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Pointing to windward

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/07/2003 : 09:19:06

Last night, my crew and I sailed our second race on the Potomac in light, fluky winds. We were 5th out of 10 PHRF boats on line. I noticed that our chief rival, another C-25, outpointed us rather dramatically. Any suggestions on what we might do differently?

Thanks,
Bruce Baker
"Yee Ha"

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/07/2003 : 09:35:12

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Last night, my crew and I sailed our second race on the Potomac in light, fluky winds. We were 5th out of 10 PHRF boats on line. I noticed that our chief rival, another C-25, outpointed us rather dramatically. Any suggestions on what we might do differently?

Thanks,
Bruce Baker
"Yee Ha"

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Are you trimmed properly?
Assuming that you are - (take a look at the article on pointing in tech tips) you might want to consider some of these factors.

Are you carrying extra Weight anywhere, especially forward? (take the table off the boat, strip down anything that your official PHRF rules don't require. In light winds move your crew forward and to leeward -Create a heel with crew weight. Get your motor off the transom and down on the cabin floor.

Does he have newer sails? - Bigger Jib or a bigger roached main? Did he have a better sail selection for the weather than you may have had?

When all else fails, drink more beer it will increase your individual perception regarding how well you are doing.

D. Wolff - "The Flying Wasp" #401 sr/sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://www.flags.com/dreamimages/Flags/measurer.jpg" border=0>

Edited by - Duane Wolff on 05/07/2003 09:43:58

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/07/2003 : 09:38:29

Bruce,

Pointing ability depends on a lot of factors and it would be hard to assess which one or two or three might be affecting your upwind performance. You might want to look at Bill Holcomb's article titled "Pointing" that is in the Tech Tips sections.

Here's the link.

http://c25c250.best.vwh.net/restricted/snkpoint.html

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - dlucier on 05/07/2003 09:39:19

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5905 Posts

Response Posted - 05/07/2003 : 12:27:03

A boat’s pointing ability is affected by many factors, and you have to look at all the possible causes to figure out which one(s) is/are causing your problem.

Raising and Trimming sails properly (i.e., correct sail shape for the wind speed and direction): The sails are the “engine” that drives your boat. You can’t drive your boat as fast if your engine can’t generate as much power as your opponent’s engine. See Bill Holcomb’s article entitled Pointing. Also see my article entitled Racing to Win. You can download a copy of my article by going to the following internet website: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~rwahlfel/RacingtoWin00.htm Especially read the paragraphs on “The Physics of Sailing,” on pages 3-5 of my article.

Helmsmanship: Although it might seem counterintuitive, you must “foot” (or bear off slightly) when you want to beat to windward and point as close to the wind as possible. Here’s how the principle works. The keel provides both lateral resistance and lift. Those forces enable your boat to sail to windward without side-slipping. A fast flow of water over the hull and keel (i.e. higher boat speed) generates more lift. That added lift enables a boat to point higher, with less slippage to leeward. By bearing off slightly, the boat increases its speed. Because of the increase in speed, the keel generates more lift, which enables the boat to point higher. (For an explanation of how you use this principle to make the boat point higher, see the paragraphs of my article entitled "Foot to Point,” “Acceleration” and “Scalloping to Windward,” on page 15.)

A lot of boat speed and pointing ability can also be lost by frequent lapses of concentration by the helmsman. See page 14 of my article at “Dying From A Thousand Paper Cuts.”

Preparation of bottom, keel and rudder: (A foul bottom prevents the boat from achieving its maximum possible speed. By increasing the speed of the apparent wind, you increase the power that is generated by the sails, and that increase in power enables the boat to point higher and go faster, which increases the speed of the apparent wind even more. That increase in apparent wind speed generates even more sail power, which increases your potential boat speed.) See page 15 of my article at “Boat Preparation and Apparent Wind.”

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

77Gypsy
Captain

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USA
356 Posts

Response Posted - 05/07/2003 : 13:38:10

does keel "type" effect pointing? i know that with roller furling systems sometimes decrease pointing a few degrees.

Steven de Filippis
78 C25 SR/FK - Gypsy

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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.