Sailing Sweet Ruca · video

What this video covers

A 46-foot J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/46, Sweet Ruca, completes a three-day, dead-downwind passage from Amanu in the Tuamotus to Tahiti.14:06 To manage rolly, confused seas, the crew experiments with a wing-on-wing sail configuration using only the jib and staysail, omitting the mainsail.7:46 Timing the departure from Amanu requires navigating a narrow pass during slack current to avoid standing waves.1:58 During the transit, the crew performs a nighttime jibe using a whisker pole to adjust for a change in wind angle.14:49 Upon arrival at Venus Point, Tahiti, the vessel anchors in 80 feet of water before navigating the reef-protected channel to Marina Taina.16:03 The crew coordinates with port control to clear the airport runway path before docking.17:49 The passage highlights the trade-off between the comfort of a conservative, slow sail plan and the speed of more aggressive configurations in heavy swell.

Boats in this video

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