Different reefing strategies in strong breeze

[Vega1447]

Hi.
I was sailing in company with two other boats at weekend.
Winds were fresh & gusty F5-6 though as we were on a lake the "seas"
were small though a chop built up.

My question - when close reaching in these conditions I put in one slab
reef in main & furled maybe 70% of jib.
I was still heavily heeled and was occasionally close to broaching with
rudder cavitating in the stronger gusts.
Because of furl in jib I couldn't point as high as friend (Galion 22
higher ballast to displacement ratio than Vega) who put in two reefs in
main and kept full headsail.

My furling headsail is about 130% - my feeling is I'd have been
overcanvassed with horrible lee helm - but maybe pointing much higher??

Has anyone tried this sail plan in strong winds? Does the Vega's longer
keel moderate lee helm?

Thanks,

John

Vega 1447 Breakaway

 

[pjacobs55]

My (limited) experience with my Vega has been that she likes a double
reefed main and a little more jib to remain reasonably balanced in a
blow. This gives me just a little weather helm and allows the
autopilot to manage the tiller.

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'

 

[vega1842]

We have also found that it is better to reef the main deep and early
and hang on to more headsail for longer. We have often sailed to
windward with two reefs in the main and full or slightly rolled 150%
genoa with 25 knots over the deck - and with no lee helm. We can
also point higher like this . . . the genoa is old and resemnbles a
sack if you put more than a few rolls in it.

We have now ordered a 130% genoa with a foam luff, which should give
a better shape when reefed - but I would certainly always reef the
main first and in strong breezes would put in two reefs before
furling away very much of the average genoa.

- Nick
'Fairwinds' V1842

 

[stevebirch2002]

I second that. I have three slab reefs in my main and often put the
second slag in in a F4/5 Certainly makes her easy to handle with little
or no weather-helm.

Cheers

Steve Birch (Technical)

 

[wxt8981]

When the wind picks up, I sail with main and jib, main and
storm-jib, reefing main and storm jib, and finally (only
needed once) with storm-jib, but then also with engine. I
always maintain some weather-helm, never a lee-helm.
Wilhelm, V-257