Re: First Sail / Wind Questions

DAVID_KAUTZ@HP-Sunnyvale-om5.om.hp.com
Fri, 16 Apr 1999 15:30:45 -0700


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm probably not communicating this very well, because I believe we're thinking
the same thing -

Dropping the jib moves the resultant center of effort back too far, so the boat
has excess weather helm and is always trying to head up into irons - I think
that's what you mean by "hard to tack", right?

Since the cb pivots at it's forward edge, hauling in on the tackle lifts it
rearward, moving the center of resistance aft, helping correct for the aftward
shift in the center of effort.

Moving the draft forward on the mainsail by tightening the downhaul helps toward
the same end, getting the center of closer to where it was before the jib was
dropped.

The objective of all this being to end up in a situation where the center of
effort is aligned, more or less, with the center of resistance.

Am I way off base? I've sailed the boat this way a couple of times and, while
not stellar, it seems to work.

Dave Kautz
P-15 #1632
Palo Alto, CA

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: First Sail / Wind Questions
Author: Non-HP-dfarrell (dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us) at hp-boise,mimegw7
Date: 4/16/99 2:47 PM

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
David: I wonder at this advice. All three - no jib, cb slightly up, CE fwd
will make the boat more difficult to tack. In addition, no jib may cut the
speed you need to power through a tack in the face of the chop that's
building in the speed ranges you mentioned. My experience would lead me to
believe in 20kts and over would call for a second reef with a small jib.
One thing for sure, there are _lots_ of opinions on this question around the
list. I hope Lewis' initial question and your and my answers will
kick-start them.

-- dwf
"In a power boat, you get there in a hurry, in a sailboat, you are already
there"
V-17 #36; M-15 #189; P-15 #1086 "PELICAN" - Ridgecrest, CA


-