In a keel boat, a Death Roll is the act of broaching to windward, putting the spinnaker pole into the water and causing a crash-gybe of the boom and mainsail, which sweep across the deck and plunge down into the water. The Death Roll often results in destruction of the spinnaker pole and sometimes even demasting of the boat. Serious injury to crew is possible due to the swift and uncontrolled action of the boom and associated gear sweeping across the boat and crashing to the (now) leeward side. // In boats and ships, keel can mean either of two parts; a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element; these parts overlap. ... Broaching is a sudden change in heading angle of a sailboat, caused by a number of wind/sail interactions. ... It has been suggested that gennaker be merged into this article or section. ... A jibe or gybe is when a sailing boat (yacht) turns its stern through the wind, such that the direction of the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other. ...

For dinghy sailors, a Death roll is a common type of oscillation while running downwind. It may, and often will, result in a capsize if the skipper does not take quick action to prevent one. Dinghy of the schooner Adventuress A dinghy is a small utility boat attached to a larger boat. ... A team at the 2005 ISAF Team Racing World Championship narrowly avoids capsizing. ... Skipper can be: A person who has command of a boat or ship: see Skipper (boating). ...

During a death roll, the boat rolls from side to side, becoming gradually more unstable until it either capsizes or the skipper reacts correctly to prevent it. While on the dead run, off the wind, the force exerted by the sail lies almost parallel to the center line of the boat. There is little or no force causing the boat to heel to leeward, like other tacks, and, if the sail is out past perpendicular to the center line, or the sail is incorrectly shaped, there may be a force causing the boat to heel to windward. Instabilities in the wind, and turbulence caused by the sail, which 'fouls' the wind on such a tack, may cause this force to change rapidly. Most sailors also retract the centerboards of their dinghies while on the run, to reduce drag and increase speed. The lack of resistance to the rolling motion can enhance it. A centreboard is a form of removable keel on a small sailing boat or dinghy which can be removed to lower the draught (or depth) of the vessel. ...

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Boats Prone to Death Rolls

High performance racing dinghies are most prone to Death Roll situations.

These include Skiff designs, such as the Musto Skiff, 29er, 49er and International 14. Sailors of these boats generally prefer to sail on the broad reach than on the dead run because the boat is more stable and actually faster. Additionally, as their speed increases on the broad reach, their apparent wind changes to allow them to point lower. Often they can point as low as the other boats, only faster. Introduction A Musto Skiff reaching at Lake Garda The Musto Skiff is a single-handed sailing skiff with a length of 4. ... The 29er is a skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998. ... 49er With Its Asymetric Spinnaker The 49er is a newer one-design class of small sailing dinghy. ... The International 14 is a racing sailing dinghy is an ultralight dual trapeze boat with large sail area. ... Apparent wind is the breeze felt by an observer. ...

More traditional racing dinghies such as the Laser and Laser Radial are also prone to death rolls. Due to the shape of the hull, a Laser will actually sail faster when death rolling, so an experienced skipper can use the dangerous technique of trimming the boat to cause death rolls for extra speed. Of course, if the boat capsizes, the technique will backfire. Olympic Class The Laser Standard Laser Standard - Side view Righting a capsized boat This article focuses on the Laser Standard dinghy. ...