Reading all the posts on mainsail trim, there are those who say that to depower, flatten the sail with the sheet and/or vang, and others that suggest increasing the twist to spill air by easing the vang or sheet. At first sounds like these are opposite moves, and one gotta be right and one wrong, but I wonder (and here's my questin): Are both right? Is there, for any particular wind and point of sail, one setting for maximum power, and ANY change in EITHER direction from that setting will reduce the power, ie, flattening OR increasing twist
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J
June
Mainsail trim
To a point you depower by tensioning the outhaul, halyard, tensioning the vang, dropping the traveller and in gusts easing the sheet.... you can also achieve a similar result by twisting the leech off to spill wind from the top... and this is achieved by easing the vang.... the Hunter with the large main sail and small jib should be reefed regulary.
To a point you depower by tensioning the outhaul, halyard, tensioning the vang, dropping the traveller and in gusts easing the sheet.... you can also achieve a similar result by twisting the leech off to spill wind from the top... and this is achieved by easing the vang.... the Hunter with the large main sail and small jib should be reefed regulary.
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Paul Akers
Check SAIL last month
There's an article in last month's SAIL magazine entitled "Taming the Main". I haven't read it all, but check it out. It may be helpful.
There's an article in last month's SAIL magazine entitled "Taming the Main". I haven't read it all, but check it out. It may be helpful.
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Greg Stebbins
What I do.....
George, Probably wrong but I use sail flatening as the 1st answer to increasing wind. Once wind speed out strips those techniques, I start hauling the traveler and release the vang to spill the main. When wind speed overcomes that setup, I reef. Probably wrong but I haven't sunk yet! Greg H23 Faster-
George, Probably wrong but I use sail flatening as the 1st answer to increasing wind. Once wind speed out strips those techniques, I start hauling the traveler and release the vang to spill the main. When wind speed overcomes that setup, I reef. Probably wrong but I haven't sunk yet! Greg H23 Faster-
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Paul Bednarzyk
Trimming
George, I am no expert, but what I do is to first flatten the main and if needed, then ease the traveller to leward. If further depowering is necessary, then I start puttin more twist in the main by easing the mainsheet. Beyond that, I reef. A couple of exceptions: if the wind is very gusty (ie steady 10 kts with gusts to 20kts), I will add a fair amount of twist in hte main. If I am out in the ocean with more than 2-3 foot waves, I will add more twist to the main. I hope this helps. Paul Bednarzyk S/V Knot Again H380
George, I am no expert, but what I do is to first flatten the main and if needed, then ease the traveller to leward. If further depowering is necessary, then I start puttin more twist in the main by easing the mainsheet. Beyond that, I reef. A couple of exceptions: if the wind is very gusty (ie steady 10 kts with gusts to 20kts), I will add a fair amount of twist in hte main. If I am out in the ocean with more than 2-3 foot waves, I will add more twist to the main. I hope this helps. Paul Bednarzyk S/V Knot Again H380
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DICK MCKEE
UK web page
George...We have a 430 and experienced great weather helm until I went to the UK sail web page. They have a great article on sails and trimming. Basicly they say to ease the main sheet and vang to twist the sail and dump the air up high.. Tryed it last weeked off San Diego in 18K winds and it worked great...
George...We have a 430 and experienced great weather helm until I went to the UK sail web page. They have a great article on sails and trimming. Basicly they say to ease the main sheet and vang to twist the sail and dump the air up high.. Tryed it last weeked off San Diego in 18K winds and it worked great...
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Scott
whats the page for UK sail trim?
I looked at uksails.com and didn't find the article you refered to have you got a link? Thanks, Scott
I looked at uksails.com and didn't find the article you refered to have you got a link? Thanks, Scott
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Dick McKee
uksailmakers.com..sorry
Sorry Scott I'm thick some times...They are at uksailmakers.com. The article is in their " encycloipedia" The local shop in San Diego has been very helpful to us as we get use to our new to us Hunter....
Sorry Scott I'm thick some times...They are at uksailmakers.com. The article is in their " encycloipedia" The local shop in San Diego has been very helpful to us as we get use to our new to us Hunter....
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scott
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Chuck Wolfe
Reef-Almost Permanently
While I didn't really get weather helm, what with the winds off of Alamitos Harbor in Long Beach almost always 12+, I discovered that keeping my main permanently reefed was the best solution. It basically made a masthead rig out of it and darned if I see any speed difference unless the winds are less than 10 Knots. Only if I am going to be proceeding for long distances in light winds would I think about shaking the reef out. It makes my wife happier and a happy spouse sure makes up for some minor speed loss on rare occassions. The 37.5 with the wing keel is just more tender than a Catalina 34 or 36 with a fin keel. And it wants to lay over pretty quick to 20 degrees and with the cockpit configuration there is no comfortable way for guests to sit when heeled to that degree. Chuck Wolfe@mail.com
While I didn't really get weather helm, what with the winds off of Alamitos Harbor in Long Beach almost always 12+, I discovered that keeping my main permanently reefed was the best solution. It basically made a masthead rig out of it and darned if I see any speed difference unless the winds are less than 10 Knots. Only if I am going to be proceeding for long distances in light winds would I think about shaking the reef out. It makes my wife happier and a happy spouse sure makes up for some minor speed loss on rare occassions. The 37.5 with the wing keel is just more tender than a Catalina 34 or 36 with a fin keel. And it wants to lay over pretty quick to 20 degrees and with the cockpit configuration there is no comfortable way for guests to sit when heeled to that degree. Chuck Wolfe@mail.com
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