Turning into the wind
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Tighten the backstay .....
If the forestay is loose and sags off to leeward, most boats will have difficulty in 'rounding up'. To tension the forestay - tighten down on the backstay. Proper forestay (backstay) tension will be such that when you are laying flat on the deck with your eyeball looking straight up the forestay - on a hard beat to weather in about 15 kts - the forestay should sag no more off to leeward than about 5-6 inches max. Any more sag than this, the boat will have excessive heel, wont point, wont round-up, .... will be slow as molases. If you have a tension guage the backstay tension should be 20+% for beating to windward (12% tension of 'all-around' sailing). :0)
If the forestay is loose and sags off to leeward, most boats will have difficulty in 'rounding up'. To tension the forestay - tighten down on the backstay. Proper forestay (backstay) tension will be such that when you are laying flat on the deck with your eyeball looking straight up the forestay - on a hard beat to weather in about 15 kts - the forestay should sag no more off to leeward than about 5-6 inches max. Any more sag than this, the boat will have excessive heel, wont point, wont round-up, .... will be slow as molases. If you have a tension guage the backstay tension should be 20+% for beating to windward (12% tension of 'all-around' sailing). :0)
This should be somewhat normal...
It's called weather helm. My Lancer 27 does the same thing. As the boat heels the position of the rudder changes from vertical to diagonal. You can reduce weather helm by adjusting your sails. Let them out a little so there is less pressure on the sail. You cannot completely eliminate weather helm. It is still there but not as pronounced as when on close haul. Others might have a different opinion of this. So relax and I'm sure you will get more suggestions.
It's called weather helm. My Lancer 27 does the same thing. As the boat heels the position of the rudder changes from vertical to diagonal. You can reduce weather helm by adjusting your sails. Let them out a little so there is less pressure on the sail. You cannot completely eliminate weather helm. It is still there but not as pronounced as when on close haul. Others might have a different opinion of this. So relax and I'm sure you will get more suggestions.
Put up a smaller headsail or if you have a furler, Furl the sail to about half of full. When the wind is piping up fully furl the headsail or pull it down with your downhaul and sail with main only. It works just fine that way. Novelman
A number of things...
Drop your traveller to leeward; use a cunningham on the mainsail to tighten the luff and move forward the draft of the mainsail; tension the backstay to flatten the mainsail at the head, put crew weight amidships on the weather side; tension your outhaul to flatten the mainsail in the bottom sections, reduces draft; get a custom mainsail made a little flatter--talk to your sail maker, or get one with a flat-reef built in; finally lug the main or feather up the boat in the gusts. Good luck; if none of that works, get a new boat! BEO
Drop your traveller to leeward; use a cunningham on the mainsail to tighten the luff and move forward the draft of the mainsail; tension the backstay to flatten the mainsail at the head, put crew weight amidships on the weather side; tension your outhaul to flatten the mainsail in the bottom sections, reduces draft; get a custom mainsail made a little flatter--talk to your sail maker, or get one with a flat-reef built in; finally lug the main or feather up the boat in the gusts. Good luck; if none of that works, get a new boat! BEO
Rake on the Mast
A degree or two makes a lot of difference!!!! My Mac 26 had horrible weather helm when I first bought the boat. Finally I tried adjusting the rake and it made all the difference. You want a little weather helm in a light sailboat. Mast more forward less weather helm....maybe lee helm. Mast back more weather helm. It comes naturally to a wind surfer as that is how they are steered.
A degree or two makes a lot of difference!!!! My Mac 26 had horrible weather helm when I first bought the boat. Finally I tried adjusting the rake and it made all the difference. You want a little weather helm in a light sailboat. Mast more forward less weather helm....maybe lee helm. Mast back more weather helm. It comes naturally to a wind surfer as that is how they are steered.
Wait for weight
Other replies are on target. You have a great sail boat! Experiment with placing crew weights at different spots on the rail and in the cockpit. Notice the difference in single hand sailing and sailing with a crew? Distribution of stowed weight should be considered. Stay ahead of the wind by trimming and adjusting or reefing mainsail. Getting your tiller ahead of weather helm is a product of sail management, weight distribution, angle of attack and planning rather than strength of arm. My Mac 25 was an extreme pleasure approaching limits and I learned a great deal sailing her. Roger certainly earned his place in the Hall of Fame!
Other replies are on target. You have a great sail boat! Experiment with placing crew weights at different spots on the rail and in the cockpit. Notice the difference in single hand sailing and sailing with a crew? Distribution of stowed weight should be considered. Stay ahead of the wind by trimming and adjusting or reefing mainsail. Getting your tiller ahead of weather helm is a product of sail management, weight distribution, angle of attack and planning rather than strength of arm. My Mac 25 was an extreme pleasure approaching limits and I learned a great deal sailing her. Roger certainly earned his place in the Hall of Fame!
