> Whoa! We're not dealing with a 500 square foot mainsail here. Many boats
> MUCH larger that the P15 do perfectly well with a 4:1 vang and this should
be
> more than adequate for such a small sail/rig...
Quite true. But a different owner may take the same model boat and change the
vang to suit his/her preferences.
I think it's really a matter of personal preference and the kind of wind you
sail in. Lasers (14 foot LOA and 87 square foot sails) come standard with 4:1
vangs, and racers regularly use loops tied in their control lines to get to
8:1 or even 12:1. My Force 5 dinghy (14 foot LOA and 91 square foot sail)
comes standard with an 8:1 vang.
I used to own a Laser with a 4:1 vang, and I didn't have the strength to
tighten the vang with one hand while tacking upwind in 25-30 mph winds when I
*really* needed that vang. I like the 8:1 arrangement on the Force 5 much
better. I can do it easily with one hand.
Here on San Francisco Bay, a vang sure comes in handy in the summer when it's
blowing steadily around 25 mph. And often, it gusts up to 35 or 40 mph. If
you don't sail often in such windy conditions, there's no need for a high
purchase on your vang.
You know, you can always start out with a 4:1 vang and see how you like it.
If you use the vang alot like I do, and you want to make it easier to adjust,
you can always add a single block in a cascade to bring it up to 8:1.
One of the reasons I bought a Potter was so that I could stay dry and sip wine
while I sail warm, windy summer afternoons on SF Bay. I only have one hand
for the wine, one for the tiller, one for the mainsheet, and one to hold my
hubby's hand while we sail (gotta get some more hands...) ;^)
> you may be inclined to go overboard with making a myriad of
> minute adjustments that kind of serve to take away from the pleasure of
just
> getting out there and sailing, Potter style.
Again, that's a matter of personal preference. Here on San Francisco Bay, you
can go a long, long way on one tack. I don't mind fiddling with the vang for
a minute so I can point 5 degrees higher into the wind, balance the helm,
reduce heel and get a thrill from the speed -- and then sit back and sip my
wine without spilling it for the next twenty minutes . Now that's TRUE Potter
style!! ;^)
And I have to confess, I'm likely to adjust the cunningham and outhaul once
every tack as well ;^)
Like I've said before, I'm a technical sailor and I'm accustomed to having
bells and whistles on my boats. We each have our own style of sailing. We
each sail for our own reasons.
On a somber note, I've had rigs fail at least 4 times in the last twenty
years: one gooseneck in under 10 mhp, one outhaul in under 20 mhp wind, one
mast step, and once the clew ripped out of my mainsail in 35 mph winds. And I
have replaced countless loose rivets, bent shackles, bent blocks, etc.
I'd rather pay the price in time, effort and money to rig according to my
sailing style and prevailing conditions than to pay for a tow back in
addition to paying money to repair the collateral damage from having one part
break. I'm just speaking from my personal experience sailing the boats I sail
in my own unique way in the conditions I sail in. Your mileage may vary ;^)
By the way, did I every tell you guys the story about how a 50 mhp squall
line/summer thunder shower caught me one hot August afternoon, miles out in
the middle of Cape Cod Bay?!? Scared the living &*# out of me...
Judith Blumhorst, DC
WWP-19 #266 "Red Wing"
San Francisco Bay, CA