Even though by all accounts the H35.5 is a very fine sailing craft, there does seem to be some discrepancies in how well the boat performs around the buoys. It could be that this model performs better in medium to heavy air areas and struggles somewhat in those areas that normally experience lighter winds. Can anyone provide any clarification.
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Hunter 35.5
Outlined below is my thinking based on racing this boat for the last three years. The boat seems to do well in about 10-12 knots of wind with a crew of 4 people. We need some waves or chop to slow the other smaller boats down as the Hunter moves through the chop pretty good. Pointing angle is also improved with winds around 10 kts. When the wind climbs to over 15 kts. then things get interesting. Gone is the 150 genoa and its replaced with a 130. We also need lots more crew just to keep the boat balanced to windward. Reaches are a blast but sailing to windward in heavy breezes without the right size sail and number of crew is difficult. I prefer a course that includes reaching legs as opposed to a windward leeward course only. The boat goes from a 81.5 to 84 once the wind really picks up. I sail on Wilson and Wheeler lakes in Alabama. We sail against a lots of smaller boats so steady moderate wind with a chop is great. Wind around 5-10 is not good when racing against the smaller boats and winds over 15 kts require more crew than I can usually round up. Wilson and Wheeler are good sized lakes but the breeze as with any inland waterway will generally be lighter than in a bay. Other skippers may have different opinions based on their experinces so hopefully you will get a good overview from other skippers as they respond.
Outlined below is my thinking based on racing this boat for the last three years. The boat seems to do well in about 10-12 knots of wind with a crew of 4 people. We need some waves or chop to slow the other smaller boats down as the Hunter moves through the chop pretty good. Pointing angle is also improved with winds around 10 kts. When the wind climbs to over 15 kts. then things get interesting. Gone is the 150 genoa and its replaced with a 130. We also need lots more crew just to keep the boat balanced to windward. Reaches are a blast but sailing to windward in heavy breezes without the right size sail and number of crew is difficult. I prefer a course that includes reaching legs as opposed to a windward leeward course only. The boat goes from a 81.5 to 84 once the wind really picks up. I sail on Wilson and Wheeler lakes in Alabama. We sail against a lots of smaller boats so steady moderate wind with a chop is great. Wind around 5-10 is not good when racing against the smaller boats and winds over 15 kts require more crew than I can usually round up. Wilson and Wheeler are good sized lakes but the breeze as with any inland waterway will generally be lighter than in a bay. Other skippers may have different opinions based on their experinces so hopefully you will get a good overview from other skippers as they respond.
heavy air
Wilson, have you tried leaving the 155 Genoa up and putting a single reef in the main rather than going to the 130 first as the winds pick up?
Wilson, have you tried leaving the 155 Genoa up and putting a single reef in the main rather than going to the 130 first as the winds pick up?
Reducing heeling in heavy air
If you don't have enough railmeat or or other movable ballast to keep the boat on it's feet you have 2 basic choices to reduce excessive heeling: (1) reduce sail or (2) spill more wind from the tops of the main and the genoa. The top 20% of your sail height may well account for more than 40 % of your heeling moment and less than 10% of your forward drive. Therefore, spilling some wind from the sailtops by moving the jibleads aft (i.e. stretching the foot and opening up the leech) while putting some spring in the mainsheet (by pulling the traveler well across the center and loading up the vang) can go a long way towards reducing excessive heel while maintaining nearly all of of your drive (provided both sails have nice flat tummies instead of big blown-out bellies). Have fun. Flying Dutchman
If you don't have enough railmeat or or other movable ballast to keep the boat on it's feet you have 2 basic choices to reduce excessive heeling: (1) reduce sail or (2) spill more wind from the tops of the main and the genoa. The top 20% of your sail height may well account for more than 40 % of your heeling moment and less than 10% of your forward drive. Therefore, spilling some wind from the sailtops by moving the jibleads aft (i.e. stretching the foot and opening up the leech) while putting some spring in the mainsheet (by pulling the traveler well across the center and loading up the vang) can go a long way towards reducing excessive heel while maintaining nearly all of of your drive (provided both sails have nice flat tummies instead of big blown-out bellies). Have fun. Flying Dutchman
Some Thoughts...
