Sailing technique

[Phil M.18166]

I'm a new sailor this season and bought a used O'Day 222 this spring. We've had a lot of fun learning this summer, but one day, when the wind was blowing SSW @ 12-15 mph, we were on a port tack and had repeated difficulty coming about - just seemed like we couldn't get up enough speed to get through the zone. (BTW, we were sailing with just the 110 jib up - no mainsail.)What should I have done differently under these conditions?

 

[Bill L]

Need the main

I feel as a novice sailor that you definitely needed the main up to get enough speed to get thru the eye of the wind. I sail regularly with my 1969 daysailer with that wind but always have both the jib and main up. Not a great knowledgeable sailor so don't take this a gospel!!!

 

[Larry]

balance

i have found that my 222 needs the main and working jib to balance. just sailing under the headsail, in my case at the time a larger genoa, produced the same problems as you describe. she got bow heavy and would not turn into the wind. i have since gone to a smaller working jib and use the main and find the boat quite pleasurable to sail. i also retract the centerboard by about a foot of line which seems to balance the boat better.

 

[Pete]

Use 'em both

I've experienced the same thing on occasion with both a 272 and my current 322, and I've concluded that difficulty in tacking with just a jib/genoa has to do with the center of effort being too far forward. For the same reason that sailing with just the main up produces additional weather helm (the wind is pushing the aft part of the boat away, and thus the bow points more to weather), so does sailing with just a headsail make it difficult to tack. There's no main, so all the effort is forward, and thus tacking means you're fighting against what the wind is trying to do.Use both sails, as a balanced rig, to get the best out of the boat. If you were sailing with just one sail up due to the conditions, perhaps it'd be better to still go with both, but reefed. If for some reason you still find it necessary/desirable to sail with just one sail up, whether main or jib, and you find you can't tack, jibe!(In other words, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.)Petes/v EmmieLou (O-322)Little Silver, NJ

 

[Phil M.18166]

Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for sharing this information. Makes sense with your explanation. BTW, that's exactly what I eventually did - jibe.