Don, I just re-read your article on Downwind Sailing. Suddenly, it hits me. The very last sentence, General Rule #11, says that under Jib And Main, I should sail wing-on-wing and directly to the mark. So, I should follow the other information only when flying my asymmetrical chute and sail at the mark with my 155?
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It depends of course
Like everything else in sailing. If the direction you want to go (the mark) is dead down wind then you need to ask yourself; am I in a race? If you are trying to get to the mark as quickly as possible then I'd not sail dead down wind. You will get there faster by jibing while running down wind at 140-160 degrees. It depends on the boat, sails and wind. If you want to get there with the minimum amount of jibs then DDW works better as you don't have to make any. Not sure why you make the distinction between a 155 and asymmetrical. You chose the sail based on the wind you have at the time. Less wind - use a bigger lighter sail.
Like everything else in sailing. If the direction you want to go (the mark) is dead down wind then you need to ask yourself; am I in a race? If you are trying to get to the mark as quickly as possible then I'd not sail dead down wind. You will get there faster by jibing while running down wind at 140-160 degrees. It depends on the boat, sails and wind. If you want to get there with the minimum amount of jibs then DDW works better as you don't have to make any. Not sure why you make the distinction between a 155 and asymmetrical. You chose the sail based on the wind you have at the time. Less wind - use a bigger lighter sail.
I'm specifically talking racing. Don's 6-page article on downwind sailing says, "With jib and main only you should sail wing and wing and more or less directly at the mark." So, my question is does the rest of the article refer to using a chute (of some kind) and under JAM they don't apply? As to the sails, I usually only carry a 155. In a few exclusive instances I fly my asymmetrical chute.
Downwind
Bob: That item 11 was actually an after thought. I had written the article in rough draft and was about to finish it but just before I did I had conducted a sail trim seminar in Long Beach, Ca for a large group of mostly beginner to intermediate sailors. NONE of them had ever sailed wing on wing!! Their reasons were we don't know how or it is to much work or we are afraid to try it. Additionally, they were a little afraid to try sailing off the wind as I suggested and preferred to just sail DDW. So I thought OK, lets do this in steps. Once they got comfortable with wing and wing, sailing off downwind would be a snap. Incidently, most beer can racers in So Ca sail DDW. That is the leg on which they break out the sandwiches and beer!! That's the background of the item 11. In addition, none of the article pertains to anything other than main and jib. Spinnerkers are way beyond the level of the folks I deal with. Most have yet to master the jib!! Personally, I think DDW is a waste of time. I'm probaly a lot different than most sailors as 95% of the time on the water I'm rying to get 100% out of the boat. Even when I'm just messing around, say with non sailors guests on board, I still will keep one eye on the sail and sneak an adjustment when my wife isn't looking. The reason for that is she would start on me when we got in the car to drive to the boat - don't talk about sailing, don't do this and don't do that and on and on and I'd just say yeah, yeah but I often wondered why they went sailing with me if they didn't want to learn a little about it. On getting to a downwind destination - how many sailors would brag ater the trip I could have arrived in Dana Point, Ca in 4 hours but I got there in 6. I guess some would but I'm not one of them.
Bob: That item 11 was actually an after thought. I had written the article in rough draft and was about to finish it but just before I did I had conducted a sail trim seminar in Long Beach, Ca for a large group of mostly beginner to intermediate sailors. NONE of them had ever sailed wing on wing!! Their reasons were we don't know how or it is to much work or we are afraid to try it. Additionally, they were a little afraid to try sailing off the wind as I suggested and preferred to just sail DDW. So I thought OK, lets do this in steps. Once they got comfortable with wing and wing, sailing off downwind would be a snap. Incidently, most beer can racers in So Ca sail DDW. That is the leg on which they break out the sandwiches and beer!! That's the background of the item 11. In addition, none of the article pertains to anything other than main and jib. Spinnerkers are way beyond the level of the folks I deal with. Most have yet to master the jib!! Personally, I think DDW is a waste of time. I'm probaly a lot different than most sailors as 95% of the time on the water I'm rying to get 100% out of the boat. Even when I'm just messing around, say with non sailors guests on board, I still will keep one eye on the sail and sneak an adjustment when my wife isn't looking. The reason for that is she would start on me when we got in the car to drive to the boat - don't talk about sailing, don't do this and don't do that and on and on and I'd just say yeah, yeah but I often wondered why they went sailing with me if they didn't want to learn a little about it. On getting to a downwind destination - how many sailors would brag ater the trip I could have arrived in Dana Point, Ca in 4 hours but I got there in 6. I guess some would but I'm not one of them.
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