I know it sounds crazy but in two years I had never reefed my main until last night. Previously I had used a very old blown out main on windy days. It got to the point where I could not even point the boat home. So I have a new main that I also plan to use in club races. I have three questions. 1. What is the proper way to keep the gromet where the outhaul attaches down to the mast? Do you just put on another reef tie? 2. Should I also put a reef tie at the gromet at the mast to hold some of the excess sail that is accumulated around the boom by the mast? 3. The most important question is this. Next weekend when I go to race the boat using this same main, do I have to remove the reef ties in order to get good performance out of the main? Anyone's advise or experience will be greatly appreciated. You can email me at bleathen@aol.com or just respond here and I will be looking for it. Thanks.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Reefing the H23 main in races
Hi Bill: If you are cruising, the prudent thing to do when the wind pipes up is reduce sail. This actually makes the boat sail faster upwind, because you have reduced the heel. However, reduced sail hurts when sailing downwind (assuming you have no spinnaker) becasue you have less sail area to project into the wind. Since most races are on a closed course, the adavantage you gain on the upwind legs may be lost on the reaching or downwind legs. When racing, I try every possible way to depower the main without having to reef. In one memorable case, I had the mainsheet eased so far there was a huge bubble in the luff from the air coming off the jib. It looked pretty ugly, but I was making 6 kts upwind and over 8.5 kts on the reaching legs with the working jib and no whisker pole. I would never have been able to do that downwind with a reefed main. I would suggest you go out on a real windy day and try a few things to see what will work best for you. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
Hi Bill: If you are cruising, the prudent thing to do when the wind pipes up is reduce sail. This actually makes the boat sail faster upwind, because you have reduced the heel. However, reduced sail hurts when sailing downwind (assuming you have no spinnaker) becasue you have less sail area to project into the wind. Since most races are on a closed course, the adavantage you gain on the upwind legs may be lost on the reaching or downwind legs. When racing, I try every possible way to depower the main without having to reef. In one memorable case, I had the mainsheet eased so far there was a huge bubble in the luff from the air coming off the jib. It looked pretty ugly, but I was making 6 kts upwind and over 8.5 kts on the reaching legs with the working jib and no whisker pole. I would never have been able to do that downwind with a reefed main. I would suggest you go out on a real windy day and try a few things to see what will work best for you. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
M
mike
tying fore and aft
As for reefing ties at the tack and clew..............that's not a bad idea. There's been much discussion of the awkward angle of the jiffy reefing line at the clew. some have put a block more forward on the boom to pull straight down when reefing. A tie would do the same thing. As for tying at the tack. I also have a new, heavier main on a Z spar mast and the cars stack up so high that I can't hook the grommet on the reefing hooks. So I've put a reefing line there too which I tie to the hooks like a cunningham. As for the ties in the middle. I have 2 reefing points. I took off the lower (middle) ties since not much sail bags there and if they are too tight they can hurt your sail shape. But I left in the upper ones since there's much more baggy sail around the boom on the second reef. I don't think they hurt a thing if the reefing ties are left hanging on the sail when the sail isn't reefed.
As for reefing ties at the tack and clew..............that's not a bad idea. There's been much discussion of the awkward angle of the jiffy reefing line at the clew. some have put a block more forward on the boom to pull straight down when reefing. A tie would do the same thing. As for tying at the tack. I also have a new, heavier main on a Z spar mast and the cars stack up so high that I can't hook the grommet on the reefing hooks. So I've put a reefing line there too which I tie to the hooks like a cunningham. As for the ties in the middle. I have 2 reefing points. I took off the lower (middle) ties since not much sail bags there and if they are too tight they can hurt your sail shape. But I left in the upper ones since there's much more baggy sail around the boom on the second reef. I don't think they hurt a thing if the reefing ties are left hanging on the sail when the sail isn't reefed.
Reefing line at clew
Here is the way the reefing line on my H23 is rigged at the clew. There is no odd angle: The reefing line exits the aft end of the boom on the stbd side, goes up the leech of the sail to the reefing cringle and then passes through from stbd to port. It then comes straight down on the port side of the sail and through one of the sliding bails on the underside of the boom, passing from port to stbd. Put a stopper knot in the end of the line and that's it. Rigging it this way gets you twice the downward pull and a substantial aft pull to keep the foot of the sail tight. When reefing, drop the the tack cringle over the rams horn at the gooseneck, tighten the reefing line until the leech is tight on the boom, and then retension the halyard. Small diameter line or bungie cord through the reef eyelets will keep the reefed sail neat on the boom. It is also a good idea to lash the leech cringle down with a separate piece of line. If the reefing line breaks, the sail will not unreef itself. Peter H23 "Raven"
Here is the way the reefing line on my H23 is rigged at the clew. There is no odd angle: The reefing line exits the aft end of the boom on the stbd side, goes up the leech of the sail to the reefing cringle and then passes through from stbd to port. It then comes straight down on the port side of the sail and through one of the sliding bails on the underside of the boom, passing from port to stbd. Put a stopper knot in the end of the line and that's it. Rigging it this way gets you twice the downward pull and a substantial aft pull to keep the foot of the sail tight. When reefing, drop the the tack cringle over the rams horn at the gooseneck, tighten the reefing line until the leech is tight on the boom, and then retension the halyard. Small diameter line or bungie cord through the reef eyelets will keep the reefed sail neat on the boom. It is also a good idea to lash the leech cringle down with a separate piece of line. If the reefing line breaks, the sail will not unreef itself. Peter H23 "Raven"
M
mike
- Status
- Not open for further replies.