I ran my boat wing on wing without ballast and got hit with a microburst. I measure in knots and the GPS hit 7.3 just before the boat broached, since I had lost steering, sort of like steering a car on ice the experience was scary. If I hadn't of had a death grip on the wheel I would have been thrown out.
What you're describing has happened to me a number of times. I believe the reason for this is the relatively light stern and the lever effect strong wind has on a mainsail which is way out there (sheeted for a downwind run.) The only cure I can come up with is either reefing the main or dropping it alltogether and running under headsail only. With enough breeze on a broad reach or run, I think I would prefer just the spinnaker and no mainsail. The 18 mph is still likely unattainable, but I want to see how close I can get.
I was out of sailing for several years. A promise I made to God if I made it through a storm at sea.
I had a powerboat, the front of which is now my desk at my shop, on the lake I live on.
The problem was the speed limit to go under a bridge was 6 m.p.h.
So, I had to speed up just to go under a bridge.
I prefersailing.
Cool video. I wonder .... if you had a couple nice blade sails and a whole heck of a lot of wind on a beam reach. Make it an offshore wind to keep the waves down too. When I've been out in strong winds, the waves always spoil the fun.
I went out last Saturday as a cold front was approaching. When I first went out, the wind was barely registering on the wind meter..maybe 6 mph. An hour later, the wind had picked up big time and I was measuring gusts up to 25 (was even windier later that evening). Of course, I had 3 kids on board so couldn't get too radical (they start slipping off the seats). But even with just the main and a little bit of the genny to keep heel down, I was into that semi displacement mode ... around 7.5 mph. You keep this boat standing up in a stiff wind and it sails pretty well. Too much twist in the stock main though...these sails are not really made for high winds.
When you tire of trying to catch my surfing pony "m" I'll clue you in . # 1 mod that Roger gave me over you guy's is a 17degree semi v hull with hard chines. Doing away with the hard chines on the 26X with a flat bottom hull was a cost cutting mod . Then when Roger came out with the 26M he went back to a 15degree semi round hull . The hard chines are just to costly to impliment . But if you get in behind my draft & wake I'll glady give you some slip stream & dragg you along for the ride be like I was pulling a wake board behind me oh yeh make shure you got a wet suite on all that spray from my boat gonna get you mighty wetttttttttttt ?
eric3a wrote:One can get very religious in big weather!
beene wrote:Once you've been there.... you will always remember it.
Amen to that!
At least we have motors.
A couple of decades back (pre children), we were sailing in a lake in upstate NY in our Phantom (similar to Sunfish, but better ) when a storm suddenly came over us. We were sailing with friends who had a Sunfish. Sky got dark suddenly. There were high trees all around so we could not see the horizon. Rain, wind, lightning. I should have written that as LIGHTNING!, and no motor Water got rough, but that lightning! As I think back on it now I just shake my head and remember that I don't ever wish to go through that again.
. But if you get in behind my draft & wake I'll glady give you some slip stream & dragg you along for the ride be like I was pulling a wake board behind me 
Water got rough, but that lightning! As I think back on it now I just shake my head and remember that I don't ever wish to go through that again. 
