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Sailing with Hobie's patented
MirageDrive Mechanism adds a
whole new dimension to sailing. For
the best performance, continue
pedaling while sailing. You will notice
that with very little effort pedaling, the
kayak will respond with a surprising
amount of performance. If you sail
without? pedaling, the pedals should be
together. This will align the fins in the
straight down position so they will act as
a daggerboard to reduce side slip.
The sail will work even in very light wind
because of the benefit of pedaling to
create apparent wind. Optimum wind
strength is between 4 to 10 MPH. As the
wind speeds ?exceed optimal range, the
kayak will become more difficult to control.
When there is too much wind, take the sail
down, roll it up, and stow it on the right side
of the cockpit. The bungee hook in the
cockpit can be stretched over the rolled
up sail and hooked to the paddle retainer
bungee on the side of the kayak.
Pull in the "mainsheet" until the sail stops
"luffing" (the sail will fill with wind and the
wrinkles will disappear). This amount of trim
will work, but for optimum performance you
should try to get the "telltales" (the black
ribbons attached to the sail) flowing back on
both sides of the sail.
Sailing your kayak will open up new
experiences and broaden your
opportunities to go further and faster
with less physical effort. Be sure to
learn the right-of-way rules and when
in doubt, give way to others. Have
fun and stay safe.
Sailing Tips
"Reaching":
This is the
fastest point
of sail.
Points of Sail
Trim the Sail
Sheet out (let the
sail out) or head up
(turn into the wind
or turn right).
Sheet in (pull the
sail in) or head
down (turn away
from the wind or
turn left).
Sail is trimmed with
both telltales flying
straight back.
"Close hauled": The kayak will heel or lean most when
sailing close hauled. Shift your weight to the side of your
seat to counter the lean of the kayak. Be ready to let the
sail out to reduce the amount of heel in stronger wind.
Optimum Wind
Tacking
Enjoy
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WIND
Tacking a sailboat is the act
of changing the direction of the
boat from sailing close hauled with
the wind on one side, coasting through
the eye of the wind, and then sailing with
the wind coming from the other side. This
maneuver can be difficult for beginning
sailors but with the Hobie MirageDrive you
simply pedal through the tack and resume
sailing on the new heading. Since you
can not sail directly into the wind, you
must sail in a zig zag course to
make it directly upwind.
Of course, with the
Hobie MirageD?rive,
you can cheat and just
point the kayak where
you want and pedal!
WIND
Over trimmed Under trimmed Correct Trim
WIND
Running
Close Hauled
Reach
Close Hauled
Reach
Can't Sail
In This
Area
"Running":
Sailing downwind
does not take
advantage of the
aerodynamic shape
of the sail.
Starboard
Tack
Port
Tack
Dancing