Mainsail trimming
- Thread starter C22BC
- Start date
Outhaul tighter, traveller to windward (in this case to starboard), tighten the mainsheet down.
You want to flatten the main and let it out a little.
Then you need to reef the main. Your vang might help, but try the other things first.
What size foresail? (100% working jib)?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1893156.Colgates_Basic_Sailing_Theory Best introduction book I've every read.
You want to flatten the main and let it out a little.
Then you need to reef the main. Your vang might help, but try the other things first.
What size foresail? (100% working jib)?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1893156.Colgates_Basic_Sailing_Theory Best introduction book I've every read.
Foot looks snug, creases angled downward from the slugs back the halyard tension comments. No leech tells to indicate where the stall is happening, but from the shape, my guess is that it starts just above the "4" on the other side and progresses all the way down to the boom.
Easing your backstay will have the opposite effect you are seeking when going upwind. It will not flatten the main.
Does the jib's luff run the full hoist of the forestay? The 100% is (approxmately) the 100% of the foretriangle which is the triangle formed by the mast, line from the bottom of the forestay to the base of the mast, and the forestay.
If your jib is cut off the deck a bit, or isn't a full hoist (e.g. to the top of the forestay), then it might not a 120% (or that much more than a 100% sail.
You need to do what you can to flatten the jib too in strong winds. (OF COURSE, at some points you need to reduce sail!)
If you only have one jib or foresail, then you need to work with what you have. The roller furling will work -- to a point; however, it will not allow you point up as close to the wind.
You C25 can be made to sail well in winds that are a bunch more than the 10-15 knot true (keep in mind that in 14 knots of wind -- when you're going into the wind, the apparent wind may get to 20 knots across the deck.
Does the jib's luff run the full hoist of the forestay? The 100% is (approxmately) the 100% of the foretriangle which is the triangle formed by the mast, line from the bottom of the forestay to the base of the mast, and the forestay.
If your jib is cut off the deck a bit, or isn't a full hoist (e.g. to the top of the forestay), then it might not a 120% (or that much more than a 100% sail.
You need to do what you can to flatten the jib too in strong winds. (OF COURSE, at some points you need to reduce sail!)
If you only have one jib or foresail, then you need to work with what you have. The roller furling will work -- to a point; however, it will not allow you point up as close to the wind.
You C25 can be made to sail well in winds that are a bunch more than the 10-15 knot true (keep in mind that in 14 knots of wind -- when you're going into the wind, the apparent wind may get to 20 knots across the deck.
Get some leech tell tales for your mainsail. Learn how to set the twist. ORDER Don Guillette's sail trim guide from this website......
More halyard tension to remove the horizontal wrinkles. Boom downhaul or Cunningham or both will help
Max outhaul
Ease mainsheet to open leech and flatten sail... which will depower it. Closing the leech will remove twist and power up the sail... not what you want. Again.... learn to set your twist.. using leech tale tells.
Once you have twist set.... use the traveler, rather than the mainsheet, to handle the gusts.... remember.. when you get hit by a gust the increased wind speed will move the apparent wind direction aft... which will over load the sail. You must either ease the sail to accommodate the change in AW direction, or head the boat up.. When the gust passes or you boat picks up speed... the apparent wind direction will move forward again.. so you bear off or trim in the traveler. If you're trying to hold a course you would work the traveler to compensate the change in apparent wind angle.
On a masthead rig the backstay controls forestay sag and does not really affect mainsail.
Finally, that appears to be an original sail.... and it may be stretched out... it would pay to have a sailmaker look at it... he should be able to recut it and give it more life.
More halyard tension to remove the horizontal wrinkles. Boom downhaul or Cunningham or both will help
Max outhaul
Ease mainsheet to open leech and flatten sail... which will depower it. Closing the leech will remove twist and power up the sail... not what you want. Again.... learn to set your twist.. using leech tale tells.
Once you have twist set.... use the traveler, rather than the mainsheet, to handle the gusts.... remember.. when you get hit by a gust the increased wind speed will move the apparent wind direction aft... which will over load the sail. You must either ease the sail to accommodate the change in AW direction, or head the boat up.. When the gust passes or you boat picks up speed... the apparent wind direction will move forward again.. so you bear off or trim in the traveler. If you're trying to hold a course you would work the traveler to compensate the change in apparent wind angle.
On a masthead rig the backstay controls forestay sag and does not really affect mainsail.
Finally, that appears to be an original sail.... and it may be stretched out... it would pay to have a sailmaker look at it... he should be able to recut it and give it more life.
My first reaction was that the main sail has seen better days.
The advice given so far is good, but no amount of adjusting is going to completely trim a bagged out main. Get a sailmaker to advise you as to whether recutting the sail is even worthwhile.
