[C38] Flying an asymmetrical

[S. Orton]

 Hi Phil,  

There is an old saying: "dead down wind is dead slow", unless the pressure is 14 kts and up.  A look at the Cat38 polars shows an optimum run at 8 kts of true wind and 106 degrees relative angle  gives a boat speed of 5.1 kts.  A dead down wind run  with the above conditions will give 3.9 knots.  At less wind velocity (4-5 kts) down wind, your spin may collapse further diminishing the boat speed.  I haven't done the VMG math on the above situation, but I suspect our polars are correct.  I personally believe the only advantage of an asym is sailing short handed for the Cat38.  For a sprit boat (J-120) that is a different story.  I do use a code 0 (which is a small asym of 785 sq ft.) in 4 -7 kts of true wind at 70 -110 degrees relative angle.

Steve Orton
Santa Susanna
Oceanside,CA
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: eyriepg at comcast.net 
  To: Catalina 38 list 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 4:10 PM
  Subject: [C38] Flying an asymmetrical


  I crewed on a 2002 Beneteau 411 in Everett, WA last Sunday.  It had a new 150% genoa and a new roller furling main.  It has a reputation of correcting last so I was curious about what they were doing wrong.  I have to say that, with its shoal wing keel, it was a slug in 6-7 knots of wind.  Also, the crew didn't really know how to sail the boat.

  The skipper has had difficulty jybing the sail outside the forestay so they rigged it so they jybe it like a genoa inside the forestay.  It seemed to work OK but they had to furl the genoa before unsocking the asym.  My real question concerns the efficacy of going wing and wing with the asym and the main.  The skipper claimed that he had the same speed going dead downwind this way compared to a heading with a relative wind angle of 150 with both sail on the same side of the boat.  I have never read anything about sailing wing and wing with an asym and main.   Do you have any experience doing this?

  Phil Gay
  C38 049 Que Linda
  Everett, WA


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