Mariquita Book - mk2

With no powered winches and old-style blocks and sheets, you have to be mindful of how long manoeuvres take to complete on Mariquita. A gybe can take between
6-8 minutes. In light airs the tacking angle is something like 125-130 degrees, which is shocking compared with modern yachts. It just takes so long to accelerate,
so you need a clear plan for the start of the race. If you’re not in the right place going at the right speed at the start it’s gameover. Also you don’t have much leeway if
one of your rivals changes their plan. You’re watching everyone else like crazy to see when they start their last tack to the line. It’s very challenging. If you’re in a little
dinghy you can change your mind at no notice – you just tack without thinking about it. But with 24 crew on Mariquita it all has to be pre-planned.
David Howlett
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