What techniques and adjustments do you use to get your 30 to point higher? I was in a race his weekend and saw boats with better angles.
Pointing Higher
- Thread starter Jwhy
- Start date
Also many 30's had short secondary jib tracks on the cabin top. Use these to get the headsail tighter, depending on size. You may have to reroute the sheets around the shrouds.
One thing is that you may be sailing in the other boats bad air. Nothing kills pointing ability more than dirty air. The solution to that is to tack into clean air. I am assuming that the other boats are similar in length and design as yours (Close PHRF numbers). If after you clear your air, you are sailing as close to the wind as allowed by your sail, and you are still sailing down on those boats, the problem is on your boat. You may have too much luff sag making the entry of the jib too round. Or too much halyard tension drawing sail material forward and causing a round entry for the jib (A round entry is desirable at times but will not be ideal for pointing. You may not be sheeting in enough, or the tracks may be too far outboard for ideal pointing (But good for other points of sail). Your sails may not be good for racing.
One other thing that confuses some is that you can't just sheet in and expect to sail fast upwind. First you have to sail fast. Since the flow over sails is synergistic boat speed will translate into good upwind sailing angles.
That's all I have time for now. I'm sure others will chime in.
One other thing that confuses some is that you can't just sheet in and expect to sail fast upwind. First you have to sail fast. Since the flow over sails is synergistic boat speed will translate into good upwind sailing angles.
That's all I have time for now. I'm sure others will chime in.
Only somebody sitting on the boat with you could give a very useful answer to this question b/c the first assumption has to be that you basically know how to sail to weather to begin with. After that we might be able to offer suggestions on minor adjustments, crew position, condition of sails, etc. Also, not knowing the other boats makes it difficult to respond. Generally, however, a deep-keel, narrow beam boat will naturally point higher than a comparatively shallow-keel, wide beam one. So even with the "best of all tips and advice" the Cat-30 will still not match the pointing angle of some other boats.
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This is very true. I coach racing teams and I'm amazing how many boats/teams/skippers actually don't know how to effectively go to weather. Often they are 5-10 degrees off. This is a trim, telltail, driving, heel issue. The trick is that the boat feels fast and looks the business, but is not making good VMG.
The good news is that the OP is noticing. Is this because you see your bow-angle is lower, or perhaps their is slide-slip? Are you looking at same-size boats with like PHRF numbers?
The biggest issue is often the driver; and not steering well at the limits of pointing. WAY too often I see a driver looking at the telltails streaming straight back and assume they are going optimally to weather.
Wrong.
What size genoa are you using? Older boats usually race with a 150. The newer boats race with a non overlapping jib allowing for closer sheeting. I race my Catalina hull # 364 with 120. I use the cabin top track and run the sheet inside of the aft lower. In 8 to 12 knots I was able to win a race against bigger boats. Are you sheeting as far in as possible? Have you tune the rig? Is it in column? What about, back stay, cunningham, vang, boom at mid center, parallel slot, working the waves? Too many items to mention here. Crew position depending on wind and waves.
Even a bathtub will point with the best, it just will not go there.
Also remember that the ability to go to windward is directly proportional to the draft.
Even a bathtub will point with the best, it just will not go there.
Also remember that the ability to go to windward is directly proportional to the draft.