Check This Out

[Don Guillette]

Mates: Check out the picture of the Hunter34 on the home page of Sailboatowners.com.Assume he is closehauled. What do you think of his sail trim? What would you do, if anything, to change it?I do this all the time when I look at pictures of sail boats in sailing magazines. I cut out a lot of the pictures and use them as "flash cards" at my seminars. The seminar participants have to identify what is wrong, if anything, and tell me what sail trim controls they would use to correct the situation and what they would do (trim or ease or move)with each. When you can do that consistently, baby you have arrived from a sail trim standpoint!!

 

[Ed]

which image?

Can you post the photo? Each time you refresh the page, you get a different random image.

 

[Bruce Cowin]

Hunter 34 Sail Trim

Don,Looks like that main needs to be trimmed in much closer to center. Main sheet. I can't see enough of the jib to determine.Ed, Keep refreshing until the HUNTER 34 is displayed. I may take several refreshes...- Bruce

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.c]

Hunter 34 photo

Hi Don -Great idea to select photos and critique sail trim - perhaps you are referencing the main photo on the Hunter 34 Boat Info page on Hunterowners.com - see photo and/or Related link (note this is the ealier 34, not the newer 340).Trevor

 

[john J]

Looks good

The trim looks good to me, a family is on board and the boat is on it's feet with a young one behind the wheel. The main looks fairly flat and I'm guessing the top is open. The traveler is dropped to leeward and the jib looks farily flat as well.

 

[tbarnby]

I'll bite

Okay, here is what I see. Keep in mind I am relatively new to sailing, but have spent a bit of time in a C Scow. The draft of the sail is too tight. It looks like -if- he is close hauled that the boom vang yanked too tight. I'd also like to add just enough cunningham to put a wrinkle at the foot of the sail, maybe bring the draft down a bit. And it's hard to tell, but I do not see much twist. I'd want to bring the traveler closer to the middle to improve the sail shape. Now, with all of that said, the boat does not look close hauled at all. It looks more like the sails are trimmed for a beam reach. I am referring to the Hunter 320 photo. Tim

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Here's what's wrong

1. Wheel is bigger than the kid.2. Can't tell if anyone has PFDs.3. Not a beer can in sight anywhere.

 

[Paul Akers]

Have us submit pics of our own boats...

...to be critiqued.

 

[Bob]

ASSUME??

Hi Don,Think this Hunter is running - trim looksOK. Close hauled?? I don't think so but it's been a long winter and don't remember what is like to beat, reach or run. Pretty soon the ice will be gone and will be out sailing. Bob

 

[Don Guillette]

Mates: Sorry about this. I did not realize the pictures changes all the time. I thought I was having a senior moment when Bob of Glouster told me the boat was running instead of closed hauled and Ed said what picture!! Anyway, the picture I was referring to was closehauled and the only thing I would have adjusted is the twist in the jib. It is hard to work with some pictures due to their size but you guys get the drill I was after. Magazine pictures always look trick but the trim usually stinks. Check it out in a handy magazine and you'll see what I mean. The sail makers pictures are usually right on.The picture that Trevor showed was not the one I was referring to. As Paul of Portsmouth, RI, Which is near my old stomping ground of Edgewood, RI (everything is near by in RI!!)suggested, it might be fun to take a look at some of your pictures and see what your brother sailors think of your trim. When you submit the picture please show as much detail as possable, give the point of sail and wind condition and any sail trim control setting you were using. When I'm racing, I always look at the trim of the boat ahead of us. If it is poor I know it will only be a matter of time before we catch them but if the trim is good I know its going to be a long day!!

 

[tomfoolery]

Can you post the right pic Don?

nm

 

[Rick D]

OK, Play With This Pix

Let's see what you-all have to say about the sail trim. Rick D.

 

[Ken Juul]

Sail Trim

hard to tell where the wind is, basing this on aft stbd quarter ~5kts. I think the main is too tight. Outhaul and halyard should be loosened to give the main more draft. Looks like the main has too much twist, first tighten the vang, it it is tight then add some tension to the leech line. Jib looks too tight and is twisted open at the top. Move fairlead forward and ease the sheet. I stand ready to be critiqued.

