Sailing downwind in my 33.5

[Ken Palmer]

This is our first full season with Water Colors, a 1990 Hunter 33.5. She replaced Liberty, a 1981 Hunter 33.Saturday was the first time I raced Water Colors, in a Hospice Regatta in Rochester. The winds were light and fluky with a threat of a storm on the horizon. The course was windward - leeward in a PHRF race. Liberty had a 185 PHRF and Water Colors a 153 PHRF. That means I should travel faster with the lower numbers, right?We did fairly well to the windward mark, but downwind was the pits. With Liberty we used to sail wing-on-wing with a whisker pole. Water Colors needs to tack downwind because of the "almost" B&R rigging. The sails are brand new with a full batten main and a 150% Genoa. Both are Dacron "cruising" sails, very similar to what I had with Liberty.We finished 2 of the races in the back third of the fleet, the third race was canceled because of the thunderstorm that finally arrived.Any thoughts out there on if I am expecting too much? I think we would have done much better if the wind speed increased, but 3 to 8 knots just didn't do it for us. Well, I bought her for cruising anyway...*o

 

[Steve O.]

non-spinnaker race?

Are you saying she wouldn't sail WOW? Did you use a pole? I've never raced my 33.5 but I know she's no speedster going downwind. A spinnaker--even a cruising chute--would certainly increase performance downwind (if they are allowed in the race)

 

[Ken Palmer]

No pole

I used to use a whisker pole when sailing wing on wing with Liberty, but don't have one for the fractional rig on the 33.5. I have been told that the large main is the driving engine on the fractional rig, so would think that sailing off-wind leeward wouldn't need a pole.Spinnakers are allowed of course, in spinnaker fleets. I do not have a spinnaker for Water Colors, and the PHRF rating reflects that.

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Preferred method

You're better off slightly offwind,will go faster and be safer than WOW.I just zoomed down from Wolf Trap Lightin the Chesapeake Bay to the York Riverin an offwind manuever that worked great. Agree about the spinnaker advice, also offwind.

 

[Alan]

Ken

I've been racing my 35.5 for years. The 33.5 and 35.5 are rigged exactly the same (NOT B&R). For down wind work without a spinnaker you must have a 150+ headsail and a pole. The difference in performance between a 135 and 155 is huge. The credit that you get for the small headsail is not worth it. Don't forget that in 15kts true wind your downwind apparent wind will be less than 10kts, a light #1 is a must have.PS. Don't let anyone tell you that your boat is slow downwind, it certainly is not. I won the non-spinnaker distance racing championship 2 years in a row on LI Sound and we can crush most masthead rigs on a run.