If the boat inverts, it should be pulled onto its side so that the rig is horizontal
to the water. This can be done by standing on the underside of the wing and
pulling on the daggerboard. It sometimes helps to pull it up with the aid of the
wind blowing over the deck and rig.
After that, there are two basic situations to recover from:
•When the rig is lying in the water, pointing downwind.
•When the rig is lying in the water, pointing upwind.
Both of the following methods will take some practice to enable you to right
your RS 800 quickly and effectively, but they are proven methods to enable
you to continue sailing after a capsize.
Rig pointing downwind.
You should both be on the daggerboard, with the asymmetric spinnaker
dropped, with the mainsheet and vang uncleated.
Using the asymmetric spinnaker sheet for extra leverage, pull the boat upright.
As the boat gets to about 45 degrees, one of you should climb in, either
between the wing and deck or over the wing (depending on your wing
settings).
The RS 800 is a relatively stable platform but you should endeavour to get
hold of the tiller and gain control as soon as possible. Once you are in control,
you can then sort yourself out, tidy the boat and get sailing again.
Rig pointing upwind.
This is quite often the position the boat ends up in, especially if you have
spent time in the water getting the asymmetric spinnaker down, or recovering
from the inverted position.
