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Capri 25 Specific Forum

How much sail

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leebitts
Navigator

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USA
122 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/19/2008 : 21:28:35

I just love this boat! Absolutely the best sailing boat I've ever owned , or sailed. Racing tonight was my first time on the boat in reasonably fresh air. I'm tying to estimate the wind speed, looking at Beaufort scale I'm thinking it was on the upper end of 4, lower end of 5; pretty much every wave had white caps. The fleet was getting blown around pretty good. Our fleet is pretty diverse with some lasers, flying scotts, J22's etc. The smaller boats lasers and such were playing tip over. The wind has been very light all summer and as a result, I've not rigged the reef lines for my main. I sailed pretty much with just my unreefed main. A J22 in the fleet(who ended up winning) had a reefed main and I think a slightly rolled out jib. There were clear points when he was grossly over powered, to the extent of a 360 at the gybe mark (he admitted at the 19th hole that he had no control). I had 4 people on the boat and during the windward legs had all on the rail. I think I would have been ok with my 110 jib. Problem was that when I went to roll it out, it got caught in the spinnaker halyard. On the last windward leg of the race I was able to get that fixed and I rolled it out. I think that the wind dropped a bit on that leg (confirmed at the 19th hole). So anyway, here's the question. I do not like sailing when I am being badly overpowered and quite frankly will lose a race if necessary for safety of crew and such. I think I could have handled the main and 110 in about 22 mph of air. Does that sound right? What are other's observations? OMG, I cannot imagine a spinnaker run at 20 mph of wind. Is that realistic to do? Oh, as a data point, we were doing 6.9 knots on a reach.

LeeBitts
1981 Capri 25 Hull # 142
Sailing in NH and Maine

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joearcht
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 07:45:43

I have sailed, raced (and won) with my boat in 20-24 knot winds. We received accolades from the competing J22 for how well we kept the boat up. I used the 110 and full main.
I think the secret is to use every trick to flatten the sails. Then keep your hand on the main sheet and play it to keep the boat as upright as possible. Of course everyone is on the rail and even with that heeling was more than we would have desired and I'm sure we broached a few times due to inattention on the main. Overall though, I felt the boat was comfortable in that wind and would sail/race again in those conditions. As far as the spinaker goes, I think I've read where it has been flown in that kind of wind, but I'm not experianced enough yet to try it. I will surely work up to that event slowly and cautiously. Required watching - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whSHw4k2yLo
Be careful and have fun!

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SailCO26
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 08:51:33

I dont even HAVE reef points in my racing main. The CP25 is a front wheel drive boat, and is still well balanced with the full main/110% in 20+kts. You'll crank on the backstay, drop the traveller and ease the vang a lot to let the main twist off - and still get good drive from the #3 headsail.

Downwind we'll make judgement calls. Once the boat settles down and the apparent wind drops, often we feel we can give it a good shot. It will also depend on where we are relative to the fleet, is it shifty/gusty, and what's the course to the next mark (jibes or not?). DEFINITELY have a crew calling wind to the trimmer and driver.

Somebody (Andy, perhaps?) has cut the shoulders down on an old spin by removing the outer panels and uses that as a high-wind kite. I have an old spin that I may do that with during the off-season this year.

"<i>I do not like sailing when I am being badly overpowered and quite frankly will lose a race if necessary for safety of crew and such</i>" - good behavior! The first time I broached my CP25 we lost the foredeck overboard. That throttled us back some in high winds, and I've since learned to drive the boat better downwind.

Jim

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DRS 334
Deckhand

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USA
1 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 11:35:26

I race with Andy and we indeed have a old spin with the shoulders cut down to use in heavy air. We generally use the 'old' chute when the wind is in the mid to upper teens or higher. We feel we have much better boat control (no rockin and rollin) and don't lose any ground to boats flying bigger chutes (sailing on your ear is not fast). We used it several weeks ago in 20+ MPH wind and were the first boat to launch a chute that day (prompting the rest of the fleet to also launch chutes. Copycats.).

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