What's the best way to do it?

Keep the mast pointed generally in the direction of the sky

I think I feel a challenge coming!

Who thinks Matt ought to jump into the Uni fleet?

Seriously, I'm having a lot of trouble going to weather (always have). What do you uni guys do? Some of you are pointing almost with the A class.

If Matt goes Uni, I call Dibbs on Gina!



But seriously, we may someday get enough of both to have two fleets scored. Not that I am trying to cut the class in half, I am not, I am trying to award more trophys, keep more people coming back for more racing. Like Mike Borden did with the Top Uni Bottle of Rum! Thanks Mike.

Pete,
I have the same problem as you when going to windward, that is getting out on the trapeze; however, I did this past weekend and it helps, BIG TIME.

If it's blowing, get out on the TRAPEZE, that will help you point and keep the boat down better. I was still a little slow, but I think there were two reasons for this...

1. I needed to move my body more forward on the boat. I was at or a little behind the sidestay and the bows were out of the water which creates drag... I needed to move more forward, but I didn't because I'm still getting used to doing this....


2. I was probably pointing a little high trying to keep the boat down which is a little slow...

So, get out, sheet in as much as possible and keep the boat down....


Of course, I'm a newbie, so what do I know!!!!


Mike

Mike, here's a little trick you can try to see if it helps. When it's really blowing hard, try pulling up your daggerboards a little bit (6" if racing, more if just practicing) when going up wind. This will settle the -up- hull down in the puffs, it won't fly as quickly so you can keep better control of the boat.

The single most important thing you need to do is to see the puffs coming down the lake, and prepare for them in advance. Unclete the main and be ready to ease it as the puff comes on, and try not to round up into the puff as that will just slow you down. Try to keep the up hull at a constant height and try to keep driving in a straight line, ease the main when the puff comes on then trim it back in as the puff passes.

Every time you wiggle the rudders, you are putting on the brakes, so try to keep a staight line. (look back at your wake to see if you are going straight).

Once you get comfortable doing this with the boards up a bit, then put them back down and do it some more. There is no substitute for practice though, so get out and sail it as often as you can.

A possible solution (dependents on the cut of your mainsail)

Crank on the downhaul hard (after the mainsheet is already tight) and let out some mainsheet. The top with both flatten and open up and start to stream. You have to find the right setting and may point a little lower then the other boats but have a hell of a VMG due to high speeds.

Wouter

I'd suggest NOT cleating the mainsheet at all going up wind. It's too slow.... You need to react more quickly than that.

THe only time I cleat is if I need the extra hand to do someting else or the kite is up - usually faffing around on the tramp when it is light. If I need to pull more Downhal I hold the sheet in my rear hand and put the tiller uner my arm.

Saturday I pulled the crew trapeze wire off completely, and tied a line between the two bungees for the remaining single trap to run on. That cleans up the work space for me and allows me to get my weight further forward without getting onto the crew's wire. The result was that I was able to go to weather much better and actually slipped past Matt & Zack in 1 race (of 4 races)! That doesn't happen very often! Before Kelly Park the jib cleats and the self tacker are coming off. It seems that in the 6-8 knot range the boat points a little better if I sit right next to the mast rather than trying to crawl out on the hull. Currently, that means sitting on the jib cleat! Hopefully, getting back on board will be easier if the tacker is out of the way.

Oh! And I took Wouter's advice and opened everything up so the rig could breathe: no outhaul, minimum downhaul, no rotation, the very lightest sheet tension possible. When the wind picked up, it was necessary to limit the rotation a little, maybe 15 degrees?

Actually, opening up the rig doesn't mean throwing everything loose. It refers to the how the sail looks. It should not have too much draft or a hooking leech. In fact a leech that falls off by bit is often best. (But not always).

Each sail is different in what to do with the controls to achieve this. On my boat (but I have a mainsail with a building error) I need to pull the downhaul on to high medium, rotate relatively far out and use little sheet tension. Outhaul is such that just a fist is between the boom and sail at midpoint. This seems to work best for me when singlehanding in light winds. In strong winds I crank on the downhaul very hard, have the rotation arm points to the back of the daggerboard (= to much for properly cut sails) and reasonable mainsheet tension.

My mainsail will flatten out towards to top and have a noticeable (but not alot) of twist. Medium winds condition I sail with a more tight rig; here I need to pull very hard on both downhaul and mainsheet as per advice of Daniel van Kerckhof (Taipan champ). AND I MEAN HARD !

