Roll tack

What move is performed the most in any sailboat race? Tacking. There are always at least two upwind legs of a racecourse, and, if the course is set well, a lot of tacks will have to be made.

As the wind shifts, and boats maneuver for position on the racecourse, you are forced to tack often as you head upwind. With this amount of tacking going on, it is in your best interest to tack as quickly and efficiently as you can. An added bonus is if you come out of a tack with a burst of speed, moving out further down the racecourse, away from the pack.

A roll tack can do all that.

The different between a roll tack and a regular tack is mainly in the positioning of the body weight of the skipper and crew.

As you begin your tack, skipper and crew must lean out with the boat, helping it to maintain the highest heel appropriate for the maximum speed of your boat. As the tiller is pushed through, and the bow of the boat cuts across the wind, skipper and crew throw themselves across the boat, and roll it to the other side.

The sail should almost snap as it crosses your head, and the skipper and crew must move as a team to make the transition the smoothest one possible.

On a light wind day, skipper and crew are most probably sitting on the low side, trying to get the boat to heel up, even as the sail sits fairly still over their heads. It is in this kind of wind that a roll tack can be the most beneficial.

As the skipper pushes the tiller across the boat, skipper and crew move their bodies as smoothly as possible to the other side of the boat. On the other side of the boat, skipper and crew pull their body weight back out over the water, pulling the mast through the midpoint, and over to their side. This weight exchange help snap the main sail across the boat. The force of the sail coming over, and immediately filing with air will give the boat a jump forward. The rocking motion will propel the boat through the water while helping to keep the mainsail full at all times throughout the tack. The more air you can keep in the main sail during a tack in light wind conditions, the further ahead of the pack you will pull.

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