I was competeing in a race where most of the other boats in my class were able to sail much "closer" to the wind than I in my Vision 32. I am a new sailor and was wondering what I might do to improve sailing closer to the wind. A Vision 32 has a very small jib but a huge mainsail.
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Alan
Being a new sailor......
....is hard enough. Combine that with learning how to race makes the job a little harder. Then add the fact that the Vision is not exactly the best pointing boat in the fleet..holy cow, talk about a learning curve. On the plus side, you don't have a lot of bad habits to break. May I STRONGLY recommend that you buy Don Guillette's book 'Sail Trim'. He is the host on the 'SailTrim' forum on this website. It will teach you to sail and trim the right way. After that, go practice, practice.... You will be amazed how quickly it all comes together
....is hard enough. Combine that with learning how to race makes the job a little harder. Then add the fact that the Vision is not exactly the best pointing boat in the fleet..holy cow, talk about a learning curve. On the plus side, you don't have a lot of bad habits to break. May I STRONGLY recommend that you buy Don Guillette's book 'Sail Trim'. He is the host on the 'SailTrim' forum on this website. It will teach you to sail and trim the right way. After that, go practice, practice.... You will be amazed how quickly it all comes together
C
Cliff Ruckstuhl
A few more thought's.
Alan is right about the Vision. Yet good boats but they have a few things to over come for pointing. Keel and small head sail. The Keel is the buld wing keel and they point okay but can't replace a 5' draft blade keel. They other is the sail's of this rig. The small jib will help but you have a fairly large diameter mast section. This creates large amount of turblance for the main sail. I can not say it enough good sail's will be life or death or 1st or 10th if all the rest of the boats are using good sail's. If you are sailing with orginal sail's check to see what a new head sail would cost, can't be to much for this boat. But buy a good racing sail and then use it just for racing. Check to see if the stock sail was a 100% then with a sailmaker on the boat maybe a 108% would fit. A little more sail area can't hurt. Sail's have 2 lives 1 for the cloth and the other for the shape. Shape goes 1st, I have raced against guy's with 20 year old Dacron Sail's that are really just a big sheet hanging up ther. They then wonder why ther boat is heeling over 30 degree's hanging on for dear life going slow and the rest of the fleet is blasting to windward going fast. Read all that you can get your hands on about racing. Sailing World Mag is a great source and the one Alan mentioned. Boat prep is also top of the list. If you have a rocket of a boat and it has bad sail's and a rough bottom then would be awful tough to do well drving a lead sled. Even the pros would not do well. Good crew and sailing fast are things that come in time. But getting the boat race ready is your job. IF you want to be competitive then do what you need to do to get the boat competitive. Cliff H 28.5 "Red Dog"
Alan is right about the Vision. Yet good boats but they have a few things to over come for pointing. Keel and small head sail. The Keel is the buld wing keel and they point okay but can't replace a 5' draft blade keel. They other is the sail's of this rig. The small jib will help but you have a fairly large diameter mast section. This creates large amount of turblance for the main sail. I can not say it enough good sail's will be life or death or 1st or 10th if all the rest of the boats are using good sail's. If you are sailing with orginal sail's check to see what a new head sail would cost, can't be to much for this boat. But buy a good racing sail and then use it just for racing. Check to see if the stock sail was a 100% then with a sailmaker on the boat maybe a 108% would fit. A little more sail area can't hurt. Sail's have 2 lives 1 for the cloth and the other for the shape. Shape goes 1st, I have raced against guy's with 20 year old Dacron Sail's that are really just a big sheet hanging up ther. They then wonder why ther boat is heeling over 30 degree's hanging on for dear life going slow and the rest of the fleet is blasting to windward going fast. Read all that you can get your hands on about racing. Sailing World Mag is a great source and the one Alan mentioned. Boat prep is also top of the list. If you have a rocket of a boat and it has bad sail's and a rough bottom then would be awful tough to do well drving a lead sled. Even the pros would not do well. Good crew and sailing fast are things that come in time. But getting the boat race ready is your job. IF you want to be competitive then do what you need to do to get the boat competitive. Cliff H 28.5 "Red Dog"
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Don Guillette
Close hauled - How Close
Richard: Your in a tought situation but your not alone and I hear this problem all the time from sailors worldwide. Lots of boats don't point well. I am not familiar with the Vision 32 but it appears Ralph is and has made some good suggestions, which you should follow. You have to make the best of what you have and by that I mean you have to use every sail trim control for your main and jib to the maximum. On a masthead rig, the engine is the jib and these boats have the ability to sail closer to the wind because one of the reasons is you have the ability to use the characteristics of two large sails to the maximum. On a fractional rig, the mainsail is the engine and the jib doesn't do a lot so you really have to trim the main to 100% perfection. I assume you have all the mainsail trim controls and that they all work?
