Don, In your book you mentioned that it is important that you put a tel-tail in the middle of the main. How do you read this tel-tail? Is it the same as the jib luff tel-tails? If I read this correctly, it said that you put one on either side of the main in the middle. Looking forward to your reply. Dale
Question for Don
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Sympathetic to Don.
That's too bad because we see so many racers struggling to be competitive with their B&R boats. Much of it for the very reason that you encountered, already knowing everything. I tried to race my little lake boat, a Catalina 22, without much success. Then I went to a sail trim seminar done by a C-22 National Champion. It was a real eye-opener discovering how much I did not know. Now where is that H37C expert? Why can I only get 6.5 knots on starboard tack when I see 7.5 on port in the same breeze?
That's too bad because we see so many racers struggling to be competitive with their B&R boats. Much of it for the very reason that you encountered, already knowing everything. I tried to race my little lake boat, a Catalina 22, without much success. Then I went to a sail trim seminar done by a C-22 National Champion. It was a real eye-opener discovering how much I did not know. Now where is that H37C expert? Why can I only get 6.5 knots on starboard tack when I see 7.5 on port in the same breeze?
tuning
Ed: Most likely you can fix this by checking and adjusting the tuning of your uppers and lowers.
Ed: Most likely you can fix this by checking and adjusting the tuning of your uppers and lowers.
A couple of issues
Ed first of all is it always the STBD tack that slower than Port? It's not uncommon depending on the wind to experience a difference between the two tacks. However it should vary from day to day depending on wind direction, if it's low or high pressure system, etc. This one is probably a long shot but here goes. What do you use to check for wind angle, a masthead fly or an instrument at the helm? After one trip where we had a series of nice long tacks I noticed what I thought was too big a variance in how close I could point and the speeds I was hitting from tack to tack. The difference exceeded 1 knot. The rig is set up properly, the trim was as close to identical as I could get it, but there was still a noticable difference. Turned out to be the wind angle instrument at the helm needed to be recalibrated. What I thought I had for tack angles were not quite real. I was trying to point too high for my boat and of course lost speed in doing so. I recalibrated using the masthead fly as a reference and resolved the problem. I can still have a slight difference based on my first comment but it's generally less than a knot. Good luck Mike
Ed first of all is it always the STBD tack that slower than Port? It's not uncommon depending on the wind to experience a difference between the two tacks. However it should vary from day to day depending on wind direction, if it's low or high pressure system, etc. This one is probably a long shot but here goes. What do you use to check for wind angle, a masthead fly or an instrument at the helm? After one trip where we had a series of nice long tacks I noticed what I thought was too big a variance in how close I could point and the speeds I was hitting from tack to tack. The difference exceeded 1 knot. The rig is set up properly, the trim was as close to identical as I could get it, but there was still a noticable difference. Turned out to be the wind angle instrument at the helm needed to be recalibrated. What I thought I had for tack angles were not quite real. I was trying to point too high for my boat and of course lost speed in doing so. I recalibrated using the masthead fly as a reference and resolved the problem. I can still have a slight difference based on my first comment but it's generally less than a knot. Good luck Mike
Wrong answers
Thanks for the answers, but I think they are to another question. All three so far do not address my question, but maybe I am missing something Dale
Thanks for the answers, but I think they are to another question. All three so far do not address my question, but maybe I am missing something Dale
Mainsail Telltales
Dale: You read them the same way you do the telltales on the jib or the ones you may have on the shrouds. What your looking for is the "groove". Some mates claim the they are ineffective because the mast blocks the flow of air. It does but only to a small extent. If the mast completely blocked the flow then the mainsail itself would be ineffective but obviously the mainsail is not ineffective. The reason I like them is that I use them as a quick check and it is easier on my neck. They are secondary to the mainsail top telltale and the jib middle telltales. I also have a set on the shrouds. Some mates would say that is too much info but it takes me less than 3 seconds to scan them all. Try it at your computer - look up at the top telltale on the mainsail, now check the the middle ones on the jib, now go to the mainsail center, and then glance at the ones on the shrouds. It is that fast. The big thing is knowing how to read what they are telling you and then to make the correct sail trim adjustment.
Dale: You read them the same way you do the telltales on the jib or the ones you may have on the shrouds. What your looking for is the "groove". Some mates claim the they are ineffective because the mast blocks the flow of air. It does but only to a small extent. If the mast completely blocked the flow then the mainsail itself would be ineffective but obviously the mainsail is not ineffective. The reason I like them is that I use them as a quick check and it is easier on my neck. They are secondary to the mainsail top telltale and the jib middle telltales. I also have a set on the shrouds. Some mates would say that is too much info but it takes me less than 3 seconds to scan them all. Try it at your computer - look up at the top telltale on the mainsail, now check the the middle ones on the jib, now go to the mainsail center, and then glance at the ones on the shrouds. It is that fast. The big thing is knowing how to read what they are telling you and then to make the correct sail trim adjustment.
Thanks Don
Thanks Don, that was the answer that I was looking for. Your book has been a great help. I would say that I understood about 80% of sail trim from other books etc. Your book made the last 20% understandable and I would recommend your great book to everyone who really cares about making their boat sail better. The more times you read through it the more clearity you will have. Thanks again Don Dale
Thanks Don, that was the answer that I was looking for. Your book has been a great help. I would say that I understood about 80% of sail trim from other books etc. Your book made the last 20% understandable and I would recommend your great book to everyone who really cares about making their boat sail better. The more times you read through it the more clearity you will have. Thanks again Don Dale
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