Here are some thoughts in addition to what others have said.... 1. "Clean" bottom: this is the first item of business. If the paint isn't fresh at the beginning of the series then it should be at least cleaned by a diver. Then before each race go over it with a scrubber from the dock - plastic pipe T setup. Have a feather/folding prop. These items will reduce leeway and help the boat point better. 2. Going to weather turn on the back stay adjuster as appropriate, and cunningham. 3. If the sails are original then they may have too much draft which will increase heeling. If so, as a stopgap measure they should be recut or better yet, replaced with new.
Here are some thoughts in addition to what others have said.... 1. "Clean" bottom: this is the first item of business. If the paint isn't fresh at the beginning of the series then it should be at least cleaned by a diver. Then before each race go over it with a scrubber from the dock - plastic pipe T setup. Have a feather/folding prop. These items will reduce leeway and help the boat point better. 2. Going to weather turn on the back stay adjuster as appropriate, and cunningham. 3. If the sails are original then they may have too much draft which will increase heeling. If so, as a stopgap measure they should be recut or better yet, replaced with new.
Heavy air
Guys: those are some excellent ideas on how to reduce the heel of the boat and I do almost all of them. My bottom is very clean; the jib tract is as far back as she can go; I put a reef in but my first choice is to reduce the size of the jib; I bend the mast back and I flatten the sail; I have good sails that aren't blown-out. My point in responding to Gerald's question was that the boat still needs in my opinion a big crew in heavy air. I have problems finding more than 4/5 people in my neck of the woods (North Alabama)that know or want to sail in a race in someone else boat. Most of the sailors here have their own boat. This past weekend we won our division including beating a J-30 "boat for boat" in all four races but the winds were very light. Our crew totaled 3 people. Thus I think the boat sails best at around 10 to 12 knots for my situation. If I lived near New Orleans and had more people to draw from and a bay to sail in I might think that the boat would sail even better. I like this boat and my wife loves it, I just wish I had 10 other people within driving distance who liked to race on big boats. Going again this weekend. Thanks for the tips and I hope Gerald will consider buying one if he doesn't already own one.
Guys: those are some excellent ideas on how to reduce the heel of the boat and I do almost all of them. My bottom is very clean; the jib tract is as far back as she can go; I put a reef in but my first choice is to reduce the size of the jib; I bend the mast back and I flatten the sail; I have good sails that aren't blown-out. My point in responding to Gerald's question was that the boat still needs in my opinion a big crew in heavy air. I have problems finding more than 4/5 people in my neck of the woods (North Alabama)that know or want to sail in a race in someone else boat. Most of the sailors here have their own boat. This past weekend we won our division including beating a J-30 "boat for boat" in all four races but the winds were very light. Our crew totaled 3 people. Thus I think the boat sails best at around 10 to 12 knots for my situation. If I lived near New Orleans and had more people to draw from and a bay to sail in I might think that the boat would sail even better. I like this boat and my wife loves it, I just wish I had 10 other people within driving distance who liked to race on big boats. Going again this weekend. Thanks for the tips and I hope Gerald will consider buying one if he doesn't already own one.
H35.5
Wilson, i now own a 1990 H30 "G" model which is very similar to your H35.5, but obviously not as quick! I am coming from a S27.9 and i miss the speed! My wife loves the H30 and i think would be ok with the 35.5 and the 35.5 would possibly give me the performance that i am accustomed to. My main concern is that the 35.5 will point well enough and that the wing keel will not pull it down in light air especially to weather. The H30 is really, really slow,doesn't point, and makes quite a bit of leeway when sailing in light air below 10 knots. Of course the 35.5 has better sail area/displacement and displacement/length ratios but the same keel only 3" deeper. I would hate to spend more money and be stuck with the same problems. I really appreciate your help so far and also the other skippers as well. Thanks, Gerald
Wilson, i now own a 1990 H30 "G" model which is very similar to your H35.5, but obviously not as quick! I am coming from a S27.9 and i miss the speed! My wife loves the H30 and i think would be ok with the 35.5 and the 35.5 would possibly give me the performance that i am accustomed to. My main concern is that the 35.5 will point well enough and that the wing keel will not pull it down in light air especially to weather. The H30 is really, really slow,doesn't point, and makes quite a bit of leeway when sailing in light air below 10 knots. Of course the 35.5 has better sail area/displacement and displacement/length ratios but the same keel only 3" deeper. I would hate to spend more money and be stuck with the same problems. I really appreciate your help so far and also the other skippers as well. Thanks, Gerald
Light Wind Comment
Your comment about "struggling along" in light winds has some validity, especially in really light winds and with the bulb wing keel. For the bulb-wing to work it needs water to go past it and when the boat goes really slow this doesn't happen. For the general public this is not a problem as anything below 4 or 5 knots, some even 6, they would turn the engine on and motor. In the drifter speed range a deep fin works better which is what the race boats (Js, Hobies, etc; I know they call these racer/"cruisers") have. One thing one could do if you're in light wind a lot is to go with a 0.5 oz mast head spinnaker. Make use of that tall mast if the penalty is not too much. What about relocating the backstay further aft and attaching it near the bottom of the stern then put some more roach in the main? From what I've seen of the racing boats is they really do well in a series because they can plane when our boats are plowing through the water, or there are other areas where they can come out ahead. for example on a drifter where the deep fins do well. I skippered a Hobie 33 last week when the owner was out of town and talk about a dinghy!!! My 16 ft day sailer was less tender than that. We aren't allowed to move ballast around because it's illegal but on the Hobie it makes a lot of difference - four of us were on the wrong side and it seemed like we almost got the spreaders in the water. The Hobie really accelerates nice but gets hammered by waves but our race course is pretty well protected. The H 35.5 is a really nice family cruising boat and if some people feel they have to have a racing shell to be competitive then they're missing out on a lot more fun.
