The HUN 70 team of Szabolcs Majthenyi and Andreas Domokos are undoubtedly one of the most practiced teams in the International Flying Dutchman fleet. Their coordination and seamless maneuvering impressive and so fluid as to make sailing the boat effortless. But in the many years they have sailed together it is obvious they have worked through every maneuver in every condition. So studying their actions on the racecourse is a valuable activity for us all.
During the 2008 Worlds in New Zealand, a photographer happened to catch a series of shots of HUN 70 executing a roll tack just at the completion of a race (one of their many bullets. That sequence is presented here for your study.
Roll Setup: The water is flat, the breeze is maybe 6 kts. HUN 70 is on port, crew and driver sitting close together. Tiller straight. A bit of leeward heel is starting to round the boat up, beginning the tack.
Helm Down: Szobolcs puts the helm down, but everyone stays put for the most part, getting ready for the tack and clearing for the genoa to go over. The telltales are still flying, boat is now flatter than before.
Head to Wind: HUN 70 is now about head to wind. Genoa is starting to backwind, helping to bring the boat around. Genoa sheet has not been released yet, although we can assume it it uncleated. Perhaps a little sheet has been let out at this point but not much. Helm is stlll down. Both crew and skipper remain sitting on the old weather side, boat is starting to roll down the new leeward side.
Rail Down: The boat is now slightly past head to wind, genoa is released and beginning to be pulled around by the backwind pressure. The port side sheet is still slack, indicating the genoa is not being pulled across the boat; the breeze is doing the work. As the new leeward rail is about level with the water, the crew now megins to move up. Crew is about centerline, skipper is just starting to move across the boat. Helm is still down.
Skipper Goes High: The main is now drawing, with the boom below centerline. Genoa has passed the mast but not sheeted in. Notice Andreas has been taking in the slack on the sheet but still is letting the wind do the work. Also, he has stayed about centerline while Szabolcs continues to move to the new weather side. Helm is still down, although starting to come to center.
Sheet In: Almost done. The boat is moving, tiller is on centerline. Szabolcs is in position and forward, Andreas is still about centerline, sheeing in the genoa. The rail is still down. Getting ready for the final snap up.