> I found that helped a little, but what helped even more was to move the
> weight of the crew, moi, aft, even all the way to the transom. I had
> long sheets and CB line so I could still control everything. On a 14',
> 500#, boat, crew weight, forward or aft, has a huge effect.
Steve, Harry, and Web Gang:
I did my best to maintain a weight balance in the boat, but I always kept weight
forward instead of aft so that the transom came out of the water, presenting a
much cleaner hydrodynamic planform. Also, weight forward allowed the fore chine
to do its job and keep things dry.
> As for the lateen rig, moving the gooseneck to the FORWARD end of its
> range, (I forget the inches involved) has the effect of tilting the
> upper luff end of the sail forward and this seems to more than offset
> the other effect of the foot moving further aft. I know it seems
> counter-intuitive, but it worked for me. I had less weather helm with
> the gooseneck all the way forward (within its range.)
Steve, this is GREAT advice and you are right; it works for Sunfish and AquaFinn
racers and it will work for lateen rigged P15s. I would add that if you raise
the centerboard just a smidgen so that there is around 85% of the board still
down and the centerboard arm is forward of vertical, you'll find that weather
helm is reduced even more. This, combined with the tips you gave above and
keeping enough weight forward to get the transom out and clean would be ideal, I
think.
-- "Sea" ya!--Lars S. Mulford, President East Coast Potter Association (ECPA) Come visit us at http://members.tripod.com/~SpeedSailor "Forgive, and live. Life is worth the challenge of living." --LSSM