I had to look up "Kicker". It's what we call the "Vang".

If you sailed a lot solo in dingies this is all automatic for you, on yachts hindered by winches and crew which make super fast reactions sometimes slower unless everybody alert and well trained and all tech well used.

Your boat COOKS! My Pearson Vanguard 33 is like sailing a floating brick and still broaches like a yacht lol

This is a great video. I find that on boats with a larger main sail, releasing the vang lets out enough pressure to derail most broaches. Also, on more severe broaches, the boom will hit the water, tighten the main, counter-effects the release of the main sail and make it harder to get out of the broach. Letting go of the vang, will allow the boom to raise as it hits the water and help recovery. It can also save your boom from snapping where the vang in anchored. The first thing that needs to go is the vang.

Thanks Pip just need a boat and then I can say was taught by a Vendee globe sailor.

I think she was going to show us how to stop a broach as a solo sailor since that’s how she sails. But anyway, I appreciate the info.

Can't wait to try it out. New sailor here and the wife and I experienced some higher winds than expected yesterday in our little 28 footer. Boat felt like was losing control downwind so I put a reef in main for first time and it helped but still happened a few times. We heeled at 30 degrees plus a few times. My solution was to furl the jib so we didn't have to call it a day so we sailed at 2.5 knots the rest of the day. lol...how do that saying go....when in doubt...let it out. I knew my lack of trim skills were the issue.

Excellent example of why some manufacturers are using twin rudders.

Thank you! And great to see Pip! I've been following her on Instagram, 2022. :)

Good stuff I enjoyed it.

Very nice video! Thanks!

Aha. Explaing my recent dinghy failures! Good wee video thanks :)

From my skiff sailing days, I would also say that steering downwind when it first starts healing (before it gets to far) will avoid needing to touch the sails at all.

Pip has got a quiet confidence that is assuring.... Where does she teach, any web sites links? thanks...

Beautiful!

beginners in sunfish need to know this too.

This is why here in San Francisco Bay with our very strong winds most serious racing boats have custom extra long rudders

The spinnakers reaction force is forward of the keel. This means that the spinnaker is trying to head the boat down, not round it up as in a broach. The mains reaction force is aft of the keel & it is this that is the primary rounding up force. However, when a boat heels, both reaction forces move leeward of the hulls centre of drag. This separation between the opposing forces of sail pressure and hull drag form a force couple that gives the boat weather helm. The more the boat heels, the stronger the weather helm & the less effective the rudder becomes as it starts to produce vertical rather than horizontal steering forces. The rudder becomes a brake, ceasing to provide effective steering. The boat slows down, decreasing the flow velocity over the rudder, but increasing the wind flow velocity over the sails, keeping the boat heeled over. Fluid dynamic forces are proportional to flow velocity squared, F = 1/2 x P x V^2 x S x Cf. This means that small changes in flow velocity have exponentially larger effects on fluid dynamic forces. That's why a broach gets out of control before you can react. There is something you can do though it seems seldom done, except on dinghies & skiffs. That is ease the vang a little when you are off the wind. The aim is to allow the peak to twist off enough so the whole reaction vector nearest the mast head points more forward & therefore does not contribute so much to heeling the boat. The boat will sail more upright & it will be faster as well, because the drive and drag forces will be closed to being aligned, which means less energy wasted by the rudder attempting to hold the boat straight. Similarly, easing the spinnaker flying it as much as possible to the weather side will also ease the healing pressure & rounding up force. If you have a barber hauler on the spinnaker, easing this, letting the clue fly higher eases pressure along the leech & rotates the whole force vector more forward with less heeling. There are limits off course, you don't want the luff flapping & pulling the boat this way & that. The point though is try to reduce the heeling. You certainly don't want the main peak twisted off so much that it pulls the boat over to windward, or causes unstable heeling oscillations. There is a balance in all things right. Anyway, that last thing is more likely DDW rather than on a reach, even a broad one.

Only Broached a few times during a race in high wind and max speeds. It didnt seem like we had more than a millisecond before we spun . Secondly , that was a very handsome boat . Does anyone know make and length.

Another good point for having dual rudders.

Great weather for that demo. They're cruising.

Why does EVERY sailing video have these long intros?? 37 seconds of nothing until you get to the information. Jesus.

This vid is a little dated at this point, but things have obviously changed in the 50 years since I raced competitively. Back then we _never_ used a boom vang except when racing downhill; relied strictly on main sheet, and if we approached a broach (which we rarely did in a boat the size of ours) we'd just blow the main sheet and let it luff out. The chief reason for this was that we had a roller-reefing setup on the boom, which made it impossible to rig a permanent kicker or boom vang; we relied on wrapping a thick rubber tensioner around the boom and cinch it down with blocks and leads as our boom vang, and would usually hook it outboard on downwind instead of the mast step. What we _failed_ to do if we were reaching with the chute up was blow the spinnaker sheet; there seemed to be a reflex response among skipper and crew to send the pole forward into the headstay and let the _weather_ sheet out instead of the leeward sheet. This never made sense to me -- of course back then there was no such thing as an asymmetrical spinnaker either, we just had a traditional spinnaker with pole.

