Genuine Sailing Question

Tim R. · Sep 17, 2008

Always racing

I love cruising and daysailing but I am always trying to get that extra .1 knot. I find my self trimming while the admiral steers so I can apply what I learn to racing. So far so good. 3 Regattas with 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 1st for season for the wed. night beer can racing. All thanks to an awesome crew including Mainesail who should be named Mainsail for his attention to detail trimming my main sail.

Ed Schenck · Sep 17, 2008

Depends who else is out there.

Once you have raced it is hard to leave the controls alone. I'll trim up a little until I see someone gaining on me. Then I am all over it.

Boat n Bus · Sep 17, 2008

Once a racer

Always a racer. I am of the same mindset as Tim and Ed, there is always some string to pull to get that little bit extra. That being said, I still need to rig myself a cunningham!

MoonSailer · Sep 17, 2008

Kind of trim mostly enjoy the sailing

We don't sail with the sails flapping or with a close hauled sail on a broad reach...but we don't constantly trim. Actually a lot of the time when going no where in particular I will just turn the boat a little rather than retrim. This is especially true on those days that the wind is constantly shifting. Our rig is pretty simple with just a traveler. We use the traveler a lot. The downhaul and outhaul are rarely touched. Maybe we should race some just to get more excited about fiddling with the trim.

Who is doing your rigging???? I need to replace my mast step and standing rigging. I am thinking about doing it myself. Swage the fittings at the top of the mast and use norseman or something simular at the bottom. Will you replace all the fittings??? The chainplates???

larry w · Sep 17, 2008

Two sailboats going the same direction

is a race 'cause no sailor likes to be passed by a boat of similar size/design. If I go out with some buddies, my boat or theirs, we look for other boats to chase and pass and have engaged in some impromptu racing. If I'm out with the wife or guests, it's usually just unroll the genny and go where the wind takes us.

John24107 · Sep 17, 2008

No particular place to go....

I found myself particularly lazy a couple of weeks ago. My genny would luff a bit and rather than get up and trim, I pulled on the tiller and changed course until it wasn't luffing anymore. I like those kind of days. I just go where the wind wants to take me.

MoonSailer · Sep 17, 2008

Bio you sail a Mac 26???

My old boat a Mac 26 was very fast when the wind was light. Actually we were never passed on a light wind day and only once when it was breezy. Never raced the thing. But I remember particularly one day o Kentucky lake seeing a big catalina way ahead and in less that an hour it was way behind. Especially with the wind behind the mast and the daggerboard up that Mac would go.

Benny17441 · Sep 17, 2008

More interested in average speed.

Our target distance for a 24 hour segment is 140nm. That translates to 5.8 knots. I don't care if the boat can do 8 as long as that at the end it has averaged 5.8 knots. Attaining that average can be simple with a little planning. Going with the tide and current, anticipating prevalent or forecasted wind and foresaking certain destinations at certain times of the year are considerations to help sail a target average speed. Experience has taught me that no kind of sail trimming can overcome a head wind on a tight schedule.

kendall · Sep 17, 2008

kinda mixed

For the most part, as long as I'm moving in the right direction I'm happy.
A lot of my sailing is just through the channel, up/down the coast and back, no rush to get there or back so I just go.

Other times, if I have a real destination or just get in the right mood, I'll try to get the most performance out of her.

For the most part I just sail.

Ken

RichH · Sep 17, 2008

Cant help myself....

After campaigning and racing for the better part of 40 years, I usually make my my initial shaping/set close to perfection via a full set of tell tales, etc. Then, if Im feeling lazy I'll chintz on the trim or attack angles.
Sails last a lot longer when set/shaped for the conditions so that all the forces on the fabric is equalized; if the tension is way-off on one edge. etc., you soon get permanent deformation/creep of the fibers, etc.

Don S/V ILLusion · Sep 17, 2008

racing vs cruising

These are mutually exclusive activities to me. When I race, which is infrequrent, no one ever sits except on the rail to hike. When cruising, we try not to move except to get more ice for the glass as it disturbs the Admiral who is usually napping.

RichH · Sep 17, 2008

Cant help myself .....

After campaigning and racing for the better part of 40 years, I usually make my initial shaping/set close to perfection via a full set of tell tales, etc. Then, if Im feeling lazy I'll chintz on the trim or attack angles.
Sails last a lot longer when set/shaped for the conditions so that all the forces on the fabric is equalized; if the tension is way-off on one edge. etc., you soon get permanent deformation/creep of the fibers, etc.

Scott B · Sep 17, 2008

Depends

on who's on board with me and the situation. Most weekends we have 4-6 people on board with a destination in mind. I like to play and have a good sail, but usually concentrate on the destination and timing. However, some weekends, as in 2 weeks ago, it was only the 2 of us, good winds and no schedule to keep. I played for several hours on both Sat. and Sun. and probably had the best sail of the year. I like to learn and improve, so kept playing with all the controls to see what would get us going faster. I'm not so concerned with competition, but more of a wanting to improve another skill.

Rick D · Sep 17, 2008

Benny, 140 Miles?

That's a good goal. We did 1200 NM in eight and a half days which is 5.9 knots in a 42' including ten hours of motoring, but I think that was exceptional. In overnight races on the west coast that would be considered a great result in any production cruising boat in the mid 30's to the mid 40's I think, given the light and fluky overnight winds. Of course, trade wind sailing is a different story. BTW, we worked hard to keep the boat speed up. Rick D.

Stu Jackson · Sep 17, 2008

The boat sails better when it's sailed right

so other than a fisherman's reef sometimes, we use all the controls we have: vang, traveler, outhaul, cunningham, leech lines, reefing lines...

It always looks better when the sails are trimmed properly.

It's like that old saw: "There's no difference between racing and cruising sail sets - just do it right."

Recess · Sep 17, 2008

I am lazy

If it is a stiff breeze or wind, trim matters to me. On a lazy wind, I become lazy too.

higgs · Sep 17, 2008

Usually

I do use all my controls and usually keep my sails well trimmed. A well trimmed boat is a happy boat and your sails will last longer too.

There are times - like lazy day beer drinking days when I am not all that attentive.

Ross · Sep 17, 2008

I use all of my controls, the main sheet and either the

port or the starboard jib sheet. My outhaul is set when I bend the sail on and it stays that way until I pull the sail off for the winter.

BrianW · Sep 17, 2008

I'm a Serious Relaxer

Once I get my sails trimmed just so on my Hunter 26, I liked to mix things up. All leaned back with my right leg on the tiller.... you know, with that little notch right above your heel. That part of the body is just made for holding a tiller. As the breeze hits my face, after a while I decide it's time for something different. So, what I do is gently grab the tiller with my hand, shift my body ever so slightly, then prop my LEFT foot on the tiller. Then lean back again. It kinda keeps my tan even also. Now, THAT'S sailing!

BrianW

Genuine Sailing Question

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