[C38] Jib lead car positions

Mon Mar 27 15:14:14 EST 2006

Jib lead car positionsHi, Duff,

    I am not a racer.  However I do like to sail from point to point from time to time, so speed is important to me.  There are many general philosophies about sail trim, including car position, but the one book I found that helped me the most is "High Performance Sailing" by Frank Bethwaite.

    If you add the information in this book to the "Polars" diagrams, and keep your boat in good tune (shrouds, hull and bottom, sails and trim, rudder and controls in that order), you should do well.  Also pay attention on the polars to the heel angles.  Our boats were designed to optimize water line gains when heeled appropriately, and with about 4-7 degrees of weather helm required (which lifts the boat to windward producing a tighter course shortening the sailing time).  Draw a couple of the local courses, along with the typical winds direction and speed, then work out the best course and times with a pencil and vector diagrams.  This will show you the advantages of course against wind and speed via polars.  It will help you fix in your mind how to get the best from your boat.

    Be cautious about too much sail.  Over canvassed, our boats will "dig in" at the bow when going to weather.  I have found that furling about 1 or two feet of my 140 when going to weather will allow me to seek the correct trim for good speed.  Of course I should point out that Nancy and I are too uncomfortable when heeling more than about 17 or 18 degrees, and being cruisers will take comfort over speed once we reach 6.5 or so knots.

    If you tune our boats to neutral helm (balanced) you are giving up about five or six degrees toward the mark.  If you over canvass, or add too much heel, you suffer from leeward movement due to insufficient keel traction against the force being generated.  Old salts say "she ain't going where she's lookin'".

    Anyway, read the book, and watch others sailing.  It wouldn't hurt to take a crew position on one of the more competitive boats and watch how they set up their boat.

    Don't worry too much about mast bending or elaborate stuff at first, just learn how to get the boat balanced to set up that weather helm, and make the best speed.  Also watch the locals.  When you first race, you will see the same local guys lead almost all the time.  They have learned the local course, the currents, the winds and lifts and stalls that occur in their area.  It won't hurt to follow them around a bit and learn what they know.  Many of the really top racers are happy to discuss the currents, the winds, and general course knowledge (but won't give you that final 10%, that you have to earn on your own).

    low stretch halyards on both main and jib, a good single braid with just a bit of give for the main sheet will save wear and tear, but some say will slow you down a bit.  Stay Set X is my rope of choice for all the halyards, StaySet for the jib sheet, single braid for the main sheet, 3/8" in double braid for the traveler, and 7/16 stayset for my assymetrical (you will want a conventional kite for serious racing in our boats, but I don't know the line requirements).

    North 3DL seems to be the sail of choice locally for the really competitive guys, but I wouldn't change sails until you get the speed and tuning down.  Once you are consistant on both tacks and equal, then you can think more about the expensive stuff.

    Just my own opinion.

Regards,
Les H
      Les Howell
      Technical Specialist, Teradyne (retired)
      hlhowell at pacbell.net
      IM: OldETC (Yahoo)
      Professional Profile

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Duff, Russ (R.W.) 
  To: C38-List (Listserve at catalina38.org) 
  Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 10:04 AM
  Subject: [C38] Jib lead car positions

  You've probably seen my previous posts about getting into racing this year (LOOK OUT!).  Anyway, what I would like to know is where should I set the cars for the jib sheets in different wind conditions/sailing angles?  I know where I usually set them, but I don't know how correct they are for getting optimum speed.  I have standard dacron sails, and my jib is a 150 roller furling head sail with the protective UV cover sewn on. 

  Thanks in advance for all of the good advice. 

  Sincerely, 
  Russ Duff 
  Catalina 38, Hull #112
  "AVANTURA"
  Lake Erie
  Grosse Ile, Michigan
  RDUFF AT VISTEON DOT COM 

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