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The Wonderful Wing Keel

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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/15/2013 : 14:35:36

I just started racing my own boat this spring. I had not even attempted to "round a buoy" in my own boat before this. I just cruised in the open lake, not paying much attention to how I was performing. This past saturday, I think I may have found a significant downside to owning a wing keel. As I approched the windward marker on port tack, I waited til I got astern, or slightly beyond 2 boats ahead of me who were already on laylines. (I wanted to make sure I could clear the marker after getting on stbd tack and not fall short.) Wind was medium-mild up until then. After making the call to tack and setting my layline, the wind picked up. I tried to ease the main and the 155, but I was healing around 20-30 degrees no matter what I did. Since I had a marker so close to me, it was VERY aparent that the boat was side-stepping downwind at a tremendous rate!!! Having an object close by showed it very well. I've never experienced this on Derek's C25 fin keel, or a Cal 24 that I've raced quite a bit with. It seems that once the boat reaches 15 degrees of heel, the boat loses the keel's forward propulsion. Anyone else experience or hear of this?

1989 C-25 TR/WK #5894
Miss Behavin'
Sittin' in LCYC on Canyon Lake, Texas

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5907 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2013 : 15:32:21

Based on your description, I don't think the wing keel had anything to do with what happened. You described a classic situation in which the boat was overpowered on a strong gust. The best response to an overpowering gust and a boat that is heeling excessively is to depower the sails and feather the boat into the wind, to keep it on it's feet until the gust subsides. Dumping the mainsheet was the right thing to do, but easing the jibsheet greatly increases the power generated by the jib, instead of reducing it. The only way it can help to ease the jibsheet is if you let it fly completely, allowing the sail to luff. Easing the jibsheet partially makes the situation worse. When the wind gust caught the genoa, and the genoa was eased and allowed to power up, the wind pulled the bow off to leeward, dragging the boat sideways. The better recourse would have been to dump the mainsheet traveler, ease the mainsheet significantly, harden up the jibsheet as much as possible (to flatten the genoa and deprive it of as much power as possible), and steer the boat up to windward enough to reduce the tiller pressure. Then, just hang on until the gust abates. (It almost always does, eventually.)

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2013 : 15:39:27

Jonathan, Steve is quite correct (as usual!) Never ease the genoa in an overpowered condition until the spreader gets close to the water
- then dump it! Remember - you have a very powerful 155% and just to ease it is to power it up - like footing off to gain speed.

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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2013 : 16:31:27

Thanks guys! Through most of the race, I had the traveler to leeward. I think as the wind built up near the end of the 2nd race, I probably just had too much sail for the conditions. I should have known better about letting out the genoa. Thanks, I'll have to drill it in my head for next time.

Derek, you will remember how the wind went from 0-25mph in 2 seconds. lol Always tough to sail on Canyon. If I heard you correctly, you broke a mainsheet shackle?

Edited by - NautiC25 on 04/15/2013 16:32:24

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2013 : 11:21:08

Yes, the shackle that attaches the mainsheet block to the traveler lost it's split ring and the pin fell out...was too bad because we were having a great "match race" with you - it keeps up the interest when you are next-to-last and last in the fleet!

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2013 : 20:29:20

One more variable is the position of your genoa cars. Further back flattens the lower (larger) section of the sail while allowing the top to twist off a little, reducing heel. Further forward "powers it up" top to bottom.

But to an extent, you're right... To windward, the wing simply will not quite match the lift of the fin. (But downwind, it will beat the fin slighly based on drag.) The shallower the keel, the greater the relationship between speed and lift to windward. Do what you need to do to keep her moving smartly, including giving a little on your layline.

Every boat's a compromise.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 04/17/2013 06:30:07

iancamp
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2013 : 04:26:58

Are there any techniques with which we can race our boats more effectively? Any help on this will be appreciated.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5907 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2013 : 05:23:46

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by iancamp
 Are there any techniques with which we can race our boats more effectively? Any help on this will be appreciated.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Two good articles have been posted in the Racing area of this website. This link will take you to them. http://catalina-capri-25s.org/racing/Tips.asp

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.