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spent last few Sundays club racing my lovely new Mk4. No really cracking results yet, but then I’ve been away from dinghy racing for 12 years and just getting back to it.
Anyway reason for post is that this new boat seems to sail to windward a treat. In fact anything above a beam reach is pretty cool. Gain some race ground if I do it right and all that sort of stuff.
But broad reach and running seems pretty poor and I’m not sure whether it’s boat or me or both!!!! Most boats either catch me up or increase their distance away from me. Then when we’re on the beat again I make some ground!
Have been racing in mainly light winds during April but I think the sameproblem is true in the medium winds we had yesterday too.As we come round the windward mark we’re letting off kicker and outhaul(Boat only needs a bit of kicker to perform well to windward anyway in light winds), raising board then trimming sails appropriately, but nothing seems to gain us any boatspeed.
I am operating with an adjustable bridle which i have “fixed” for the time being, mainsheet blocks are block to block. With sails down, the bottom block hangs over the transom on level with the bottom of the pintle.
Richard Hartley assured me in his enthusiastic manner that spreader width, mast rake and marks for jib tension were all cool. I haven’t rechecked but I have no reason to doubt him.
So is there anybody out there who can make my boat go faster off the wind??
What is the check list of things to look at?Yours for speadier reach,
Pete Smith
W10801
PS: not doing spinnies yet, coz have novice crew. Get to that in late SummerPeter, Check to see that you’re not dragging your crew in the water, as this will inevitably decrease your speed..in most cases.
Are you racing other Wayfarers and are they Mk4 or older types?
Against other types of classes is hard to judge!
If you are of the same shape and size as me( Big ) you will have to keep you ass from dragging in the water by moving forward.
Over the thwart I found is standard down wind until the wind is higher and you then move aft for a planning trim.
I think the aft panels are flat, and also maybe the rocker so the transom can stick more than the older shapes.
The thwart is also 100mm aft of the older boats !! Have you noticed how the crew loves all that space but not all the bodily attention needed up wind when you squeeze them against the shrouds ??
CPYou Dutch and your Parling, catch it, smoke it, eat it, rub it on your body to help you fit into your wetsuits !!
Now rub it on your boats ?? What ever next?CP 😆
If you have not rechecked your settings after a while of sailing a new boat, do so!
Rigging wire stretches and so do thimbles, so after some time the settings will be softer and so not to the setup tensions and lengths.
CPI agree with all Colin said but would add moving the fairleads forward on a reach particularly in a breeze !
My old boat 10188 was Ian Porter’s and was fitted out with barber-haulers for the reach .
My new Hartley has three tracks with adequate forward movement to control the top of the genoa .
Three tracks Al, when and what tells you when to move to the outer ones ?
Give Me A Sign Oh Greater One!!!
CP 😕Don’t tell the others Colin but the mainsail starts to backwind and moving the fairleads out seems to cure it . But really I like to have lots of things for Philip to do .
Is a bit better. Didn;t sail new boat much in May due to wife and sons and me doing sailing courses.
Most of June too windy!!!!!
But finally got on case last week.
Kicker is the key. Think my problem was too little.
So I think the answer on the run is a bit of kicker an v little board.
Take point about everything stretching again. Was planning a remeasure soon anyway.
Got a third on Sunday, so well chuffed.
Thanks for all advice.
Talk soon when i have another drama!!!Cheers
Pete
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