 

[RichH]

Reply to Ricks pic

From the flag on the stern and the wave train orientation, this boat may be on high broad reach - but it appears that the mainsail isnt 'flying' and is simply 'dragging wind' - this may be that those swept back spreaders are preventing an increased angle of attack. The genoa is apparently well over twisted with the foot in too tight - should consider to move the fairleads forward. From the draft stripe on the main it looks like the draft is too far forward (loosen the halyard); it appears that main is trimmed DOWN - pull the traveller IN and release that rigid vang .... but this boat has no tell tales so its hard to see exactly whats happening - it may be that the mainsail leech is cupping to windward - too much vang pressure (but the lazy topping lift is quite loose - so you really cant tell from the pic. The sail camber / amount of draft appears very flat - was probably trying for a speed shape for beating in flat water before dropping down on a broad reach - that outhaul 'definitely needs to be eased' as the foot section of the mainsail looks like flat sheet of plywood - or the owner is afraid of heeling too much. Whats really obvious is that the twist in the main doesnt equal the twist in the genoa .... and it also appears that the aft section of the genoa may be operating with separated flow or the aft section of the genoa is partly blanketed by the main - as evidenced by that little 'knuckle' along the foot. Whatever the intention these two sails are set up entirely different from one another and my suspicion is that they were beating some time ago and simply dropped the main traveller eased the mainsheet without looking and then the genoa sheet - and without ANY re-shaping for this course. If this was a race and I was in a cast iron bath tub, I roll over this boat like a tornado.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Rick was too distracted

by the helicopter to get his crew on deck to make all those trim changes.

 

[Don Guillette]

Mates: A couple of years ago I tried this picture critique thing over on another network. The first couple of pictures came from some guys who really wanted some constructive help but some of our brother Catalina sailors had a good old time with the pictures. Guess what happened - no more pictures were submitted and the whole thing fell on its butt.The beauty of this deal is if you can look at the pictures in a magazine or from ones submitted by a brother sailor or even boats you encounter on the water and immediately know what adjustments you'd make to enable the boat to get 100% efectiveness, imagine how good you'd be with your own boat.I kind of liked Rick's picture - mainly because I want to sail with him one of these days!!! If I was too critical I'd be standing with my deck shoes and sailing gloves on at the dock watching the name on the stern get smaller and smaller!!

 

[Rick D]

Well, Rich H and Others...

...good calls I think. As a matter of fact, we had been on a beat, crawling to weather, for about three hours, and had just gone to a reach. The sails are new, and the genny kept faking me out since the car wanted to go forward instead of aft despite going from a 120 to a 135. The 120 was cut high and the 135 is low, altho not on the deck. I do think the main is too flat but question if more twist would be a good thing. The spreaders are swept (but it isn't a B&R) and I am tend to want to keep it off them, or at least not pasted against them, which more twist would aggrevate. Possibly a bad call.I have noticed over the years that it seems I trim the main too tight in relation to the genny based on overhead photos, altho it seems trimmed properly from the deck. I also tend to have little twist. (I finished in the middle of the pack after 20 more hours).Interesting comments and I'd welcome more. There are telltales, but the resolution isn't good enough to see them.Rick D.

 

[r.w.landau]

Looks like the wind is just aft of a beam reach.

Rick,To me, the main looks like it is trimmed correctly and that the jib need to be trimmed a bit more. The jib has to much twist at the head and a funny kink in the foot. I think that if it was trimmed abit the twist would come out andthat kink would dissappear. It is hard to say if the car is set right because of the jib shape.r.w.landau

 

[r.w.landau]

Rick a question..

Were you at hull speed? your wake looks like you were at hull speed.r.w.landau

 

[Rick D]

Not Hull Speed, Landau

My recollection is that we were doing about six knots in about 10-12 actual. RD