Traveler, no center loop light wind...???

S

susanna nash

New Member
I just bought a 2001 sunfish and the traveler does not have a center loop like my old 1977 does. I raced the 2001 boat in very light wind and was very frustrated that I could not keep my boat speed while tacking upwind. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't keep up with the other boats. I looked back at my traveler and noticed the the hook on the main sheet had traveled all the way to the leeward side of the traveler. I cleated the main sheet and used my hand to hold the boom along the center of the boat and I instantly picked up boat speed and could point higher to the wind. Before the next race I put a loop in the traveler and put the hook through it twice and managed too keep the traveler from moving so much. I went from nearly last place in the first race to first place in the next race.

I'm a novice sailor and would love some help here. Have others experienced similar issues in light wind? I haven't raced in heavy wind with the new boat yet. Why is it better to have no center loop? If I added a block where the main sheet hooks to the traveler would that stop traveler from going all the way out in a light wind? Maybe the traveler wasn't my problem, but I don't know what else to try.
 
One of the advantages is the load on the eye strap. With a 3 loop bridle the load from the mainsheet is basically on one eye strap. With the two loop it is spread to both eye straps.
 
1. You can still buy a three loop bridle, AFAIK.
2. You really don't want the boom in the middle, around the corner is a far better place. On port tack (going upwind), when the sail hits the mast, you want the sail out even a bit further to stay 'powered up'.
3. In (very) light winds, you may have to lean the boat towards the leeward side. This also reduces drag
4. Did you compare your gooseneck setting on the boom with that of the other sailors? Always an important issue if you are racing
 
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