down wind
I have a 29.5 . A little smaller than your 340 , But the sail plan and hull design are identicle. The only difference may be that you may have the in mast mian furling system. The B&R rigs on the newer Hunters are designed for ease of use for the cruiser who is light on crew like the typical coulple. The big main is the power sail (the opposite of a the more tratitional mast head rig) The small %110 jib makes comming about and jibing realitively easy, for the short handed crew. The jib is not overlaping it is sheeted inside the on a very short track. Look on all the brochure pictures of the newer back stayless B&R rigged boats. You will notice in evey picture the foot of the jib is hooked like a J. It is impossible to flatten out the jib.The slot will always be distorted and the jib cannot be brought in parallel with the main This configuration will give you better pointing angles, but no power. Because of the swept back spreaders you can't let the main out when going down wind. That combined with the tiny jib means sailing down wind is a joke. As far as I am concerned there is only one fix. A bigger head sail. but in order to fly it right you need to add tracks on the outside of the side stays. This can be done on top of the coaming between the safty rail stantions. I put a 165% jib on my boat . Now that may sound huge, but rememer our boats have the masts more forward than more traditional boats meaning that the fortriange is smaller. Translated this means that my 165% fractional is aout the same size as a Catalina 30 135% I run the furling line through a ratchet block so when I am letting out the sail it can't get away from me. The sail is marked so I can let out 110%, 150%,or 165&. I only use the 165& in light air or saiingl down wind. This set up has greatly improved the sailing characteristics, and made the boat track better. I have some pictures if you want I will send them to you ( email me at cstoddar@juno.com
