weather forcasting 15-25mph wind for a race. would certainly reef if cruising and assuming should do the same for the race?? in addition to the mainsail should reef the genoa? (catalina 25 swing keel; one reef point on main, furling hdsail).
reefing while racing
- Thread starter dlewis812
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Of course you should
if you think you need to. There was an article in Latitude 38 this month about a race here with a lot of So. Cal's in it. They complained the race had been postponed and eventually canceled because the winds were only 5-8. Someone from So. Cal. said that was standard racing wind down there. We are used to sailing in 15 to 20 true or more, with 130 jibs and full mains, but racers reef, too. Plus, as everybody else will tell you, if you need to reef and do the boat sails faster than on its ear. If you know your C25 you'll know that you should reef the main first especially for racing.
if you think you need to. There was an article in Latitude 38 this month about a race here with a lot of So. Cal's in it. They complained the race had been postponed and eventually canceled because the winds were only 5-8. Someone from So. Cal. said that was standard racing wind down there. We are used to sailing in 15 to 20 true or more, with 130 jibs and full mains, but racers reef, too. Plus, as everybody else will tell you, if you need to reef and do the boat sails faster than on its ear. If you know your C25 you'll know that you should reef the main first especially for racing.
Dlewis812: There are a number of factors to consider and the most important one is how the skipper feels about the conditions he is sailing in. If something goes wrong YOU are responsible and liable.
This is just my personal opinion regarding racing in higher wind conditions. It all depends on your crew. With the Catalina National crew I was involved with for many years I never really gave a thought to the wind conditions because I was confident and knew the abilities of the guys I was crewing with. We raced in Santa Cruz at over 40 t0 45 knots without a reef. The boats that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th weren't reefed either. I would never go out in those conditions while sailing single handed on my C30 in Long Beach - rarely does the wind get very high there anyway. Also, the C30 National Regatta one year in San Fran was no walk in the park either but again I never gave it a thought.
Wrecking your boat is expensive to fix and not worth it for a beer can trophy. If your not comfortable with the conditions either reef or don't race that day.
This is just my personal opinion regarding racing in higher wind conditions. It all depends on your crew. With the Catalina National crew I was involved with for many years I never really gave a thought to the wind conditions because I was confident and knew the abilities of the guys I was crewing with. We raced in Santa Cruz at over 40 t0 45 knots without a reef. The boats that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th weren't reefed either. I would never go out in those conditions while sailing single handed on my C30 in Long Beach - rarely does the wind get very high there anyway. Also, the C30 National Regatta one year in San Fran was no walk in the park either but again I never gave it a thought.
Wrecking your boat is expensive to fix and not worth it for a beer can trophy. If your not comfortable with the conditions either reef or don't race that day.
Dlewis812: Check out the testimonials in the the back of my book - I did not make them up. Here's a deal especially for you. If you follow EXACTLY the sail trim settings I outline for your main and jib in your next race and if you don't move up by at least two positions I'll give you your money back and you can keep the charts!! How can I make you that offer? Cause I know the chart works.
Some sailors are embarresed to use a sail trim chart. What do you think NFL and college quarterback have on their wrists these days - play charts. What is the NFL and college coach looking at before every play?
You seem to be an espiring racer. If you want to end up 1/4 of your fleet it takes a little practice. You need only about two hours to get your main and jib trimmers working together. You can't practice during the race. Too much is going on. Complete a practice session a couple of days before the race so your crew understands your commands.
Good luck, mate.
Some sailors are embarresed to use a sail trim chart. What do you think NFL and college quarterback have on their wrists these days - play charts. What is the NFL and college coach looking at before every play?
You seem to be an espiring racer. If you want to end up 1/4 of your fleet it takes a little practice. You need only about two hours to get your main and jib trimmers working together. You can't practice during the race. Too much is going on. Complete a practice session a couple of days before the race so your crew understands your commands.
Good luck, mate.
I just read the 3rd paragraph - I left out a couple of words. I ment to say "if you want to end up in the top section of your fleet - say 2nd, 3rd or 4th". It might take a couple of races to pick up a 1st but who knows.
One thing I would always do is watch the sail trim of the boats in front of us. If their trim was really great I knew it would be a long day. On the other had, if the trim was pretty crappy I knew it was just a matter of time before we past them.
You can learn a lot from watching the boats around you whether your racing or cruising. If their sail trim looks good try to copy it. If it is poor try to figure out what you would do to correct it. It is a great mental exercise. After a while, you can make corrections instantly.
One thing I would always do is watch the sail trim of the boats in front of us. If their trim was really great I knew it would be a long day. On the other had, if the trim was pretty crappy I knew it was just a matter of time before we past them.
You can learn a lot from watching the boats around you whether your racing or cruising. If their sail trim looks good try to copy it. If it is poor try to figure out what you would do to correct it. It is a great mental exercise. After a while, you can make corrections instantly.
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