Sail Shape

S

Sunfishrwb

New Member
Have raced for a while and work to keep the boat flat.

I have a new North race sail. Sail tied to boom with spacing of a pencil. Halyard at 160. Have adjustable cunningham and outhaul and use a vang.

Get good starts but always seem in the middle of the lead group. I feel my sail shape is off. It looks like the other people I race with.

Example. 10 - 15 wind, small chop, cunningham off. Vang is adjusted with enough pressure so when I tack on port and starboard it does not lift but it is not cranked down. When I adjust the outhaul I don't feel a difference. Is there a way to tell the correct tension? I use the method of pulling the outhaul until the wrinkles are removed. I have had the fast people look and they say it looks ok. I know they are adjusting better than I am. Should the outhaul be adjusted a lot?
 
1. Gooseneck?
You don't specify...
2. What's your weight; the light(er) guys/gals have an advantage under the conditions you specified
3. Where are you sitting in the boat?
4. Racing in chop is harder; may need small adjustments with body position
5. Dirty air from nearby boats to windward?

PS: You don't specify how you end up middle of the lead pack. Is it because you can't sail as high as the others?
PS #2: I have the foot of the sail scalloping just a bit under those conditions, but I am rarely near the top of the pack :(
 
Gooseneck 14
175
Sitting on the side, front of cockpit.
In a puff hiked out when goes lighter move weight in to keep boat flat.
Try to keep a clear lane.
Usually can match height just slightly slower and that gets me in the pack. If just a little faster I would not end up ducking boast at the mark and would be closer to the front of the pack.

I will trying going looser.
 
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How long and how often have you raced Sunfish? Time in the boat is essential to speed. You have to be steering well, sheeting as needed, cognizant of when you are slowing and may need to ease the sheet or foot a bit, not over sheet, keep the boat flat, etc. time in the boat will help you get better.
 
beldar boathead said:
How long and how often have you raced Sunfish? Time in the boat is essential to speed. You have to be steering well, sheeting as needed, cognizant of when you are slowing and may need to ease the sheet or foot a bit, not over sheet, keep the boat flat, etc. time in the boat will help you get better.
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Got a picture of your static tell-tale locations?
Action locations?
 
L&VW said:
Got a picture of your static tell-tale locations?
Action locations?
Click to expand...
I don’t know what static and active locations are, but googling the names of some top sailors - or looking at pictures from big events and identifying the top sailors - will show their telltale locations.

But telltales are not necessarily needed to determine if you are oversheeted. If the wind drops a bit and you start slowing vs other boats, and you Have not sheeted out, you may be oversheeted.

Back to the OPs question, I do t think you will typically see the top sailors adjusting their outhaul upwind unless there are some fairly big changes (8 knots?? That’s a guesstimate)in the breeze or sea state.
 
Sorry if not clear regarding tell-tale locations.

"Static" meant no wind, like the sail stretched out on the lawn.

"Active" meant the sail photographed during a race or merely passing by--either one.
 
Sunfishrwb said:
Thanks for the input.
I have raced awhile just trying to improve. I just got a trailer so I can spend more time on the water.
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Sounds like you have what you need - a good boat with good parts - now it is practice and lots of racing. The top sailors did not get there overnight - but with practice and asking the faster people for advice and feedback you can get there.

To L and VW, if you see picture of a sail with the telltales streaming going upwind, you can see easily see where they are attached to the sail, as they stream from front to rear in most cases!
 
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