Getting killed on the course!

[Midnightoil]

Hi everybody
I recently salvaged a Catalina 27 tall rig. She is my baby, but I am short a decent 155 Genoa. This is my first season with this boat and I have faithful crew. Except on the nights that start out with heavy air and end with a whisper. The hope is to pick up a furler within a year or so. So buying a new hank on for this season is kind of crazy. Any tips for racing or a line on a Genoa would be great
Thanks

 

[jimoc]

My older Cat 27 with tired sails and a "neglected", but regularly cleaned bottom, was also a "back-of-the-pack" racer until a haulout and bottom paint.
Wow! we started getting 2nds and even a few firsts!
You gotta have a real clean bottom! DO IT !
Cheers!

 

[Jackdaw]

Midnight,

Do you have a past history of doing well in racing? All of my experience says that new racers always finish last, no matter what the condition or equipment level of their boat.

After a year or so of learning, they start to move up.

 

[Midnightoil]

The bottom I spent hours on. Interprotect and then wet sanded,I can just about see myself in the vc
The fact is that I have a decent 170 old but still tones of life and at 100 with a new mainsail
The last race started out heavy air we gave nothing away at the start and our opponents went for the wrong mark! Once the the air lightened up he walked right by us.

 

[Stu Jackson]

The last race started out heavy air we gave nothing away at the start and our opponents went for the wrong mark! Once the the air lightened up he walked right by us.

he walked right by us. Same kind of boat? Are you racing PHRF?

 

[Midnightoil]

It was a C&C 24 rated about 233 jog class

 

[weinie]

My 27 was fastest when I ditched my 150 and used a 135. A dacron 150 is too heavy in light air and will flop around. If you pole it out, the pole will be about 18 feet extended making it unwieldy for the poor soul on the foredeck who will no doubt dip it in the water and pretzel it. That makes sudden gybes with the pole difficult to do. Tacking upwind, it will get caught in the shrouds and sometimes the leach will twist up in front of the spreaders. Definitely keep your fordeck crew busy pulling the clew over during tacks and gybes and skirting. In just 12 knots you will be quickly be overpowered and need to reef it. Reef too much and its a baggy mess.
The 150 will also cause alot of weather helm as the center of effort is aft of the mast

If you do go with the big genoa, don't over trim it. I found that I would sheet my 150 in tight and then crack it out an inch or so. The main will backwind a touch but the slot will really be working for you.

In general, she accelerates pretty quickly so stay low after tacks and get speed before heading up. Make sure the helm is balanced so the rudder isn't dragging to much and you're fighting to keep her from rounding up.

 

[markwbird]

forget the roller furler

If you really want to do well racing go ahead and get the hank on sail and forget about the roller furler. The boat will point better and sail faster with the hanked on sail. This is because a hanked on sail can come all the way down to the deck. No furling drum in the way. The added sail area and the ability to maintain a pressure differential between the outside and inside due to being down on the deck will give you a better performing sail.

 

[Midnightoil]

Right now I am looking For the hank on. The only reason I plan on a furler is to simplify when the family and I are cruising. I have three young girls and a wife. I also moved the traveller forward into the cockpit as well and installed oversized self trailers. Bacon sails has a hank on 150 for 600$ U.S.

 

[Stu Jackson]

After a year or so of learning, they start to move up.

Jack's right. It takes a while, like anything else you have to learn. Have fun doing it. It's like sailing lessons: while you're learnin', ya still get to go sailing! What's so hard?

 

[Midnightoil]

I think that's my favourite part of sailing. I learn something new every time I sail.