Hi Charlie, Our boats power upwind easily. If you want one headsail to race, a 135% is probably the best allround size.
I've had success racing with my 135%. It powers upwind and we normally pass several boats before getting to the windward mark. The 110% is too small unless you have really strong winds. I don't carry the sail and just roll my 140% which flattens as it rolls. Summer races have always been light and flukey and I would like a lighter 135%. Mine was built for higher winds than I use it for. For racing, I'd like to have a lighter 135% and a super light 155%, but I solo 99% of the time, so tacking all that around by myself would be a chore and I don't have the rail meat to flatten the boat when powered up. If I buy a new headsail, it will probably a lighter 135%. Chuck Scheaffer Resolute 1989 C&C 34R Pasadena Md > On 02/09/2021 3:09 PM Bill Coleman via CnC-List <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > You know Charlie, > > I am guessing you probably have a Blade, or #3, or something around 110 – > Why don’t you just do a season with that, and weigh all the pros and cons? > > On one hand, I used to have the 135-140, and never felt the need for > anything bigger. When the wind piped up, 18 – 20 out in the lake, we would > just drop the main, and do great. I never rolled it up, I just feel it make > for a terrible shape, and also it ruins the sail. For an afternoon cruise, It > was simple to go out and not even touch the main. > > On the other hand, I have been sailing with a 100% the last few years, > and my crew is just blown away at how easy their job has become. It you are > quick with the sheets on a tack, you almost don’t even need to crank! I think > in a race where you are tacking a bit, this can make up for all the time we > would spend cranking the last 5 feet, trying to get back up to speed, that > was brutal! Plus, that also weighed on my mind when I knew I needed to tack, > but hung on B/C I knew how much we would lose in the tack. Also, if the crew > was still huffing and puffing. As far as cruising, I used to think I > couldn’t sail with just a blade, but found out last year it doesn’t do that > bad in a breeze. Can’t go 45° go with just a blade, but it will do 50, if > there is a little breeze and you are feeling lazy. One place you may lose a > bit is going downwind wing and wing with a pole. > > > > I just think trying it for awhile might open your eyes to things you > hadn’t thought of. Plus, you will have another year to save up for the new > sail ! > > > > > > Bill Coleman > > Entrada, Erie, PA > > > > > > > > From: Charlie Nelson via CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2021 11:23 PM > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Stus-List New sails, new wind > > > > Hello all listers. > > > > I have a hypothetical for the racers among you. > > > > I need to replace my 3DL headsail--its mostly patches after ~ 5 years of > club racing locally. This is about my 3rd laminate style headsail---and my > last! > > > > I am probably going with the North 3D Nordac which has replaced the > former 3DL technology with what they call a composite sail--not laminated but > still built over a 3D mold of the sail shape desired--if I understand this > correctly. I do not need the super light and costly Raw or Endurance. > > > > Anyhow, I plan to move to a new sailing area off Southport, NC near Bald > Head Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River--basically on the NC coast. > > > > All my club racing to date has been in the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers, > occasionally racing to Ocracoke across the Pamlico Sound. For these areas, a > 155% headsail is the largest you can race with locally without penalty and so > that is what I have always used. > > > > The North sail maker suggested because of the higher coastal winds that I > may not need a 155% since the wind strength is higher at the coast. OTOH, a > racer there uses a 155% headsail and says he does well with it. > > > > I checked the historical average wind speed for Southport and New Bern > and the coastal winds are from 20-25% higher than at New Bern. > > For instance, the avg. wind speed varies from 5.5-8.1 knots in New Bern > vs. about 7-10 knots in Southport, or about 25% higher on average. > > > > Further, I know from experience that my masthead rig becomes seriously > overpowered once the wind gets greater than about 12 knots true, when its > time to reef the main(I only have 1 reef point) and if it goes above ~ 15 > knots, I need to roll the headsail a few turns (or change down to a 135% or > 90% headsail). > > > > I am not inclined to go less than the 155% allowed locally (PHRF) but > maybe I should--the local North guy suggested ~ 140%. This might better match > the local wind and is less expensive since less material is used. OTOH, I > don't want to be under canvassed on the light air days. > > > > Further, there is the question of sail material weight to consider. > > > > I plan for this to be my last headsail purchase and may use it some for > local cruising in addition to club racing. BTW, it will be used on a furler > either way. > > > > So what would the listers do!! > > > > Charlie Nelson > > 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb > > Water Phantom > > > > > > > > > > Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help > with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu >
Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu
