Larger Head Sail for a new H33

Clark · Aug 31, 2010

Hunter has designed their/our boats to get the bulk of the power out of the mainsail with the jib to balance the rig and point. The stays are at the toe rail/gunnel right? You wouldn't be able to sheet outboard of those and anything larger than about a 115 won't sheet on your existing track. With that said, they do beautifully with an asymmetric spinnaker for beam to deep reaches.

My $.02

Clark

Ken13559 · Sep 1, 2010

You can try lowering the foot to get alittle more sail area.

Clark · Sep 1, 2010

It depends . .

Nodak7 said:
Clark, we have an Asym and you are correct it does quite well with deep reaches. Have not tried to much on the beam. I have looked and looked to see if there is a way to increase the Headsail and see no way unless you use the outer rail and drag it across the shrouds. Neither of which sounds appealing.

The cut of the spin and wind speed determine how 'high' ypou can point. In very light winds, we can do a beam reach but it doesn't take much increase to force us to bear off.

G'Luck!

Alan · Sep 1, 2010

Asymmetrical spinnakers come in vary shapes. A Code Zero is the flattest and can point amazingly high in lighter breezes. At the other end a Code 4 is very large and full for deep running. I added a retractable bow sprit to my boat to get as deep as possible with a huge asym.

Ken Palmer · Sep 3, 2010

My original Hunter was a 1981 H33. I had a 150 Genoa with that boat and it sailed great. I upgraded to a 1990 H33.5 a few years ago and decided to buy a 150 Genoa for it. After using it for one year, I tried the 110 jib that was original with the boat. My findings were that the smaller jib was much easier to handle, and the boat sailed at about the same speed as with the 150.

I wonder about trying a 130 and was thinking of having the 150 cut down. I'm told that a fractional rig is best with a small jib and a large main. I would save your money and be happy with the smaller 110.

Alan · Sep 3, 2010

Something seriously wrong here. A 33.5 with a 150 will walk all over the same boat with a 110 in anything under 15 knots of wind. Switching to a 110 in higher wind speeds shifts the advantage to the smaller sail. A 130 (#2) is almost a waste because it's not as good as the #1 (150) and by the time the breeze reaches well into the teens the #3 becomes far more effective.

None of this applies to the newer 33 that has its chainplate at the toerail. In this case the 110 is the largest effective headsail the boat can carry.

roan · Sep 5, 2010

I too have cursed the small headsail on my H 33 in light winds. I have an A chute and sock for downwind light air and others are right how far to beam you can go in light air. Bring the foot right down to the anchor roller or bow sprit( lucky you) and you can easily do a beam or more in light air. As for a bigger foresail, I have talked to Hunter and Doyle sails about it. First make sure you are using the outside tracks if you have them ( as per Hunter) and 2nd Doyle measured my boat for a new fore sail and the max they could get was a 122. By the way a Hunter 38 of same vintage (2006) opted for this larger foresail and manages it. I have not made the decision as yet and thankfully we have been blessed with strong winds for most of the season so it has not become the cursed issue of other years of light air in the summer.

Alan · Sep 5, 2010

So to some it all up, the newer 33 (and all Hunters) with the wide spreader bases cannot carry an overlapping headsail for sailing to weather in lighter air(under 12 knots). This is the price to be paid for having a rig with such a wide base. Had a third set of spreaders been designed for the rig the forestay could have run to the masthead greatly increasing the area of the headsail (but still not overlapping).
As designed these boats suffer from light air performance to weather but when running off the wind have a good turn of speed from their large and powerful main. Adding an asymmetrical only boosts that performance for an exhilarating ride.

Alan · Sep 6, 2010

Nodak, to help control the tendency to round up the main should be flattened with the vang on very hard. The traveler should be eased as needed and the mainsheet can also be eased. This will keep the boat driving forward without trying to round up. You could also sail a little deeper to keep the boat under control with less heel.

paul1938 · Sep 9, 2010

Read the H33 review in the 2004 back issue of Sailing mag. It discusses that issue with the jib. Go to the site and click on reviews. i had the same question.

Ken13559 · Sep 21, 2010

Alan, pls advise meaning of "sail a little deeper". Thanks.

Alan · Sep 21, 2010

Ken, sailing 'deeper' simply means sailing further off the wind, have the apparent wind further aft. This was in response to Nodak's comment of having rounded up in puffs with his asymmetrical up.