Previous posts mention sailing the T4.9 uni with the traveller down from center by several inches. I'm curious, how many T4.9 uni sailors do this while sailing upwind?

Do you do travel down in light air (< 5kts) also, or does it only seem to pay off in certain conditions? I'm used to sailing sloops and am conditioned to look at travelling down as a last resort when overpowered . . . but now there's no slot to worry about.

Thanks,
Kenn Newbury
T4.9 #226

When I first started sail the Taipan 4.9 Uni, I set the traveler on the centerline and found it to be slower then setting the traveler a couple of inches off the centerline. The only time I sail on the centerline is if I am trying to make it around the weather mark and I am a little below the layline. As the wind increases and I become overpowered, I ease the traveler even more off center. I can remember sailing a few races with the traveler eased all the way out to the hiking strap.

I am certainly not an expert and I still have a lot to learn about sailing the boat but that is how I am currently setting the traveler. Maybe someone from Australia can give us forks in the US some better advice.

Jennifer
Taipan 4.9 #262

The AHPC site says the traveler should be centered under most conditions, but I thought I had blundered onto a website somewhere that agrees with Jennifer. It might have been some previous posts by Kirt that I am thinking of. Take a look at the AHPC site under "Owners Manual".

Bill
T4.9 #224

I just checked out my own advice and found that the info I directed you guys to is in regard to sloop configuration and not uni. Sorry about that!

Bill

Kenn,
You may have already found this info, but I was looking through past posts and found these regarding Uni sailing.
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...ew=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

Bill
T4.9 #224

I'm an Aussie that sails a cat rigged 4.9 but I don't consider myself an expert by any means.

I sail with my traveller pretty much centred going to weather. This has enabled me to match upwind speeds with F18's, Nacra 16sq and Nacra 5.8's. Perhaps they all don't know how to sail properly either.

For advice from someone that knows what they are doing see the Taipan Association Website:

http://www.taipan.asn.au

Go to the tips page and you will find an excellent article on sailing the cat rigged taipan written by Darren Peters. While it is not mentioned where he has his traveller going to weather there is plenty of other good info in this article. If I get around to it I'll contact Darren and add this info into the article.

Rob.
Taipan 4.9 AUS175

I asked Darren about where he sets his traveller upwind and he had this to say.

"That's a tough call. On the whole, I'd have to say that those who have split traveller systems (which pull to exactly the centre) tend to suffer if they pull the traveller in all the way. As my traveller is standard and doesn't pull all the way there I generally run a couple of inches down from centre anyway - the boat is faster there.'

Thanks Darren.

Hope this helps.

Rob.

Attached is a photo of Darren sailing upwind.

Thanks to all for their input.

Kenn

Don't forget that uni-rig and sloop rig have different settings.

I was told that putting the main traveller off centre is done in the uni-rig config only and that the sloop centre their main traveller just like normal cats.

There seems to be other little things in which the (singlehanded) uni-rig behaves differently from the (doublehanded)sloop rig

Wouter

How about the traveller and mainsheet trim when sailing with the spinnaker? Uni w/kite and sloop w/kite?

Jennifer travels out but keeps the main snug. I've been playing with it, but it's hard for me to tell how I'm doing except for looking at the telltales.

Okay, I guess I'm turning the post downwind here, but is anyone able to do two boat testing?

There is an excellent article in Rick's book "Catamaran Racing for the Nineties" written by Randy Smythe, I think, about sailing with a kite on a cat.

To set the main traveller correctly you set it in the same manner that you would on any point of sail off the wind. That is, pull the traveller in until the bottom leeward telltales stall then let the traveller out until they flow again. You then of course trim the upper telltales with the mainsheet.

On a cat with a kite you, of course, set the main traveller after you have the kite set. The traveller ends up almost centred. What tends to happen when sailing with a kite is that you generate so much apparent wind that you end up with sail settings that are almost close hauled to the extent that no matter which point of sail you are on you are sailing like you are going to windward. This is according to Bethwaite, I've never sailed with a kite so can't tell you from experience.

The article in Rick's book also talks about setting the jib and the importance of not having it too tight as you can easily create eddies on the leeward side of the jib which can adversely affect the spi. It is important to have the jib a little on the loose side, set the jib in the same manner trim it until the telltales stall then loosen it until they flow nicely - according to the author of the article, again I have no personal experience of this.

Rob.

Sure, you all know!

One thing, witch is important in higher winds, allways sail with a tight mainsheet and overrotate your mast, because this way your mainsail stabilizes the mast like backstay and the forces from the gennacker on the mast are not from the side.

I have a friend who lost his mast, while the mast was not correctly overotated.

Even in the puffs, never release the mainsheet!
Just bear off

Best wishes from Switzerland!
Andi

I ease the traveller in the puffs but generally leave the mainsheet alone but yeah, never release it. The only problem is that with the straight rear beam on the Taipan as you ease the traveller the mainsheet effectively tightens but then again you're under more load so I guess its not a bad thing.

im a litte late on this post but anway.
i sail a taipan 4.9 uni with kite have been since april(and cat for 1 and a half yrs).
well i find that the main does prety much nothing all it realy does is compansates for the lee helm . so i ushaly just ease the travel of as the hull start to lift. and leave the kite on to i need to let it go (you should never et the kite flog around butt the mast is not so strong up there and there a good chance you will brake it , i have been told) i ushaly stear with my foot and have the traveler in one hand and the kite in the other .

as for the traveler i alwaz have it centered even in a good blow . just work the main and point up .
hope this is some help.
cheers
kurt
taipan 4.9 w/kite
aus o29

Kurt,

Please post a photo of you steering with your foot while holding the traveller in one hand and the kite in the other.

Have you tried controlling the downhaul with your teeth at the same time?

Rob.

rob
sorry i havnt got any photes of me with the kite yet . and i only just took the spinnaker gear of the boat last week to train cat riged for the states.so it will be after the states wen ill have some photes but ill be shure to post em. see ya there . ill be sailing cat rigged at the states
cheers
kurt