Your comment about "struggling along" in light winds has some validity, especially in really light winds and with the bulb wing keel. For the bulb-wing to work it needs water to go past it and when the boat goes really slow this doesn't happen. For the general public this is not a problem as anything below 4 or 5 knots, some even 6, they would turn the engine on and motor. In the drifter speed range a deep fin works better which is what the race boats (Js, Hobies, etc; I know they call these racer/"cruisers") have. One thing one could do if you're in light wind a lot is to go with a 0.5 oz mast head spinnaker. Make use of that tall mast if the penalty is not too much. What about relocating the backstay further aft and attaching it near the bottom of the stern then put some more roach in the main? From what I've seen of the racing boats is they really do well in a series because they can plane when our boats are plowing through the water, or there are other areas where they can come out ahead. for example on a drifter where the deep fins do well. I skippered a Hobie 33 last week when the owner was out of town and talk about a dinghy!!! My 16 ft day sailer was less tender than that. We aren't allowed to move ballast around because it's illegal but on the Hobie it makes a lot of difference - four of us were on the wrong side and it seemed like we almost got the spreaders in the water. The Hobie really accelerates nice but gets hammered by waves but our race course is pretty well protected. The H 35.5 is a really nice family cruising boat and if some people feel they have to have a racing shell to be competitive then they're missing out on a lot more fun.
Hunter 35.5
Gerald: I sympathize with your problem. The S-2 7.9 is a fast boat over a good range of sailing conditions. I have raced in many local events against the national S-27.9 2000 champion. He is a good sailor and could keep the boat moving. In light air he would kill us. In medium air we had a chance if reaching legs were in the course or if it was a long race over many points of sail. He retired from racing the S-2 and sold it. He bought a Catilina 31 for his wife. He now wants a faster boat. The Cat can't really keep up with the 35.5. He is looking at an Olson 25, another good boat. Anyway, if your going to sail on the bay around New Orleans then I image that a 35.5 would be a good choice. If your lake sailing then look for a boat with a deep fin just like you said. That bulb-wing just doesn't get it in light air. Too bad Hunter didn't make a deep fin 35.5 or maybe they did and I didn't know the difference before I purchased. Still an outstanding cruising boat with racing potential. Keep us posted.
Gerald: I sympathize with your problem. The S-2 7.9 is a fast boat over a good range of sailing conditions. I have raced in many local events against the national S-27.9 2000 champion. He is a good sailor and could keep the boat moving. In light air he would kill us. In medium air we had a chance if reaching legs were in the course or if it was a long race over many points of sail. He retired from racing the S-2 and sold it. He bought a Catilina 31 for his wife. He now wants a faster boat. The Cat can't really keep up with the 35.5. He is looking at an Olson 25, another good boat. Anyway, if your going to sail on the bay around New Orleans then I image that a 35.5 would be a good choice. If your lake sailing then look for a boat with a deep fin just like you said. That bulb-wing just doesn't get it in light air. Too bad Hunter didn't make a deep fin 35.5 or maybe they did and I didn't know the difference before I purchased. Still an outstanding cruising boat with racing potential. Keep us posted.
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