That's fast for your WL alright. What was the windspeed and how does it
compare to your polars?



Donal wrote:
Wind was about 17kts(T). Polars say 6.6 kts. The water was unusually flat.

The sea state can make a HUGE difference.


I think that you know the Solent, so I'll explain the circumstances. Maybe
you can make sense of them.

We were returning from Cherbourg. The wind had been WSW, F3-4-5.....
absolutely perfect. The wind eased as we approached the Isle of Wight.
The fun started shortly after we rounded Bembridge ledge. The wind moved
round to WNW, or NW, and built. Thus we had relatively flat water (12").
Suddenly, we were sailing a dinghy. I took the mainsheet, and I was working
like mad.

After reading this thread, I'm wondering if I should have been using the
traveller, instead of the mainsheet. However, the travellor isn't as easy
to control.


Having a good traveller is a necessity. You might make up for it
(somewhat) with a powerful vang, but most racer/cruisers don't have
enough leverage on the vang.

Remember that leach tension is very important. If the traveller remains
set (or the main sheeting point is fixed) and the vang is loose, when
the mainsheet is eased then the boom is going to rise, the sail will
twist, leach tension is shot (which can affect the jib shape)... the
only thing worse is to let the boat heel too far and spin out.

Having the vang very tight will help this problem, but using a traveller
is better. It's easier to control the sail twist & leach tension. Do you
have end-boom sheet or one of those miserable cabin top ones?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King