BROAD REACH = CENTER-BOARD UP ?

[Jean Luc Bélisle]

I am a new sailor on a Hunter 23.5 This summer a experience something that I still don't understand very well.We were running broad reach with a wind of 15 to 20 knots we had all sails out. When the wind increase the boat add a tendency to go beam reach. As it go in the win the boat hell and it was impossible to put it back broad reach (the rudder was to much out of the water). We pull the center-board and the boat became lot more stable and faster.My question is it a good thing to pull the center-board when we are going broad reach? Is their any problems that can occurs we the center-board is up?Thank you

 

[Mike Epp]

Hmmmmmmmm

This doesn't make total sense. The quick answer is....... centerboard up on a broad reach will heel you more and possibly cause a capsize. Centerboard should only be up on a run. The reason increased wind put you on a beam reach is probably because the apparent wind shifted from the quarter to the beam. If you are heeling so much that you can't steer........ease the main and spill the wind.

 

[Dick Vance]

Apparent Wind and Leeway

Jean,My interpretation of what you experienced is the effect of "apparent wind." As your boat speed increased in the stronger winds, it caused the wind over the boat to move forward, causing the boat to heel and making you overpowered on a beam reach. Having the centerboard down didn't cause it but did act to make the boat dig in, resisting the sideways motion of the boat and further increasing the heel. Pulling the centerboard up allowed the boat to make leeway by sliding through the water sideways, reducing the heeling effect and lessening the weather helm you experienced.The way to counteract this tendency is to depower the sails, either by letting out the main sheet or reefing the main in the winds of 15-20 knots. If you were not reefed, you were definitely overpowered in such winds. The centerboard should be down on anything but a run to help hold the boat on course. If you'd looked behind you as the boat sailed with the board up, you would probably have seen your wake arcing away from your intended course though the bow would still be pointed toward your destination. You may have been going faster but in the wrong direction! Leeway is the tendency of the boat to be blown sideways from the force of the wind and the keel or centerboard is the vertical wing in the water that helps you hold the course.HTH,Dick VanceH-25.5 "Honey Bear"

 

[Ed Smith]

Sail Balance

When your sails are balanced for a beam reach and you steer to a broad reach without tuning your sails, the wind pressure increases on the main and reduces slightly on the jib. This causes your boat to turn into the wind bringing you back into balance on the beam reach. As you return to the bean reach from the broad reach, your center board is turning toward greatest pressue and the boat heels quite drastically. With the center board retracted you do not have the hydraulic action against the board but then you have great sidewards movement and you are not getting the direction you desire. I usually release the jib as I go to a broad reach and I also raise the centerboard about a 1/4 since it is not as much of a sideways movement on the broadreach and then as I turn more downwind, I bring the board up more.I would venture that your sails were slightly detuned a little more out on the jib main and you would have been fine. Try the sails adjustment next time out and see how it feels. There are a few books that explain how to steer the boat with the sails and you can have a lot of fun experimenting with it. I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who know a great deal more about this than me. Good sailing.

 

[Doug Margison]

With dager board up there is more leaway

On any reach with the centre board up you are going to have excessive movement to leward. That will reduce the apparent wind and make the boat feel more comfortable, as it would in a run. Your steared course may still be a broad reach but your motion will be more down wind due to the leward motion. The problem is that at some point, if wind strength increases and is strong enough it could overpower the boat and cause you to broach and capsize as Mike suggested. You should have the centreboard down if you are on a reach and you should depower the sails for control. If the boat wants to turn to windward, then let the main out. An overpowered main will tend to turn the boat to windward. An overpowered jib will tend to turn the boat down wind. Balancing the sails is the answer and that just takes practice. You can dump air at the top of the sails by moving the jib lead aft and bringing the traveller of the main to windward and tightening the vang. 20 kts is a good breeze for a hunter 235 and you might want to start considering a reef in the main. I reef the main on my Hunter 30 at about that windspeed.Happy sailing to you. Doug,Mokum II