I always thought that frational rigged boats got (or should get) more drive out of their main sail than their head sail when going to windward. Is this just a matter of the individual sail's area or is there really some relationship? If you sheet in the headsail so that it touches the spreaders (or is as tight as it can go) and it backwinds the main, would you do better by easing jib and getting more drive from the main? Mind you I have an H27 that does not have a traveler (are there other Hunter models with travelerless mainsheet systems?) so I can only sheet in the main so far. Would it be better to ease the jib, fill the main, and sail a bit lower to get more VMG to windward? I can't afford the $1,000 for a traveler ($400 + just for Harkin risers) and there does not seem a good place to put one even if I could. shep
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H27 traveler.
For a much cheaper system try Garhauer(www.garhauermarine.com). Unfortunately they are still rewriting their catalog so you will need to call. Cheaper than that is one I saw in my marina. It is an arch built from wood with the traveler bolted to it. The slight arch has two feet, each about 6"x2", that are mounted about where your blocks attach. This is assuming you have the cabin top triangular system. I know that tiller boats are different.
For a much cheaper system try Garhauer(www.garhauermarine.com). Unfortunately they are still rewriting their catalog so you will need to call. Cheaper than that is one I saw in my marina. It is an arch built from wood with the traveler bolted to it. The slight arch has two feet, each about 6"x2", that are mounted about where your blocks attach. This is assuming you have the cabin top triangular system. I know that tiller boats are different.
traveller not that important
Fractional rigs potentially point better because the short-footed headsail can make for a tighter sheeting angle. The little traveller on my H336 is (almost) two feet across. It doesn't make that much difference. All I ever use the traveller for is to pull the boom in to centerline in light winds. Otherwise, I set the sheeting angle with the sheet, and pull the boom down with the vang. The primary factors in pointing ability are, in no particular order, sheeting angle, which is determined by the lead track placement--the narrower the better--bottom configuration--fin keels generally point better than full keels--and boatspeed! A boat going faster will do a better job of getting and staying high. So go fast and low first, then head up.
Fractional rigs potentially point better because the short-footed headsail can make for a tighter sheeting angle. The little traveller on my H336 is (almost) two feet across. It doesn't make that much difference. All I ever use the traveller for is to pull the boom in to centerline in light winds. Otherwise, I set the sheeting angle with the sheet, and pull the boom down with the vang. The primary factors in pointing ability are, in no particular order, sheeting angle, which is determined by the lead track placement--the narrower the better--bottom configuration--fin keels generally point better than full keels--and boatspeed! A boat going faster will do a better job of getting and staying high. So go fast and low first, then head up.
slot
The smaller the boat, the less important the traveler is. Going upwind on most large racing keelboats, the mainsail trimmer spends more time tweaking the traveler than the sheet. (And on the huge boats, even the jib fairleads are on travelers.) The thing to pay attention to is the slot between the main and jib, making certain that both sails are trimmed in such a way that the slot is uniform. The reason fractional rigs usually outpoint masthead rigs is that slot shape is more controlled on the former. In light air, VMG will often increase on a close reach rather than close-hauled because there's not enough boat speed to move the apparent wind forward. Which is why Paul's advice is well taken: crack off for speed after a tack, and then come to weather slowly as the apparent wind allows, working both the main and jib in together. In light air, most of us would do well to remember Mainsail Maxim #1: "When in doubt, let it out."
The smaller the boat, the less important the traveler is. Going upwind on most large racing keelboats, the mainsail trimmer spends more time tweaking the traveler than the sheet. (And on the huge boats, even the jib fairleads are on travelers.) The thing to pay attention to is the slot between the main and jib, making certain that both sails are trimmed in such a way that the slot is uniform. The reason fractional rigs usually outpoint masthead rigs is that slot shape is more controlled on the former. In light air, VMG will often increase on a close reach rather than close-hauled because there's not enough boat speed to move the apparent wind forward. Which is why Paul's advice is well taken: crack off for speed after a tack, and then come to weather slowly as the apparent wind allows, working both the main and jib in together. In light air, most of us would do well to remember Mainsail Maxim #1: "When in doubt, let it out."
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