I am interested in racing an H34. They seem to be fast overall but how do you deal with downwind. The spreaders and mast are so spread out that they look like a radio antenna. it seems like it would be difficult to make a downwind mark without a lot of gybing. Any tips for being fast downwind? I don't know, Jack
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Steve
Spinnaker...
Going down wind is like putting up a barn door. The more sail area up, the better it works (up to a point, and depending on wind stength). If you don't fly a chute, then most likely your best bet is dead down wind with a whisker pole...but the spreaders on a Hunter get in the way of the main. You are then stuck with gybing, which is what you said you didn't want to do. Like everything else in sailing and sailboats, it is a compromise. Just pick the one you can live with and that gives you the best speed made good (VMG) to the mark. It will take a little testing on your boat to find that angle that gives you the best speed/best direction/for the wind for that day. Probably not quite what you were looking for, but it is the sad truth on sailing downwind. Steve PS: Good luck racing. You will learn pretty fast just by watching the other boats and copying them.
Going down wind is like putting up a barn door. The more sail area up, the better it works (up to a point, and depending on wind stength). If you don't fly a chute, then most likely your best bet is dead down wind with a whisker pole...but the spreaders on a Hunter get in the way of the main. You are then stuck with gybing, which is what you said you didn't want to do. Like everything else in sailing and sailboats, it is a compromise. Just pick the one you can live with and that gives you the best speed made good (VMG) to the mark. It will take a little testing on your boat to find that angle that gives you the best speed/best direction/for the wind for that day. Probably not quite what you were looking for, but it is the sad truth on sailing downwind. Steve PS: Good luck racing. You will learn pretty fast just by watching the other boats and copying them.
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Andy Howard
Downwind Racing
Jack, We're racing non-spinnaker this season and use wing on wing with the whisker pole. With the main out as far as possible without the sail making contact with the spreaders, we always rig a preventer to the boom to avoid an accidental jybe. We've found that DMG going dead downwind makes up for any loss of speed. By all means, I encourage you to get out there and do some racing. I've been a sailor for many years and have just started racing this season and I'm amazed at how much I've learned so far.
Jack, We're racing non-spinnaker this season and use wing on wing with the whisker pole. With the main out as far as possible without the sail making contact with the spreaders, we always rig a preventer to the boom to avoid an accidental jybe. We've found that DMG going dead downwind makes up for any loss of speed. By all means, I encourage you to get out there and do some racing. I've been a sailor for many years and have just started racing this season and I'm amazed at how much I've learned so far.
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Jack
Dealing with the spreaders
I suppose the heart of my question is how deep a 34 can go downwind considering the huge V that the spreaders and shrounds make. How do you optimize for distance made good when competitors with straight spreaders are heading straight to the mark. I'd like to do spinaker but will start non-spin.
I suppose the heart of my question is how deep a 34 can go downwind considering the huge V that the spreaders and shrounds make. How do you optimize for distance made good when competitors with straight spreaders are heading straight to the mark. I'd like to do spinaker but will start non-spin.
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Andy Howard
Directly downwind
Heading 180 relative to wind, we put the boom over to port, (cause I don't like being the give way boat) using the traveler fully to port along with enough mainsheet to just avoid touching the spreaders. This puts the boom at 30 or 40 degrees. Our preventers are 1/4 inch lines with snap hooks attached to the boom bail up to the second or third stanction and back to the headsail cleats, just wraped around a few times for quick release. We then pole out the genny and enjoy the ride. Of course that's the greatest thing about racing, it makes you think about this stuff. Just experiment a little and tell us what you do.
Heading 180 relative to wind, we put the boom over to port, (cause I don't like being the give way boat) using the traveler fully to port along with enough mainsheet to just avoid touching the spreaders. This puts the boom at 30 or 40 degrees. Our preventers are 1/4 inch lines with snap hooks attached to the boom bail up to the second or third stanction and back to the headsail cleats, just wraped around a few times for quick release. We then pole out the genny and enjoy the ride. Of course that's the greatest thing about racing, it makes you think about this stuff. Just experiment a little and tell us what you do.
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Alan
Gybing is ..
..almost always the fastest course down wind except in extremely light wind. If you are racing to win then you are going to have to learn how to gybe quickly and efficiently. If not, then sail any course you please. When sailing deep, try easing the mainsheet till the battens start to bend backwards, then vang down hard which will flatten the main and produce a larger projected area. Then check your boat speed to see if it helped or not. If you have a VMG then you can compare your DDW course to the gybe angles on your polars.
..almost always the fastest course down wind except in extremely light wind. If you are racing to win then you are going to have to learn how to gybe quickly and efficiently. If not, then sail any course you please. When sailing deep, try easing the mainsheet till the battens start to bend backwards, then vang down hard which will flatten the main and produce a larger projected area. Then check your boat speed to see if it helped or not. If you have a VMG then you can compare your DDW course to the gybe angles on your polars.
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Don Alexander
Faster Off Wind Sailing
Jack, All boats are faster gybing downwind until you get to the point where the wind propels the boat dead downwind at maximum hull speed (approx 1.34 x LWL). The greatest advantages come in light winds when it can pay to sail much higher than common sense seems to indicate.
Jack, All boats are faster gybing downwind until you get to the point where the wind propels the boat dead downwind at maximum hull speed (approx 1.34 x LWL). The greatest advantages come in light winds when it can pay to sail much higher than common sense seems to indicate.
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Mark Burrows
Racing at the Chesapeake Rendezvous
Are there any H34 or H33.5 owners going to the Chesapeake Rendezvous and racing for the Hunter Cup? If so, do you need crew? I've been thinking of coming down from for a day and I think that participating in the Race would be fun. Markdb
Are there any H34 or H33.5 owners going to the Chesapeake Rendezvous and racing for the Hunter Cup? If so, do you need crew? I've been thinking of coming down from for a day and I think that participating in the Race would be fun. Markdb
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