Corsair 28R, Sailing Manual

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Copyright © 2014 by Corsair Marine International
The above procedures will give a high margin of safety and should always be observed
whenever safety is paramount. If absolute performance is required, and an experienced
crew is aboard, the above limits can be comfortably exceeded. In some earlier sea trials
full sail has been carried in over 40 knots of wind, including the spinnaker. This is not for
the inexperienced however, and any skipper doing such sailing must be prepared for
and accept the responsibility for the extra risks involved. It should not be done offshore.
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, jib, and
tack again indefinitely. 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 or genoa 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 come higher, let it out and you will go lower. Pull the main hard on
and will tack. Immediately let it right out until you stabilize on a reach, and then start
pulling it in until you are going high 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.