gain some insights into skipper André Freibote's sail setup on his Bénéteau Oceanis 473 “Polaris”, specifically tailored for heavy-weather offshore sailing.

Dedicated Storm Sails (Storm Jib, Gale Sail or Trysail) are a must on board any ocean-going yacht, which is why we are going to take a look at the sail set-up on the 47-foot yacht “Polaris”, a Bénéteau Oceanis 473which is operated commercially by a professional skipper, André Freibote, taking paying guests on ambitious sailing trips.

The boat is sailed out of Bremerhaven in northern Germany, the cruising area is the entire North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean as far as Iceland.  Shorter trips are sailed in the southern North Sea to Helgoland or London.

Rolly Tasker Sails for Peace of Mind

Skipper André chose a complete set of Rolly Tasker Sails for his boat, which covers significant ocean going mile’s each season.  Andre prioritizes performance, but importantly he values the reliability and the strength of Rolly Tasker Sails, providing him with the all important peace of mind.

Performance coupled with reliability and strength are extremely important due to the extensive sailing schedule for the boat and her crew do encounter more than their fair share of heavy weather.  In addition the skipper needs to be able to safely sail his Bénéteau Oceanis 473 by himself under any conditions should the crew not be able to actively take part in sailing the yacht.

Heavy Weather Sail Set-up

The “Slutter” Rig

Skipper André has given careful consideration to the sail-plan and how to strike the best balance between performance, safety and ease of handling.  Although the boat is a production Bénéteau Oceanis 473, it has been slightly modified.  Originally with a standard sloop rig it has been adapted to incorporate a second inner forestay, this would normally be referred to as a cutter stay, but as it is attached high up the mast not far below the masthead, it is instead referred to by some as a “slutter” rig, a cross between a sloop and a cutter.

The Foresails

Skipper Andre explained that “Rolly Tasker Sails” have made the perfect sails for this rig”, we discussed and designed the cut and detailing of the sails, and it has all worked out wonderfully.”  Unlike a traditional cutter rig, André has the benefit of a full-size furling Genoa that can be adjusted in size when reaching or downwind sailing.  An example was the sail to Helgoland in a force 8 on a broad reach, under the partly furled Genoa only.  Exhilarating sailing, surfing down the waves, but always under control with no anxiety at all.”

Upwind in heavy weather conditions like these, he furls away the Genoa completely, unfurling the small, non-overlapping inner jib instead.  This is cut high like a blade or a Solent jib, giving perfect drive upwind.  As visibility can often be bad in these conditions and as the yacht is sailing in waters with a high amount of shipping, this sail is made in bright orange.

As tacking or gybing the large Genoa is not easy with the fixed inner stay, André also uses the blade jib for short tacking in inshore waters.  “But a soon as we are out at sea, or on a stable reaching course, we unfurl the Genoa and off we go!”, he says.

The Mainsail

The mainsail is fully-battened and set on ball-bearing cars that absorb the pressure of the battens and ensure the sail goes up and down easily without undue friction.  André specified three reefs for the main. Reef 1 and 2 are easily operated by single line reefing systems from the safety of the cockpit.  The third reef is so deep that it effectively reduces the size of the main to that of a trysail.”

The Trysail

The deep-reefed main, André finds, is much better for North Sea or coastal sailing as it is attached to the boom and the boat is easily maneuverable.  The trysail, on the other hand, is set without the boom (useful in case this may have broken) and made specifically for use in the open ocean, probably even when lying hove-to, but not so much for tacking in more confined waters.  It is also cut high so that breaking waves will wash through underneath the foot of the sail.

The Trysail and Storm-Jib

Much the same can be said for a dedicated storm-jib and again, this is made more for the open ocean.  André prefers to have a second, smaller blade jib that he can set on the inner stay when the going gets really rough: “That sail is just a trifle larger than our storm-jib which we have so far never used in anger, we have only used to test the set and to demonstrate the sail to our crew”.  However, despite this André fully acknowledges that both of these dedicated storm sails are an essential part of the sail wardrobe on every bluewater, ocean-going yacht. Which is, of course, why he also carries them on board.

Summary

The rather unusual “slutter” rigged sail plan has definitive advantages for the ambitious sailing that André Freibote and his guests do.  Unless he has to reduce the main down to the third reef, André can sail the boat under all conditions by himself and from the cockpit.  And as the handling of the sails is so easy, he is always quick to adapt his sail plan to the actual wind: “We reef early when it starts to blow, but we also make more sail again as soon as the wind goes down!”  Thus, keeping performance up and still staying on the safe side.”

Visit André‘s website (in German language) to find out more about his sailing trips:
https://www.segelpartner-nordsee.de/