Beam reach sail trim

[Rick Macdonald]

My Hunter 23.5 is a fractional rig with swept-back spreaders, no backstay, a 110% furling jib with fixed fairleads inboard, and fully-battened main.The point of sail I'm least comfortable with trimming is around a beam reach. I figure that the sail should still be generating lift as opposed to the drag (simply getting pushed) as in a deep broad reach and run.To get the main's telltales streaming around a beam reach, I have the boom nearly touching the shrouds, and the sail and battens are not only against the spreaders but curving forward around them.Does this sound right? Am I missing something?With the fixed jib block about half-way between the mast and toerail, I'm not sure if the jib is helping much or not. The yarn teltails seem to just all hang straight down, even if there is enough wind that I'd expect them to be moving. Could they be too close to the luff and be sheltered by the furler's (about 1" round) foil? I could add another set further aft (maybe 8 inches)....RickM...

 

[Richard4728]

Beam reach

Although I don't own a fractional rig, I'll give my 2 cents. If your telltales on the jib are hanging stright down your overtrimed on your jib. Since your main is up against your spreaders and your jib is overtrimed you have probably closed off the slot between the main and the jib (which is why you have to let your main so far out to get the telltails to fly). Since its a fractional the majority of your power is in the main. Because of the rig/spreader design you will always have this situation on these points of sail.  Ease your jib until the telltales are flowing again. You may be able to trim in your main once the tell tails on the jib are flying. Since your leads are fixed this will make the top of your jib luff. This can be fixed quickly by rolling up the jib a few turns but the best solution would be to install jib tracks so you can adjust the jib leads. Hope this helps.