Adding 150 roller reefing head sail

[Floyd]

My hunter 310 apperars slow in 8-10 knot winds and less. Current sail configeration is a std. headsail which is roller reefed and an in mast roller reefed main. Has anyone found this to be a fact with Hunter 310's and can you use a 150 roller reefed head sail to solve the problem. Our previous boat a Newport 27 with the 150 was a lot faster.

 

[Justin Wolfe]

It's not the 310 Floyd

The problem isn't your boat or headsail. It's that darn roller furling main. You bought a boat that was designed to utilize a backstayless rig by having a full battened exceptionally roached mainsail to provide lots of sail area and power for light air. Then you went and whacked all the extra off with the roller furler. Now you got a little tiny headsail on a fractional rig and little tiny mainsail. Hardly a light air screaming configuration. I'll never understand why Hunter offers roller furling masts AND a B&R no backstay rig. What's the point of being unconventional if you aren't going to even use the unconventional advantages?A 150 will surely help, but it'll never be as good as the standard mainsail. In fact, I don't see how the boat can still be balanced? If you put a smaller main and larger headsail somethings gotta change in terms of balance. Massive lee helm in light winds perhaps?

 

[Steve Cook]

I agree !!!

I agree 100% with the last post!!!I have a 1999 H310 with a standard config. (110%jib w/ flake on main).I don't know what you call slow but in the same wind I "CAN" see 4.5 to 5.5+ knots for speed.I think the roller furling main system has a long way to go for a fractional rigged sailboat.I do however, agree that a larger head sail would be nice.Jim Bohart flew up to see me in Wisconsin not to long ago and he said that a 135% genoa would be the perfect setup for the 310.With a 135%, you would not have to add genoa tracks like you would need to do with anything larger $$$$Although the tracks would help the 135%, you could get by with out them.On the other hand, I also have aysmetrical spinnaker which "GREATLY" improves my speed in light air.Good luckSteves/v Obsession....