5 Tips for Handling a Catamaran in Strong Winds

Multihull yachts in general and catamarans in particular are loved by yachtsmen for their hull stability and reliability, as well as minimal pitching. However, one of the biggest problems when operating a catamaran can be strong wind. And although the footage from literally flying trimarans can be seen mainly at regattas, cruisers will also find it useful to learn about the techniques of handling a catamaran in strong winds.

This article contains advice from yachtsman Pete Cumming, a sportsman and regatta enthusiast, which he shared with Yachting World.

Pay attention to the windward float

The flight of a catamaran or multihull during a regatta looks impressive and fascinating on the screen until one of the hulls of your catamaran starts to rise uncontrollably into the air. Usually, the windward hull suffers from this problem due to too strong a wind and incorrectly adjusted sails.

If one of the hulls still rises higher than it should, try the following simple steps:

• Loosen the mainsheet carriage - move it towards the lee side to reduce the load on the sails. This should help reduce the roll and stabilize the catamaran.
• Reduce the sail area - if the catamaran is still unstable, then you should reef the sails, for example the mainsail.

Additionally, make sure your sails are adjusted correctly.

Use centerboards

In the absence of a ballast keel, the centerboards play a key role in controlling the catamaran. This is especially true for controlling a multihull in strong winds. There are several signs that the centerboards need to be raised:

• “Heaviness” of control – the catamaran becomes less responsive, there is a feeling of “overload” of the hulls.
• Instability – the catamaran’s motion becomes less smooth, and the hull itself becomes less stable.
• Atypical behavior of the bow section - the noses of the floats begin to go deeper and deeper under the water or rise upward.

Raising the daggerboards is not just a method of increasing speed, but also an important tool for improving the catamaran's controllability. Proper control of the daggerboards reduces the load on the hull and can make the ride more comfortable.

Here are some examples of using centerboards:

• When moving downwind, it makes sense to raise the daggerboards by 20-50% to reduce water resistance. Usually, these values are enough to stop the catamaran's bows from "diving".
• Before performing a gybe – before a sharp change of course, the daggerboards should be raised, as this will reduce resistance and the load on the sails.
• Adjusting the daggerboards depending on the sea conditions – if the catamaran feels unstable, the daggerboards should be raised until the cat feels balanced.

Use daggerboards as a dynamic tuning tool, not as a fixed element.

Reduce sail area in advance

If the weather conditions are expected to worsen soon, the best option is to reef the sails in advance. Experienced skippers know that it is better to reef the mainsail or change the front sail than to fight gusts of wind and an uncontrollable catamaran.

When cruising, this advice helps to avoid situations when the catamaran becomes too difficult to control. Do not forget to use the weather forecast and plan your route taking into account the forecasts. If a front is already visible on the horizon, then do not wait for the wind to strengthen, act in advance. It will be especially useful using the CAPE index.

Avoid dangerous windward headings

There is such a thing as the "death zone" - a course in the range of 90° to 110° relative to the true wind direction. On such a course, a catamaran can easily get out of control due to the high load on the sails. In simple terms: special care should be taken when moving a catamaran on a broad reach course. 

When moving a broad reach on a catamaran, you should control:

• Hulls – both hulls must be as stable as possible, neither of them should rise above the water, as this increases the risk of capsizing.
• Speed – controlled speed is the key to success. Reducing speed will allow you to relieve some of the load from the sails and avoid overloading the catamaran structure.
• Crew – sail adjustments in case of an emergency must be instantaneous. The skipper may not be able to keep track of everything, so other crew members must be on hand to help.

In any case, calmness and speed control are the keys to success when completing any course.

The insidious whims of nature

Let's simulate a situation: a strong wind appeared out of nowhere, the catamaran is difficult to control. Let's consider what can and should be done in such a situation.

There is a so-called "Miche Dej maneuver", which was named after the legendary sailor Michel Dejoyeux. By the way, he is a two-time champion Vendée Globe Regattas in 2000-2001 and 2008-2009. The essence of the "maneuver" comes down to a quick response to a situation when a yacht or catamaran is on the verge of losing control. The main idea of "Mish Deja" is to try to reduce speed as quickly as possible and safely turn to full jibe.

Before proceeding to the maneuver itself, you should use the previous advice: loosen the sails, raise the daggerboards, choose the optimal course. If this does not help, then:

• Before the maneuver, pull the staysail as tight as possible - this will help stabilize the boat during the turn, avoiding sudden movements of the bow of the catamaran;
• bring the sail to the beat and reduce speed to 5-10 knots downwind;
• Smoothly turn the boat to full jibe, controlling the speed.

At full jibe the sails will stop being overloaded and you will be able to stabilize the catamaran before the next maneuver and course change. If you do not have enough experience, we recommend that you refrain from using this maneuver, as it requires a serious level of training and reaction.

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19.11.2024