These settings may not work for you and are probably specific to my mainsail design (with the known error). In my case I have too much draft in the top of my mainsail. This was just to show that opening up the rig is different from releasing all the controls. It just refers to not hooking the leech or sail with to little twist. Nor increase draft to much if looking for power; it if often better to flatten the rig open up the head and let the sail stream. Also a lesson by Daniel "Flat is fast". You'll feel less powered up but may well go faster never the less. Never, and I mean NEVER, adjust the rig setting to your position on the boat (liking keeping you or your crew on the wire) set the rig for max speed and adjust your position to maintain that setting. Not following this simple rule (a common mistake) can make a huge difference to performance; especially so to the F16's.

And ohhh ask JC for advice and trim tips. He seems very willing to give us some pointers after having sailed the F16's at the Alter cup 2007.

I hope this helps

Wouter

I'm having no luck at all with a flat sail. I recently installed a Ronstan cleat,so that I get good, positive control of the outhaul. When I pull the sail flat. The boat stops. If I give it 50-60 mm of draft and loose mast rotation, it goes just fine. I was matching course and speed with Matt & Zach (Viper)with everything "loosey-goosey". As an experiment, I tightened the main slightly and they began to close immediately.

And JC is abroad these days. You'll probably run into him before I do.

This puzzle is great fun! Life is good!

Thanks for all your help.

Pete,

Do you have an Ullman F16 sail by any chance.

If so then everything is in reverse.

That sail is actually too flat and has its leech fall away to quickly and too much.

So the old rule of thumb still applies, each sail is different.

And you say; if you stay up with the leaders then you are doing something right so remember the settings/what you've done for a later time.

Best of luck

Wouter

No, I have a brand new set of Goodalls.

I think my problem is primarily weight and weight distribution. I weigh 100-105 kg. and positioning is critical, within 5-10 cm. Recently, Stefan (70 kgs?) was on board as crew. I was sitting in, just aft of the shroud. We could not go to weather until he swung forward on the trap. The moment he got near the bridle, the boat took a hitch to weather on it's on. No tiller movement on my part. When he passed a certain point there was a physical jerk and the boat was pointing almost ten degrees higher! From that moment, we were approximating course and speed with Jennifer and Fred on her F18. Hence the conclusion for weight distribution. Weight needs to be forward of the CLR, at least with my short boards.

For us "bigger" boys I'm starting to think mast rake has something to do also with the heading ability of the F16's, it seems the lighter the jocky the further the mast can go back, the higher the heading.

Umm comments from any wise sage out there on this ?

Yeah, that's a point.

I already notice examples of this with my own 85 kg's and you have another 20 on me (+25%).

As Matt always says; weight placement is critical.

I guess you have to be forward of the sidestay alot.

Wouter

"wise sage", not I! But everytime I rake the mast back, the problem only worsens. Mine is straight up, and when all the other variables are correct, the boats performance is just fine!

This recent experience with Stefan was a real eye opener. For us bigger boys, the weight has to be in exactly the right place or you're just pissing in the wind. In my very humble opinion.

"I guess you have to be forward of the sidestay alot." yeh, quite a lot!

Umm...

I've set my boat up so that I have enough mast rake so I have a "bit" of weather helm when sailing up wind. I THink I have more rake than most, but it's difficult to tell, perhaps we should check next time we are all in the same place? On that note, anyone coming to the East coast Piers Race?

Yes I seem to have mine alot further upright than most, if I start to lean it back suddenly I find I can get into " irons " all to easily. The oh wise sage JP advocates leaning the stick back until you do get the " irons " problem then standing it up a little.

I do think though that all our boats have been designed as a compromise for handling a wide range of weights and on occassion a jib and spinnaker, thus the dagger boards are probably further foward than really where a single hander would desire. I looked at a range of A's and all the dagger boards were way back there. Also all the newer designs are moving the beams and dagger boards further back by some way

Virtually all the Stealth owners are up around the stay with the heavier guys further foward again with front foot nearly on the beam on the upwind legs so you are not unique in getting well foward.

Another reason I went for longer boards!!!!



I never get infront of the shrouds with my front foot (I was about 75kg last year - currently a bit more......).

Once the wind comes up I move back a little as the plates come up.

I have the same problem, going into irons without warning. I've loosened my shrouds a good bit and the mast seems to rotate more freely. The result seems to be that tacking is nearly effortless and the "irons" problem has ironed itself out somewhat!

I'm off to Kelly Park in two weeks; we'll see how astute my observations have been!