Trouble pointing upwind

T

Tub-O-Lard

New Member
So I was racing today (its a good way to judge my progress) and I had a lot of problems 'reading' the sail and wind.

So I don't have my own boat (yet) and am using club boats (which are old and not so good). The sails are kind of baggy (and old, I think the one I was using said 98 NA Nationals ) but its what I have to work with.

I was sailing today in maybe 4-8 knots and relatively flat water (1-2 ft max) and whenever I was sailing upwind, I found that I was able to point quite high before my luff would show any signs of fluttering (and by high I mean maybe 25 degrees off wind). This caused me to constantly pinch and I was never comfortable or confident with where I was pointing.

Furthermore I have telltales and they didn't help much either, the windward telltales would not rise, regardless of where I was pointing, while the leeward telltales would flow really well.

I don't understand what was going on. Why could I point so high without any fluttering? Why didn't my telltales flow backwards? :confused:
How can I get more feedback from the boat/sail in these light winds?

-- Oh and first post, feels good!
 
My boat is an '80 hull and my newest sail is an '87 Haarstick...and you think you have trouble! ;)

To try to actually provide some feedback, I've found that the 'right' spot to point when not in full hike position is just at about the spot where the inside telltales stream back. I normally race Portsmouth against a bunch of boats with jibs, so it looks REALLY low compared to them...then as the breeze comes up and you start hiking, you can get away with the inside ones dropping just a little. (mine rarely fly 'up')

I think speed is key...up & slow will only stall things out. My$0.02, and welcome to a fellow forum newbie.
 
Wherever the sail luffs is as high as you can point. Perhaps it feels like 25 degrees but ..well...how can I say this nicely...



wind is wind. sails are sails. When the wind blows more on the inside they look full and when the wind blows on the nack side they luff.

Your monniker implies you are a tad larger than some other folks. As a fat dude I am quite experienced in having little wimpy didn't eat all the food on their plates sailors all around me. The physics suck. Big guys can't point in light wind. In fact big guys can't point in big breeze either but low and fast is best in heavy breeze.

General how to go fast??

...as possible for a big guy??

Always always always keep your leeward side free of scrappy little sailors and their boats. They will sail right up to you and shoot you back so fast it is amazing...and frustrating.

Don't over trim and try to sail as high as the little folks.

Don't make a huge bag of your sail by easing the outhaul too much. The right shape is the right shape and the sail only does what it does. You CANNOT get more power by over easing the outhaul. Look at the guys who are gouing fast and trim your sail so it looks like theirs.

In light wind, don't over foot to "get power." There is no power. The wind is light.

Use your bulk to sail smoothly through the waves. When a big powerboat passes through the course it is being sent by the "protect the fat dudes fairy." Thank Tunkerbell's buddy and use your weight to keep the boat traveling at the same speed as it bumps into and over the wave. You wil learn to time a lean foreward that compensates for the backward push of the wave and slowly lean back to be ready for the next bump. The little guys will helplessly bounce and have their sails flap and they will lose huge amounts of distance with each wave....unless the waves come from behind and I don't want to talk about that. Those waves are sent by the evil skinny runt fairy who helps people who left food on their plates and starved all the kids in China.

Mostly?? Just go sail a bunch and your speed will improve dramatically.
 
TimClark:
Do you have the outhaul on tight enough?
Actually, now that I think about it, it wasn't as tight as I would have liked, and the age of the sail adds to the fact that it is rather stretched out - I seem to have very little control over the shape of the sail. It was pretty flat at the head (with a big long crease/ fold running from the head to the 2nd seam from the top that I could not eliminate). But lower down, it seemed to be much deeper than it should be.

sastanley:
I've found that the 'right' spot to point when not in full hike position is just at about the spot where the inside telltales stream back.
Like I said, the inside telltales would not stream back no matter what I did. The out side ones were fine, but the inside ones were completely non responsive - on both tac ks. Maybe I have crappy telltales. I think I am going to make my own telltalles and plaster them all over the sail and go out and see whats going on, maybe that will clue me in.

gouvernail:
Your monniker implies you are a tad larger than some other folks.
Heh actually I'm a tab on the lighter side, I just registered when I was drunk - there really needs to be a drunk proof way of registering :rolleyes:

When a big powerboat passes through the course it is being sent by the "protect the fat dudes fairy."
So true - I don't really have the mass to move the boat for the small tight packs of waves created by power boats.

Those waves are sent by the evil skinny runt fairy
Planing and surfing the wave is so fun and so fast.

Mostly?? Just go sail a bunch and your speed will improve dramatically.
LOL, you whole post boils down to: 'Practice'

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll get back on the water and see if I can figure this out and then I'll let you guys know. The outhaul and too deep a sail might be the problem, especially considering the light winds.
 
Tub-O-Lard said:
The outhaul and too deep a sail might be the problem, especially considering the light winds.
Click to expand...

dingdingding!

I learned from a fast light-air lake sailor friend of mine that it is faster to sail with a slightly tighter outhaul if it's very smooth and light. Not strapped in, but definently tighter than maximum depth. Too deep and the sail wants to stall. Your old sail sounds like it's shot; you probably would appreciate a newer one with better shape.
 
As has been implied by TimClark, if your telltales are not flowing correctly it often means that your sail is not set up correctly. Talk to some of the other people at the club who sail lasers and see how they set their boat up - how tight the vang is etc.

Don't be nervous about asking people - I sailed in the Nationals recently and asked the defending national champion how much rig tension he though we should have.
 
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