The kicker? Is that another word for the mainsail traveler? I crewed for many years on racing sailboats on San Francisco Bay and never heard the term "kicker". We would let out both sheets when beginning a broach, and sometimes jibed if we were getting near that point anyway..

I used to dread broaching mt Enterprise dingy .. the mainsail would get pinned by the water and it was game over . wet wet wet . Ok swim swim swim . never needed the rescue boat which was gleefully anticipating what had become an expected result of my lack of skills. That boat was sooo tippy.

What is the make and model f the boat that Pip is sailing?

I always thought that a broach was when a boat slew around when a following wave attacks it from behind. The boats with large transom and a narrow front angle are the one which suffers from and a centreboard does not always help at all. Broaching occurs when a following wave lifts up the transom due to its large displacement and at the same time the weak bos dig in the water where lateral resistance is met and so the boat heels over and the transom overtakes the bows. With a centreboard the lateral resistance is greater low down in the water while the wave displacement up top will tend to rotate the boat to capsize it. It is related to the broaching that is mentioned in this video but instead of the rotating torque is provided by the leaning of the mast providing a torque to rotate the craft on the surface of the sea, the following wave will produce a more dangerous flip over as happens in high waves. The following wave broach can be avoided if one releases a drogue parachute or anything that may drag the boat or a large rudder which is sensitive to the quick corrections of a good skipper. With a large very high following wave , well one cannot do much as the dynamics of the peak of waves are complex and no boat can handle it so the philosophy is to either stay in harbour or anchor down and be ready to submerge a few times.

In a gust the apparent wind comes aft, the trimmers should ease to the new apparent wind angle and trim on when the guest has passed and apparent wind moves back forward. Both sails should be trimmed constantly but the spinnaker is critical. As the power comes on you ease to get the windward spinnaker edge projecting and trying to curl. If you don't ease you will heel, lose the rudder and broach. You should also advise what not to do, such as trying to oversteer out of a broach when have already lost the rudder grip on the water will kill the boat speed and any chance of steering out without fully depowering as your mates go by. Sometimes a little luff can depower and reduce heel, keep the boat moving then give a sharp kick away and snap the kite back into shape.

when in doubt, let it out!

Not normally into music on sailing videos, but, anyone know the music on this one?

new to sailing,"when in doubt, let it out" . does that work for gusty winds on a tack as well? 12knots with 30 knot gusts. how about recovery after short strong gusts?

What if you are sailing solo, say it is night time and you are about to take a short nap and let the boat sail on automatic. Should you drop your main sail? What about the centerboard, should it be fully deployed? I am trying to understand the prevention part.

And I always thought this was. Just called rounding up. I allus thought a square run when you heel to windward was a broach. Or maybe I just forgot

I sail a lot single handed, down wind I never use the mail, to big, easily damaged and I only have 1 on board. I sail with head sails only I have spares, no broach, no gibe, no worries

for those on the other side of the Atlantic the kicker is the boom vang

What kind of boat is this? Its really steaming for how small it is!

In the uk vangs control the sprit on a thames sailing barge. So the thing amercans called the vang is called the kicker.. one of those things from the dim and distant past.

I recognise her voice from all those vendee globe live feeds , 👍😃

What boat is that ib vudei?

When Pip is saying to ease , does this mean to turn the boat leeward ..

What do you mean when you say kicker? Is that a vang?

This is only a problem with a fin keel and balanced rudder setup. A traditional long keel with the rudder mounted on its after edge simply doesn’t do this, the leeward face of the rudder always has a positive effect. As owner of a 1930 boat I was quite shocked when I first sailed a Jeanneau and found she continually broached in quite moderate winds; something I’d simply never had to think about.

What boat is this?

What is the kicker? The vang?

The broach is caused by the pull of the spinnaker sheet when,as usual it is lead to the stern. If a barber(barbour?) hauler is rigged the the pull will not be aft of the centre of lateral resistance but precisely on it.

In my opinion there are two ways to broach: to leeward and to windward. The best way to learn how to handle either one is to practice sailing downwind in breezy conditions in a Laser. (I am confident almost no one will follow this advice). The light, fast, exciting, and ridiculously inexpensive Laser will soon teach you what works and what does not. Make the wrong move--even slightly--and you'll be dumped unceremoniously into the drink. Eventually you will be coordinating sheet, helm, and body weight with wind and sea in utter harmony and in heavy air feel an elation like Baryshnikov dancing Swan Lake flawlessly in his prime. Like riding a bicycle, this knowledge will last throughout your sailing career and easily translate to large, heavy boats. You will never obtain this level of mastery in a heavy keel boat, not even a Star. Broaching to weather (AKA the "Death Roll") in big boats or any boat running under a spinnaker in heavy air is usually caused by having the 'chute eased off too far while running dead downwind or nearly so. When the center line of the 'chute is visible to weather of the forestay, you're passing into the Danger Zone. When you can see the leech of the 'chute to weather of the forestay you are courting disaster in a breeze, especially in an IOR boat with her tall rig, big 'chute, maldistribution of volume, and narrow hindquarters. Avoidance is the best tactic. Sail a bit higher, even as little as 8-10 degrees. And keep the 'chute pointed ahead, not to weather. And trim the main a bit, but only a bit. Also, it is very important on any boat larger than a one design to rig a preventer on the boom any time the wind is aft of abeam and stronger than a gentle breeze. Lastly easing the mainsheet if heeling to leeward works only on a reach, not on a run, and I would ease the vang before the sheet. This takes enormous coordination between the helmsman and the man on the vang.

