Heel

[Plumper II]

My boat likes about 15 degrees but it is a rounded bottom boat. I never let the rail get wet because it seems to me that dragging all the stanchions and hardware through the water is drag. Why fair the bottom if you sail rail under?
I have sailed flat bottom boats that plane and surf (mine doesn't) and we always sailed them much flatter like a dinghy. They plane on the flat part of the run aft.
The big clue is helm. My helm is neutral until I am way over. On my old Ranger 26 there was huge weather helm at about 15 -20 degrees. On the Moore the weather helm started even earlier.

 

[Snotter]

Every boat is different. My fat Morgan 41 OI likes her keel under her--not beside her.

 

[Jumpstart]

All boats are different and proper heel angle changes with wind angle and wind speed. Attached is chart of wind speed, angle vmg and heel angle for my C&C 29-2. To decipher, VTW=True wind velocity, BTW- true wind angle VAW=apparent wind velocity, BAW apparent wind angle, V=velocity, VMG= velocity made good, HEEL ANGLE. This is very instructive as to proper heel angle. Notice that heel angle increases until about a 50 degrees apparent reach.

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

All boats are different and proper heel angle changes with wind angle and wind speed. Attached is chart of wind speed, angle vmg and heel angle for my C&C 29-2. To decipher, VTW=True wind velocity, BTW- true wind angle VAW=apparent wind velocity, BAW apparent wind angle, V=velocity, VMG= velocity made good, HEEL ANGLE. This is very instructive as to proper heel angle. Notice that heel angle increases until about a 50 degrees apparent reach.

What vintage is that data?

The first set of polars I had for my Cat30 looked like that. I had new ones run under the newer VPP that US Sailing uses. One of the differences is that the VPP shows 23.4 degrees as a limit for best speed, the older polars showed up to 27 degrees at optimum speed/angle.

The new polars show the speed and heel angles for both Jib/Genoa and Spinnaker for BTW over 60 degrees. It is easy to see that flying the spinnaker increases heel for a small gain in speed in a breeze. When Wench is aboard I use a set of numbers that keeps heel within her comfort zone and I still get to "fuss" to hit my numbers. Keeping heel under 15 degrees won't win any races in my boat, but it sure makes momma happy!

 

[Stu Jackson]

How do you know your angle of heel, guess or instrument?

So many people install inclometers, which I've heard referred to as "Fun Meters!" Realistically, I simply don't remember looking at one since our Catalina 22 days in 1983. On our C25 the most comfortable angle was when the top pieces of the pulpit were horizontal meeting the horizon line. You learn your boat's tendencies and go with them. If you're racing, polars are helpful, but I've raced with folks who are very successful and they didn't bother with the statistics, they raced the boat and did very well.

 

[Jumpstart]

The polars are an excerpt from my old ones circa 1992. Actual optimum angle of heel is about 23 degrees. I've always wondered how you could tell 23 from 25 degress as you are bouncing along in a seaway. Usually when I get close I adjust heel angle to knot meter readings. My wife used to call the clinometer the scream-o-meter. Fortunately she has gotten over it and doesn't pay much attention to it anymore.

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

The polars are an excerpt from my old ones circa 1992. Actual optimum angle of heel is about 23 degrees. I've always wondered how you could tell 23 from 25 degress as you are bouncing along in a seaway. Usually when I get close I adjust heel angle to knot meter readings. My wife used to call the clinometer the scream-o-meter. Fortunately she has gotten over it and doesn't pay much attention to it anymore.

I had the bow pulpit built so the forward legs are vertical at 23 deg of heel.

When the legs are vertical I know that I need to pay more attention and keep from sailing at more heel than that. My dad is an old "rail down" guy from the skinny, low freeboard boats he grew up with. "Rail down" was about 20-25 degrees on many of those boats and a good indicator. For tall, fat boats like the C30 rail down is too far and slow. Took me a few days for him to see the difference by forcing him to compare knotmeter readings his way and my way.

 

[Cayennita]

The more you heel the less lateral resistance the boat will have because the keel is now at an angle. You might point as high as a maxi but you will side slip a lot. In a winged keel boat a higher heel angle is more efficient going up wind because the wing will go deeper and also "trip" and prevent side slip. I had a 1987 Hunter legend 35 with the 4.5' winged keel and when racing I would heel 20-25 degrees. I have lots of trophies including a Rolex. If you are cruising then by all means keep her below 15 degrees. Reef and lots of back stay.

 

[walt]

Has anyone watched what the sail tell-tails do as the boat (and sail) heel? Is there anything noticeable about the air flow between a very upright sail or one heeled over?

Reason I ask.. On a windsurfing sail used at a fairly high speed (like on a planning windsurfer or on an ice boat), there is often a flow separation "bubble" on the windward side of the sail just behind the mast (the bubble is a local area where the flow detaches from the sail surface and sets up a rotation between the outside flow and the sail surface). The flow will re-attach several feet behind the mast and tell tails on the exit part of the sail flow the same direction as the main air flow.

Something fairly odd happens with the sail is raked from forwards to backwards. When the sail front to back rake is forward or more upright, the separation bubble is evident by looking at tell tails just behind the mast pointing in the opposite direction to the main flow. But as the mast is raked back, the flow just behind the mast almost "snaps" into a flow parallel with the mast and flowing straight up. Ie, as you rake the sail back, you can watch the tell tails on the windward side just behind the mast go from pointing perpendicular to the mast to all of a sudden parallel with the mast. It would appear that the flow parallel to the mast is lower drag (which is very important on fast vessels). On the lee side of the sail, you don't see much difference due to the rake, flow is generally attached. The possible lower drag from being racked back is something peculiar to single surface sails and probably has something to do with the "three dimensional" flow over the sail.

The affects of heel are always discussed in terms of the hull or "air spilling off the sail" - but I wonder if there is possibly some strange "three dimensional" affect on sailboats sails from heel that possibly makes some aspect of the sail work better. What Ive seen on a windsurfing sail is all from front to back rake. What about side "rake" - ie, heeling.