That's us in the middle. We came in 4th of 8 boats and had a lot of fun.
Random photo from our first regatta
- Thread starter chriscampbell
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Nice! Hooray for the water ballast boat.
I had my H26 in a regatta in June of 2020... came in third. There were only 5 boats but I usually leave that part out.
I had my H26 in a regatta in June of 2020... came in third. There were only 5 boats but I usually leave that part out.
We would have come in third, but that little H23 passed us toward the end. Grrr.Nice! Hooray for the water ballast boat.
I had my H26 in a regatta in June of 2020... came in third. There were only 5 boats but I usually leave that part out.
Stu is correct. Came in last first time but afterwards being a dealer and with a little experience, things changed
Chris: I enjoy looking at pictures that show sail trim. I don't know the weather conditions that day but I think you could have squeezed a bit more speed out of your boat - not a lot but some. The boat on the left is a masthead rig and his engine is the jib. It appears his jib is drawing (he should eliminate the wrinkles) but his main is flat and does not match his jib. If he trimmed the jib for the wind conditions and then adjusted the main he could pick up some speed. If the skipper checked out your boat he would have known a adjustment is in order - you've got heel and he's flat. I don't like to see race boats with fenders - makes them look slow!!
Your boat is a fractional rig and the engine is the main. Originally I thought your main matched the boat on the left but I'm not sure. Maybe it has some draft that I can't see because your boat has some heel. Next time out go to full hoist and eliminate the wrinkles. Your jib matches the boat on the left and I wonder if you can adjust your jib. You should set your main first and then adjust the jib - just the opposite of the boat on the left.
I wish I could see the sail trim of what appears to be a masthead rig boat in the left background - his look pretty good. If he was matched against the boat on the left he'd be faster.
Thank you! I'm a beginner and I love getting feedback like this. The winds were light and shifty. We had intermittent lulls where we even felt adrift for a few minutes at time, and then they'd pick back up. On one or two occasions I called for my wife to dump the jib to avoid lee helm as the breeze started back up. I had actually eased the halyards slightly, having read that it can help with light winds.
Chris: Thank you because I never know how some skipper are going to accept suggestions.
There are only 4 elements that ALL the sail trim controls for the main and jib adjust. With the main, which you have to concentrate on, the various controls adjust various elements. With the jib, the fairleads adjust all four elements.
Easing the main halyard in light air actually didn't accomplish anything other than bagging out and adding wrinkles to the main. You messed up what little air flow you had.
Do you have a traveler? One of the easiest way to deal with a wind gust is to just lower the traveler until the gust passes and then put it back to it's original position when the gust passes.
In my book THE SAIL TRIM USERS GUIDE the 1st chapter is the most important. It deals with the 4 elements all the sail trim controls are adjusting and I caution the the reader not to proceed without a complete understanding because sail trim will never make any sense. Additionally, each sail trim control for the main and jib have their own section so you're not hunting all over the place for info.
My suggestion is you team up with the race mate on your left and buy the book and SAIL TRIM CHART. I guarantee that after you read the book and put the stuff you learned into a few practice sessions you won't be 4th. Neither will the sailor on the left - maybe forget about him buying the book/chart with you!!
Have your wife read the book. My experience is gals pick up sail trim much faster than guys mainly because they have no preconceived notions and approach it with an open mind.
No, I don't have a traveler. It's a pretty simplistic setup on our little boat. Thanks for the tips! I'll check out your book. And maybe I won't share them with my fellow sailors. Ha!
Chris
I installed a simple "homemade" traveler on my H26.... HUGE increase in upwind performance. If the H240 is like the H26, you have an embedded aluminum plate under the bridge deck. You can drill and tap&dye (add threads) to the plate to insert bolts and a T-track. I bought the T-track used on eBay for $20. Another $10 in screws and bedding compound and I had a traveler.
If you want to experiment with how this will affect your boat's performance before you go to all of the trouble, try bringing your main sheet over to windward using a line attached to the windward winch... like this....
...you should feel your boat "jump" a little, stand a little flatter and pick up speed. The effect will be even more pronounced with a proper traveler.
Edit: I actually bought a pair of T-tracks for that $20. I might still have the other in my shed. Happy to send along for postage (if I can find it).
Rgranger: I did the same thing on a C25. It had a little pee pee traveler bar that was useless. With boats under 22' a sailor can get away without some of the controls found on larger boats. I think the dividing is about 24' to 25'. In that range you need more controls. Certainly once you hit the 27' range you need the same controls on the 30' and above.
I like your barberhauler test set up!!!
Thanks...
I sailed with that sail tie as my "traveler" for a few seasons and then one day, the cinch around the main sheet got so tight I could not release it quickly and I needed to dump wind.... I almost broached. So I decided I needed a real traveler.
I originally thought I would design one similar to Barton Marine's removable traveler but my cockpit locker hatch was in the way... and settled on the bridge deck ... was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is an embedded aluminum plate so I didn't have to through bolt. A through bolt would have required cutting bungs into the headliner under the bridge deck.
Wow, that looks like a great improvement. I'll have to study my situation a little and see. That's a very generous offer - thank you. I'll let you know if I decide to do something.
So, the purpose of the traveler is to be able to change mainsail trim without easing the sheet and allowing the boom to rise?
Chris: One of the 4 elements of sail trim is ANGLE OF ATTACK. The primary sail trim control for adjusting angle of attack is the TRAVELER. The secondary control is the MAINSHEET. When you use the traveler to adjust the angle of attack the trim or set of the sail does not change. Picture a screen door with a track on the floor in which a pin rides. When you open and close the screen door does the screen change - it doesn't. That's the beauty of using the traveler. On the other hand, when all you have to adjust the angle of attack is the mainsheet you run into problems because the mainsheet also effects draft position and twist neither of which you wanted to adjust.Wow, that looks like a great improvement. I'll have to study my situation a little and see. That's a very generous offer - thank you. I'll let you know if I decide to do something.
So, the purpose of the traveler is to be able to change mainsail trim without easing the sheet and allowing the boom to rise?
I know where your coming from because years ago I was in your position - I had no idea how ANY of the sail trim controls functioned. Sorry to say, that's where you are now (kind of like we're kindred spirits). It frustrated me because no one could explain it to me. It took me over 6 months to figure it out and the sail trim light didn't go on until the the sailing school instructor, who flunked me, clued me in to their function after I hired him.
I hate to be blunt but it's my nature and it goes for any beginners reading this topic- you're shoveling stuff against the tide - buy the book and chart and establish a sail trim foundation on which you can build. Next ask for any clarification on the SAIL TRIM FORUM - not on this forum. There's nothing like the sail trim forum anywhere on the internet. The guys there will give you the straight scoop because they really "know their onions" about sail trim.
Dons guide is very usefulWow, that looks like a great improvement. I'll have to study my situation a little and see. That's a very generous offer - thank you. I'll let you know if I decide to do something.
So, the purpose of the traveler is to be able to change mainsail trim without easing the sheet and allowing the boom to rise?
But a few pointers to get started…
If the wind is behind the beam ease the traveler to windward, tension the vang and adjust your main sheet until the sail sets correctly ( see dons guide for what a proper set looks like. How far you ease the traveler depends on how far abaft of beam
If you are working to windward… ease the vang and move your traveler to windward and adjust your main sheet until the sail sets correctly….typically you want the boom about midship-ish. For my likes… I move the traveler farther to windward as the wind picks up… until I eventually reef….