The advice given so far is good, but no amount of adjusting is going to completely trim a bagged out main. Get a sailmaker to advise you as to whether recutting the sail is even worthwhile.
Joe: On a masthead rig the backstay controls forestay sag and does not really affect mainsail.
Joe,
On a masthead rig if you EASE the backstay, what will it do to the mainsail? (It will have similar affects [or effects] on the main for the fractional rig, won't it?)
I believe that it depends on the forestay tension that you are running as to whether you will have an affect if you tension the backstay. At some point, you just are compressing the mast, it will change the shape of the mast and other things will happen. The mainsail will be affected by such adjustments to varying degrees.
Joe,
On a masthead rig if you EASE the backstay, what will it do to the mainsail? (It will have similar affects [or effects] on the main for the fractional rig, won't it?)
I believe that it depends on the forestay tension that you are running as to whether you will have an affect if you tension the backstay. At some point, you just are compressing the mast, it will change the shape of the mast and other things will happen. The mainsail will be affected by such adjustments to varying degrees.
Make sure you ease your mainsheet, vang, Cunningham, outhaul before you hoist and tighten your halyard. Then outhaul if you can adjust it. That will make sure you can get proper tension on the luff and foot.
Take a picture as straight up the boom as you can while close hauled.
Tell tails as every one else has noted.
Take a picture as straight up the boom as you can while close hauled.
Tell tails as every one else has noted.
Concur, in a masthead rig the Genoa provides the power and the main is just for balance. A roller reefed Genoa looses its shape, check your tell-tails.
Halyard tension too. I don't know about your sail but I can't look past the halyard. You may have to luff up after sailing a bit and re-tighten it to take up the stretch. If that seems like a PITA buy a good ultra- low stretch halyard.
12-14 kts is the sweet spot for most boats. Control lines should be at or near full tension to flatten the sail. If you can't roll out the jib all the way on the masthead rig you should reef the main and sail on the full jib.
12-14 kts is the sweet spot for most boats. Control lines should be at or near full tension to flatten the sail. If you can't roll out the jib all the way on the masthead rig you should reef the main and sail on the full jib.
Completely agree with Jackdaw, looks like the main was hoisted with tension on either the sheet or vang. Go back and try again, and take up plenty on the outhaul.
The halyard needs to be pulled tighter until the wrinkles at the mast are smoothed out. I had a C25 so I know the traveller is almost useless. I would pull the boom down good and hard with the vang to flatten the sail and use the main sheet to ease it out. It should be a little back winded along the mast. If you have more weather helm than you like ease it a little more. All of this depends on you having the jib set correctly as well. You really should,not have to reef in 12-14. A partially rolled up jib will not point. Better to adjust other ways.
C22,
Looking at your picture, I see vertical stretch lines in the sail. I also see that the boom is angled down somewhat.
When I see a boat out sailing, many times I see that with a lowered boom, I see the same vertical stretch lines.
Here's a suggestion, yea I have a boom vang but what I do when dropping the main is to set my topping lift so the boom is angled up from the mast gooseneck to the end of the boom. Many people have their boom sheet drawn tight when raising their sail. My topping lift sets my boom end 10° higher than at the mast, I also slacken the main sheet.
Now when hoisting my main, there is no tension/weight on or along the foot to the boom end. Once I set my luff, then I slacken my topping lift. Depending on conditions yea, there may be some outhaul adjustments needed. If you have a leach line for adjustment, use that also. It's not very often while under sail that my boom end is lower than at the gooseneck.
My Polyant Square fabric main is 13 years old with no vertical stretch marks. Raising your main, you want NO tension on your sail either from weight or a tight boom set. Your main will keep it's shape longer.
This is what I have learned thru the years pal.
Looking at your picture, I see vertical stretch lines in the sail. I also see that the boom is angled down somewhat.
When I see a boat out sailing, many times I see that with a lowered boom, I see the same vertical stretch lines.
Here's a suggestion, yea I have a boom vang but what I do when dropping the main is to set my topping lift so the boom is angled up from the mast gooseneck to the end of the boom. Many people have their boom sheet drawn tight when raising their sail. My topping lift sets my boom end 10° higher than at the mast, I also slacken the main sheet.
Now when hoisting my main, there is no tension/weight on or along the foot to the boom end. Once I set my luff, then I slacken my topping lift. Depending on conditions yea, there may be some outhaul adjustments needed. If you have a leach line for adjustment, use that also. It's not very often while under sail that my boom end is lower than at the gooseneck.
My Polyant Square fabric main is 13 years old with no vertical stretch marks. Raising your main, you want NO tension on your sail either from weight or a tight boom set. Your main will keep it's shape longer.
This is what I have learned thru the years pal.
