Hello,
I have been sailing aggressively for around 4 months with club boats. Finally got my own, 180000 series. I was out with the same main in 8-10kts and was keeping up and ahead of most of the sunfish I was sailing with (one is a2x world champ). I was out today with the same crew in 14-18kt and was having trouble keeping up. It seemed that I couldn't make nearly as much power in todays conditions vs the lighter winds. I had the vang tighter than 2block but not over tight, and cunni pulling the wrinkles out of luff. Outhaul had about 10in of draft. I was able to hold the boat flat most of the time except in the gusts. I just was getting gassed by the sunfish. I understand they cant point as high as the laser, but they were beating me to the top mark. The sail is older but isnt blown out. It was quite choppy 3ft and 5sec. Is it the sail or my technique? I weigh 200lb
thanks
The problem wasn't your weight, because those conditions(14-18) are ideal for 200lbs and you should have been walking away, upwind and down. usually, you need to be powered up in waves(10" of draft may have been a little too much, maybe 8"?). also, maybe easing the main to 8-10 inches between main sheet blocks, don't point but foot and keep your bow down. i'm confused on your vang statement - 2 block. i've only referred to b-to-block on the main sheet blocks (one on the traveler, one on boom end). i can't see why a 200 lb'er needs to crank on alot of vang, just enough. this is just my opinion, i'm sure others will add theirs. keep it up.
I find it hard to estimate wind speed when I go sailing. If the weather service sez that it will blow 10 to 15 then I think that the gusts will be near 25 here on my lake.
I have experienced gusts that when hiked out to my tippy toes I cannot haul in the main sheet and the wind is still too strong to point as high as I think the boat can go and end up getting denied going upwind to the mark.
Does anyone out there know how much wind it takes to actually push a 200lb sailor over while fully hiked out and close-hauled? I think that you should be able to tell the local wind speed with a spread sheet using the sailor weight as a variable.
In-hind sight perhaps I can relate this to kiteboarding, in that when you try to over-power the kite it actually generates less power and drive. I did have the cunningham quite loose, and the outhaul foot was too big.
Can the sail become overpowered and stall??