About pointing higer with the P15 -- Jerry suggested the newer mark II sail
and using a smaller jib. Mac described a methed to maximze VMG. Dave wrote
about shaping the "slot" between the headsail and the mainsail. And I'm sure
other folks wrote lots more other pretty neat hints to Doug privately
It's interesting that we have such a diverstiy of perspectives on what "the
most important tip" for pointing is. In this case, since we're talking about
the P15 only, perhaps the tips are even more valuable if we also know where
the "tip giver" sails.
Like Solar Fry pointed out during the "jam,cam.clam and damn" discussion,
things make alot more sense if you understand the context of the sailing
conditions, hi vs. lo wind, smooth water vs. swell and chop, still water vs.
currents.
As Richard Dickerson pointed out during that same "jam cam, clam and damn"
discussion, that many of our differences had as much to do with the
differences between the P15 and the P19 as anything else.
So it's not just P15 compared to P19, it's heavy air compared to light air,
ocean swells and chop compared to smooth lakes, and even whether to boat is
rigged for a 6''2"/250 pound male sailing solo compared whether it's rigged so
even the kids can handle it. Or which version of P14 vs P15 you have, or what
year P19 you have.
We here on SF Bay have an over-abundance of wind . We don't have a great
concern for keeping hull speed up, nor do we have a huge concern about leeway.
As Eric Johnson pointed out to me once, SF Bay is one place where the Potter
19 isn't undercanvassed. We just put up our puny storm jibs, sheet 'em in
tight, and scoot to windward. We also probably don't know beans about light
wind sailing : ). Jerry's suggestion of getting the new sail is *probably*
the biggest, most important improvement you can make for pointing -- IF you
sail in windy conditions
Folks who sail in light air locations have a whole different set of concerns.
Keeping hull speed up high enough to avoid leeway is a big concern. The genny
is necessary and the most common headsail. These folks don't even own a storm
jib, and when they see one, they're likely to fall over laughing. The good
light wind sailors are very concerned about VMG -- and for good reason. It's
a "make-or-break" issue -- . IF you sail in light wind conditions.
Now, Jerry's tip on the new Mark II sail may be helpful for light air sailors,
and Mac's tip on maximizing VMG may be helpful for heavy air sailors, and
David's tip on shaping the slot is important too. I don't really know, but I
hope you get my point. These tips really make the most sense if you know what
conditions the "tipster" uses them in.
All too often, we don't even know which boat, P15 or P19, the writer is
talking about when s/he offers an opinion, much less the average sailing
conditions. The writer of the post doesn't give us that info. All too
often, somebody else argues, without realizing that the original poster has a
different Potter, or sails under really different conditions. By the time
there have been a dozen replys, by highlighting some text and hitting the
"reply" button, it's hard to know who really said what, let alone which boat
they were opining about (P15 or P19) or whether they sail in light, medium or
heavy air and seas.
I know that for myself, the advice folks offer makes a LOT more sense to me if
I know not only what boat they sail, but also the conditions underwhich they
sail. As a heavy wind sailor, the way the light-air sailors describe they was
they reef made absolutely no sense at all to me, until Eric J. explained it to
me. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever heard. I couldn't imagine reefing the
main with a full genny. Why not just go to a smaller headsail with a full
main? Well, Eric expained it to me and it finally made sense, but only for
what I would consider unusually light conditions. For the folks who usually
sail in 3-8 knots, it's the only way to go. I hardly ever sail in that, and I
could be perfectly happy sailing around here without even owning a genny.
I bet that, at first glance, a discussion on the importance of tight sheeting
angles with the handkerchief jig sounds totally weird to the light air
sailors. Just about as weird as sailing with a full genny and reefed mainsail
sounds at first to me, since I'm a heavy air sailor.
So when we share tips, I'd like to ask folks to please describe what
conditions the tip seems to be really important in. Light air, heavy air,
P15, P19 (or both), smooth seas, choppy seas, and why the tip seems important
to them. I know I'd get a lot more value out of the collective Potterlist
wisdom if folks would do that.
Best regards,
Judy B.
Sailing a P19 on WINDY, ROUGH SF Bay.
1985 WWP #266 "Redwing"
And I only weigh 105 pounds, so I LIKE gadgets that manage 50 pound lines for
me.
And I LIKE running lines aft, because I can't reach the mast from the
companionway, no matter what I stand on.
And I don't go forward, because I could be blown right off the boat in a 35
mph wind.
And maybe THIS should be my autosig from now on : ^)