Check your keel and rudder
Is the keel all the way down? How about the rudder? it should be down and locked, and have minimal play. my Mac 25 had too much weather helm if the keel was up even a little. Also, if the sails are old and "blown out", there will be more weather helm. Reefing the main will help in stronger winds. Mac 25s like to sail more upright. 15 degrees is the fastest heel angle. More heel will not get you more speed, and will hurt handling. As someone else said, tuning the rig will help.
Is the keel all the way down? How about the rudder? it should be down and locked, and have minimal play. my Mac 25 had too much weather helm if the keel was up even a little. Also, if the sails are old and "blown out", there will be more weather helm. Reefing the main will help in stronger winds. Mac 25s like to sail more upright. 15 degrees is the fastest heel angle. More heel will not get you more speed, and will hurt handling. As someone else said, tuning the rig will help.
Trev, check the archives, there was a really good
thread about sail balance and weather helm about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I learned a lot from it and had several opportunities hence to practice what I learned. What a difference it makes in the stability when you have your sails balanced and trimmed correctly. Frank
thread about sail balance and weather helm about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I learned a lot from it and had several opportunities hence to practice what I learned. What a difference it makes in the stability when you have your sails balanced and trimmed correctly. Frank
Sail balance
Sail balance does make a huge difference and not sheeting the main in as tight as you can really helps. I was out yesterday for a beautiful day of sailing with winds from the south at 15 gusting to 20. I was single handing and wanting a fun yet relaxing cruise so I reefed down the main and headed out. There was another sailer out who also thought it would be a great day. Not sure what kind of boat it was but it was really sleek looking with a low deck and about the same size as my boat. He was also single heanded but flew a full main. I sail down to the same part of the lake and he turn to give chase. We are both pretty close to a beam reach. I have my main reefed and let out with very little heal. His main is pulled in and he is healing waaaaaay over. We stayed at about the same speed all the way across the lake but I was able to lock down the wheel and kick back and enjoy a drink while he was working has ass off. Balancing your sails makes the boat easier to sail and at least just as fast. Of course, when you are on your side with water coming in over the rail it FEELS faster =)
Sail balance does make a huge difference and not sheeting the main in as tight as you can really helps. I was out yesterday for a beautiful day of sailing with winds from the south at 15 gusting to 20. I was single handing and wanting a fun yet relaxing cruise so I reefed down the main and headed out. There was another sailer out who also thought it would be a great day. Not sure what kind of boat it was but it was really sleek looking with a low deck and about the same size as my boat. He was also single heanded but flew a full main. I sail down to the same part of the lake and he turn to give chase. We are both pretty close to a beam reach. I have my main reefed and let out with very little heal. His main is pulled in and he is healing waaaaaay over. We stayed at about the same speed all the way across the lake but I was able to lock down the wheel and kick back and enjoy a drink while he was working has ass off. Balancing your sails makes the boat easier to sail and at least just as fast. Of course, when you are on your side with water coming in over the rail it FEELS faster =)
All of this stuff about sail balance
Sail balance is required. But mast rake is very important!!! I messed around for about a year getting spun around in every big gust..until I adjusted my mast. First time I adjusted too much and had some lee helm. Second time I got it right. then instead of fighting the tiller and using the main sheet like it was a daysailer the boat just accelerated during gusts..within reason. A boat balances between the center of effort roughly the center of sail area. And the keel. Ideally the center of effort should be right over the keel or a little aft to give some weather helm as a safety factor. Without knowing you or your boat I can't say why you have a problem. But if the sail balancing doesn't work try adjusting the mast rake. It doesn't take a lot of adjusting to make a BIG difference. It is kinda like balancing a pencil on your finger.
Sail balance is required. But mast rake is very important!!! I messed around for about a year getting spun around in every big gust..until I adjusted my mast. First time I adjusted too much and had some lee helm. Second time I got it right. then instead of fighting the tiller and using the main sheet like it was a daysailer the boat just accelerated during gusts..within reason. A boat balances between the center of effort roughly the center of sail area. And the keel. Ideally the center of effort should be right over the keel or a little aft to give some weather helm as a safety factor. Without knowing you or your boat I can't say why you have a problem. But if the sail balancing doesn't work try adjusting the mast rake. It doesn't take a lot of adjusting to make a BIG difference. It is kinda like balancing a pencil on your finger.
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