Alan, I read your reply on the positioning of the genoa cars and have a question for you on the main. I have noticed that when I seem to be getting optimum speed in winds that are in the 14-16 KN range I have excessive luffing in the main sail. When I trim the sail to the point where the luffing stops I loose speed. This does not seem normal but the boat handles very well, seems reasonably balanced with the luffing in the main. Any ideas on the cause and any suggestions. Thanks Don
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Don
A picture is worth a thousand words. If you could post both situations it would be much easier to comment. My first thought is how flat are you able to make your main? With full outhaul, good halyard tension and cunningham, and about 2/3 full backstay in, where is your draft location and how deep is it? The main on the 35.5 is huge. It is the HP that drives the boat. At 15kts the main is getting very powerful and needs to be flattened(depowered). If a bubble(luffing) forms in the front 25% of the sail, the genoa is the culprit. Moving the genoa lead cars aft will help to remove this bubble. The traveler should be just below centerline which will put the foot of the main further to leeward. At this point playing the traveler for best upwind speed should handle most gusts and keep the boat on her feet.
A picture is worth a thousand words. If you could post both situations it would be much easier to comment. My first thought is how flat are you able to make your main? With full outhaul, good halyard tension and cunningham, and about 2/3 full backstay in, where is your draft location and how deep is it? The main on the 35.5 is huge. It is the HP that drives the boat. At 15kts the main is getting very powerful and needs to be flattened(depowered). If a bubble(luffing) forms in the front 25% of the sail, the genoa is the culprit. Moving the genoa lead cars aft will help to remove this bubble. The traveler should be just below centerline which will put the foot of the main further to leeward. At this point playing the traveler for best upwind speed should handle most gusts and keep the boat on her feet.
Hi White Rock!
Don, I had a Hunter 35.5 for almost six years and raced it hard. It was and is a great boat--a classic I think. We won many club races and in 1997 we won "Boat of the Year" in the racing fleet beating such boats as J35s, Pearson 36, Sabre 36, C and Cs, several Catalinas (a Catalina 27 was my chief competitor--he was good) and several other boats I don't remember. We sailed the year we won the jackpot with a furling 120 jib and the regular main that came with the boat (it was new when I bought it) and a asymetrical chute. We always had a luff in the forward one third of the main when pointing. But this boat had the short fin and bulb keel with wings and we could not point with the rest of the fleet so we would fall off and foot, but still, most of the time we had a slight luff in the main. Trying to point we had more of the luffing. After winning everything, I bought a 150 genoa from UK in Sydney and we went slower most of the time. Finally took it off and went back to the jib. The boat is rig for a jib and main and I think you'll just have to play with the luff. I always sailed the boat and watched the boat speed not the sail shape. Go fast was the word. I even won the overnight race to Point Roberts and back keeping White Rock as our navigation point. Have fun sailing her--she's a good boat. Les
Don, I had a Hunter 35.5 for almost six years and raced it hard. It was and is a great boat--a classic I think. We won many club races and in 1997 we won "Boat of the Year" in the racing fleet beating such boats as J35s, Pearson 36, Sabre 36, C and Cs, several Catalinas (a Catalina 27 was my chief competitor--he was good) and several other boats I don't remember. We sailed the year we won the jackpot with a furling 120 jib and the regular main that came with the boat (it was new when I bought it) and a asymetrical chute. We always had a luff in the forward one third of the main when pointing. But this boat had the short fin and bulb keel with wings and we could not point with the rest of the fleet so we would fall off and foot, but still, most of the time we had a slight luff in the main. Trying to point we had more of the luffing. After winning everything, I bought a 150 genoa from UK in Sydney and we went slower most of the time. Finally took it off and went back to the jib. The boat is rig for a jib and main and I think you'll just have to play with the luff. I always sailed the boat and watched the boat speed not the sail shape. Go fast was the word. I even won the overnight race to Point Roberts and back keeping White Rock as our navigation point. Have fun sailing her--she's a good boat. Les
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