HEY Don,

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Sinbad21462

Sinbad21462

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Jan 25, 2007
11
- - USA
...this forum just petered out?? Surely there must be some sailors out there that have some(any) trim questions or comments??!! There must be tons of interesting questions and ideas that are floating around in the sailing world that we haven't heard, no??
 
D

Dale

Racing

You all talk about all this trimming of sails and everythig all I can do is try some of this stuff but I dont have alot of adjustment like most of you do, all I got is alittle 170. It limits you to what you can trim and how much you can trim. But I do get most of the ideas out there.
 
Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
New topic

Sinbad: My next topic will be tacking, which I'll put out in a couple of days. I enjoyed the massive amount of sail trim info that has gone out in the past week. I decide to stay out of it and just let it flow because sometimes when I throw in my 2 cents the flow just stops and I did not want that to happen. What I always suggest is not to take everything written (including what I write)a s gospel. Try it on your boat and see if it works for you. To Illustrate that point, when I was researching my chart and book I stumbled on a article in a sailing magazine that happened to be whatI was working on at the time. I did not get exactly what the author was saying but I thought maybe it was me. As luck would have it, about a week latter I found an article on the same subject written by Buddy Melges. Buddy article was directly the opposite of the other authors. The only way to find out who was correct was to try it out on my boat. As a point of info, everything in my book and chart has been tested and tested again on my boat so I know it works. In the above situation, Buddy was right!! Dale: Sail trim is sail trim no mater what your sailing becasue the principles are the same. Almost like flying - doens't matter if it is a 747 or a Piper Cub. They both go through the air the same way.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,323
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Dale in Kentucky....

you can always add additional sail controls to your boat... Give us an idea of what you wish you had and maybe someone will give you some pointers in how to get it rigged.
 
D

Dale

race

Dont know I guess Id like to add for start a traveler. It seems to me that when u pull the main sheet up to where I think it needs to be it closes the luff to much and its like you put the brakes on may be I just try to run to close to the wind???
 
Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Mainsheet

Dale: Lots of sailors underestimate the mainsheet. That sail trim control is a biggee and used to control angle of attack (along with the traveler), twist (along with the boom vang) and draft position (along with the boom vang, cunningham,mast bend and outhaul). So, as you can see a lot of things are happening when you crank on the mainsheet. Do you have mainsail telltales? Personally I don't know how anyone can adjust either the main or jib without them. I can't and I know what I'm looking for. You can't THINK you have the best spot. You have to know you have the best spot. This is for all beginner to intermediate listers - Unless you know how every sail trim control for the main and jib effect draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack you will never progress up the sail trim ladder. I know from my own experience that it appears to be a complexing thing to learn but it is not. If I can figure it out anyone can!!
 
M

mortyd

sail trim

dale, some guys with sunfish are always beating other guys with sunfish; my guess is sail trim, limited as it may be, has something to do with it.
 
D

Dale

Telltales

Ya I have the telltales and I do use them just dont have the traveler and as hard as I try is still get pointed to much into the wind just something I need to work on only been doing it a year but Ill get it.
 
Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Traveler

Dale: I was thinking about your comments this morning where you mentioned the traveler and sail shape in the same post. The traveler has nothing to do with sail shape. Think of a screen door with a pin at the corner that rides in a track. When you open and close the screen door does the shape of the screen change? No it doesn't and it is the same with the traveler on your boat. All the traveler does is is change the ANGLE OF ATTACK. I can't stress this enough - from a sail trim standpoint it is so important to know the function of each sail trim control for the main and jib. So many times when I have been on boats teaching sail trim the skipper will say for example "adjust the outhaul". He does not say which way or how much. More importantly, when I ask him why he is calling for that adjustment he can't tell me. I usually follow up with "what other controls are you going to adjust now that you have messed with the bottom 1/3 of the sail?". That generally gives me a starting point and in 5 minutes I can explain everything he need to know about the outhaul.
 
Alan

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
;D

Don you crack me up. I love your stories! ;D It blows me away(pun intended) how many skippers just don't understand their sail controls (or lack of them).
 
D

Dale

controls

I understand them just fine I just wish I had the oppertunity to fine tune them like the big boats.
 
D

Dale

Dale

Not sure what you mean but isnt any adjustment made to better your speed and less distnace traveled a fine tune?
 
Alan

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
Dale

Big boat or little makes no difference, all have sail trim controls that need adjusting. Some have more than others. You can and should add any that are missing to shape your sails for best performance. Are you saying that you have no other boats to race against?
 
D

Dale

Adj

I guess Im just wondering if it would be legal to add parts and still be a fair race, handicapp wise??
 
Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Downhaul

Chuck R (Getaway): A downhaul is used, as you suspected, to keep the pole and the foot of the sail level. The reason for it is because the pole has a tendency to want to rise and the sail then loses its shape. Hope you enjoy the forum. There are some pretty good sailors here who are more than willing to share their knowledge with you. So just fire away with any questions.
 
Sinbad21462

Sinbad21462

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Jan 25, 2007
11
- - USA
Dale

Absolutely it is legal and expected. If you are somehow changing the rig, that is a different story, but sail controls, even if they did not come stock with the boat, are always allowed with no penalty. If you have a fractional rig and add runners or check stays, you will incur a penalty, but everything else when it comes to sail controls is fair game.
 
T

Ted

Not always...

If you are racing a one design class you may not be allowed to add certain controls. Check your class regulations before you make any modifications. Generally, PHRF is not as restrictive as one design.
 
Sinbad21462

Sinbad21462

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Jan 25, 2007
11
- - USA
Ted

You are right about OD racing, but Dale was asking about handicap racing. Of course, OD racing has its own class rules. Each class establishes a set of class rules that must be adhered to to race within the class. Handicap racing makes no such distinctions.
 
C

Chuck R

Musta missed a thread,,?

AAAAAAAA Sinbad,,,,,,,,,,,, What'sa OD racing? Certainly not an O'Day racing.
 
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