Richard: Your in a tought situation but your not alone and I hear this problem all the time from sailors worldwide. Lots of boats don't point well. I am not familiar with the Vision 32 but it appears Ralph is and has made some good suggestions, which you should follow. You have to make the best of what you have and by that I mean you have to use every sail trim control for your main and jib to the maximum. On a masthead rig, the engine is the jib and these boats have the ability to sail closer to the wind because one of the reasons is you have the ability to use the characteristics of two large sails to the maximum. On a fractional rig, the mainsail is the engine and the jib doesn't do a lot so you really have to trim the main to 100% perfection. I assume you have all the mainsail trim controls and that they all work?
M
M. Barclay
Get back to basics
Before getting into cruising boats I cut my teeth on dinghy sailing- for 30 years. When I began cruising it did not take me long to realize that the lessons learned regarding weight transfer, helm, sail trim, and main/ jib trim on small sloops was directly applicable to a larger boat. Talking to other sailors has helped back up a theory that I heard years ago: "If you can sail a Laser you can sail anything!" Go back to basics and focus on one aspect at a time according to conditions (eg. in heavier air see how flattening the sail with vang and outhaul affects helm and ability to point). Bigger boats, but same principle.Happy sailing!
Before getting into cruising boats I cut my teeth on dinghy sailing- for 30 years. When I began cruising it did not take me long to realize that the lessons learned regarding weight transfer, helm, sail trim, and main/ jib trim on small sloops was directly applicable to a larger boat. Talking to other sailors has helped back up a theory that I heard years ago: "If you can sail a Laser you can sail anything!" Go back to basics and focus on one aspect at a time according to conditions (eg. in heavier air see how flattening the sail with vang and outhaul affects helm and ability to point). Bigger boats, but same principle.Happy sailing!
D
Don Guillette
Close hauled - How Close
Richard: M Barclay has it right and as I read his response it prompted me to re think your problem. When I got back into sailing about 10 years ago, I started with a MacGregor 22 and then a Catalina 25 and presently a Catalina 30. I was never happy with the performance I got out of these boats but the problem wasn't the boat - it was me. I wasn't using all the sail trim control to the maximum but I really didn't know how to do it. That is how my "Sail Trim Chart" and later my book "The sail Trim Users Guide" came into being. Originally, I designed both for myself because I thought everyone was a better sailor than me. I ultimately found out I was not alone in the lack of understanding of how to get 100% efficiency out of my boat. Anyway, back to M Barclays message to you. You'd be surprised how important crew placement is. Next race try this on the windward leg - if the wind is between 2-5 knots, place the crew leeward/forward. In 5-15 knots, place the crew windward and forward. Over 15 knots, place the crew windward/aft and see if that helps. I know it will. As I mentioned, you have have to adjust all your sail trim controls for the main and jib to the maximum and if your not sure what the correct adjustment is for each point of sail and wind condition then buy my SAIL TRIM CHART, which you can get through the ships store on this site. Here's my deal and it is only for you - if you buy and use my chart and book and adjust your main and jib exactly as I've outlined for each wind condition and point of sail, I guarantree you will move up 2 positions. If you don't, I'll refund your money!! I'm really not worried about the refund because I know you will pick up at least 1 knot. Good luck and see you in the winners circle!!
Richard: M Barclay has it right and as I read his response it prompted me to re think your problem. When I got back into sailing about 10 years ago, I started with a MacGregor 22 and then a Catalina 25 and presently a Catalina 30. I was never happy with the performance I got out of these boats but the problem wasn't the boat - it was me. I wasn't using all the sail trim control to the maximum but I really didn't know how to do it. That is how my "Sail Trim Chart" and later my book "The sail Trim Users Guide" came into being. Originally, I designed both for myself because I thought everyone was a better sailor than me. I ultimately found out I was not alone in the lack of understanding of how to get 100% efficiency out of my boat. Anyway, back to M Barclays message to you. You'd be surprised how important crew placement is. Next race try this on the windward leg - if the wind is between 2-5 knots, place the crew leeward/forward. In 5-15 knots, place the crew windward and forward. Over 15 knots, place the crew windward/aft and see if that helps. I know it will. As I mentioned, you have have to adjust all your sail trim controls for the main and jib to the maximum and if your not sure what the correct adjustment is for each point of sail and wind condition then buy my SAIL TRIM CHART, which you can get through the ships store on this site. Here's my deal and it is only for you - if you buy and use my chart and book and adjust your main and jib exactly as I've outlined for each wind condition and point of sail, I guarantree you will move up 2 positions. If you don't, I'll refund your money!! I'm really not worried about the refund because I know you will pick up at least 1 knot. Good luck and see you in the winners circle!!
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