Just wondering why they were using the spinnaker instead of a regular jib given they had so much wind? Just for the demo?

This is a wind driven broach. I think she needed to explain that wave driven broaches are different.

She's cool

Can the boat capsize if it broaches too much?

Good skippers and deck hands work together without talking about it. Everyone needs to know everyone else’s job.

what's a kicker?

Wrong order. Whether people have gained experience or new to the game, the first thing to ease is the spinnaker. If your game is on the main is properly trimmed, therefore the vang is eased. The main trimmer should be busy in keeping the main from too much backwinding as speed increases. When we are racing it goes in that order, even single handing. With an experienced crew, the driver should rarely make adjustments for trim. Feeling the boat, the spinnaker trimmer is responsible for keeping the boat on its feet and the vang trimmer accelerates the boat through the waves. Working as a team, a cadence is maintained through the puffs and waves that realizes increased speed and a smooth ride.

what kind of sailboat is it?

I've spent some time around boats, never heard of anything called a kicker? Guessing it's the boom vang or a traveler?

What is a “kicker”? Is that a traveler?

no comments about steering technique which can help avoid and recover the potential round up by bearing off. same for boat heel, got to keep it flat.

What is the kicker?

Have. Crew that does this without being told

What's the kicker, the vang?

what kind of boat is that?

Probably most conditions all you need to do is ease that kicker

Kicker = Boom Vang to Yankees.

this is interesting. if a boat is overpowered it is desirable to flatten sails by tensioning the vang. but to avoid a broach release the vang. very interesting

subtitles needed for aussi lady....good info though....watch Kevin Costner in the movie Waterworld...muto uses the centerboard as a rudder....trims the sails...and uses his body to gain advantage over the "smokers".

How do you become a professional sailor

Is a kicker the Jib sail? Thought these terms were standardized... go figure

Skip to 0:40 if you want to skip the BS... skip to 0:59 if you already know what a broach is.

Hi yall

"Ease the kicker"? I thought that meant throw any soccer players overboard. Had to look it up. We call it a "Boom Vang" in America.

What is a "kicker" in US sailing jargon -- the outhaul? That aluminum boom vang thing? Don't think I've ever sailed with a "kicker."

This is a RACING technique, not, necessarily, a universal sailing technique, as the title suggests The primary reason for having a spinnaker up in this much wind is if you are racing, and really, the ONLY reason to be using a spinnaker. Easing the sheet, alone, on a spinnaker does NOT spill the wind. Thus, it does NOT necessarily help your situation. You are more likely have to have to throw the sheet, or tack, loose completely to have enough effect to prevent a broach. "Kicker" is a slang term for vang, even in Great Britain.

muy pero muy básico

But you didn't broach... Would you take advice on how to change an engine from a guy replacing the headlight? Yeah - he's got the hood open but...

Kicker = Boom Vang

Do Brits ever call the kicker a vang? I bet Germans prefer Vang..."Reduce ze tension on ze vang, Schnell!"

Friend, avoid spinnakers on a long trip. They are not worth the risk.

37 seconds of nothing until you get to the information.

Can I be your cabin boy ?

No speako australiano

Kinda your own terminology....never heard of luids or kickers. Small boats are apt to capsize, that's why Brian of delos recommends large yachts in 50-60ft range for ocean sailing

I avoid spinnakers.If I ever wanted that much more s/a for'd I'd build a square sail and keep it close to the deck.

Just stop sailing n wait for the wind to cooldown

I can’t understand her

Get a boat with a long keel and a keel mounted rudder, and you will avoid most of this foolishness

Clearly this is not for experienced sailors, so jargon not helpful.

1 minute out of 2.5 is title, announcement, agenda… how can you waste that time?!

i am learning to sail past 5 years ,i work . cannot spend weeks at sea .done 3 courses .got competent crew and shorebased dayskipper . these videos are a waste of time because presenter is a professional sailor . i own my own boat beneteau 36.need training that is understandable to a learner . if you understand the video you probably dont need to watch it

God, this is just fucking common sense, not some grand epistle!

Wonderful ... when you have crew !! We all know what to do when we have crew !! This was sold to us as new info useful to the solo sailor and it is not. Advanced Sailing Techniques ?? I knew this as a 14 year old wayfarer dinghy sailor over fifty years ago!! and get rid of the seventeen million hour long intro to these videos - videos which are NOT what they are purporting to be.

get people who speak American English

RELEASE THE SHEETS!!!