mr.b wrote:
I'm consistently a kt. slower on the port tack than the starboard and
it's starting to make me nuts. Almost as nuts as the "weather" on the
Great Lakes this "summer".

To start, all the standing rigging is new as of last year with about 40
hours of total sailing time on it.

I measured the mast for plumbness using the main halyard, then tightened
the uppers by hand keeping the mast in column. Then snugged the forestay
hand tight. Then attempted to induce some prebend by tightening the aft
stay, first hand tight, then with a wrench. Sighting up the main track
shows a slight aft bend, maybe an inch over my 34' mast height, then
checking again for straightness athwartship. Finally hand tightened the
single inner shrouds.

Out for sail testing and on the starboard tack the boat falls into the
groove and runs right up to hull speed with a #3 and the full main in
about 12-15kts of breeze. Slight weather helm and I can trim her for
hands off at hull speed.

Tack to port and we have to fall to leeward a bit to get her to
accelerate and she never really gets into a comfortable groove. More
pronounced weather helm and she seems to be struggling to come to hull
speed.

On both tacks the inner shrouds flop loosely and I know that will need to
be dealt with next time out. As well, the forestay sags at least 5-6
inches from the centreline. I've read that "hand-tight" is good enough
for shrouds and stays but this can't be right. My pointing ability can't
be what it could be with such a loose rig.

I'm looking for tuning hints here. It's just a conventional masthead rig
with single lower shrouds and no backstay tensioner installed. Headsails
are hank-on. Main has 3 full battens.

It could be a tuning issue, though next time you haul the boat you might
want to check to be sure the keel is properly aligned.

--Alan