Forgot to mention this....I submitted this same question to Harry Pattison (the P in EP sails). His suggestion was to let out some tack line to elevate the tack (about 5 to 8 feet above the deck) and give the luff some freedom ....exactly the opposite of what I thought was needed. About a week ago, I was able to try this again....in the same type of light wind. With the luff free to fly out from the boat....the luff did not collapse as before, and the boat was able to point much higher. Some adjustments of the clew sheet also seemed to help. BTW....going from nearly flat calm and the sails simply hanging....to hull speed and hanging on.....all in less than 2 minutes time....is not for the faint of heart. I could see the line of wind approaching as a dark line on the water....but had no way of knowing it would be blowing 10 knots so quickly. Howard On 7/1/04 7:00 AM, "Howard Audsley" <haudsley@tranquility.net> wrote:

OK....here's a question for brother Dennis (or anyone else)...until I can get my own copy.

Situation: Sailing in light air....say 5 knots or less. Slightly more than cat's paws, but not much. The boat will do 1.1 knots on a beam reach with just the main up. So in choosing a headsail I decide today will be a good time to test the new asymmetrical spinnaker(A/S). So up it goes and now the boat speed jumps to over 2 knots. We are moving! Still on a beam reach, but because of the change in boat speed, the apparent wind shifts forward and now I'm no longer on a beam reach....I'm close reaching. The luff of the A/S is stretched from the masthead to the stem fitting and as tight as I can get it, but it still starts to collapse. So I fall off a bit...pick up speed again, and it collapses again. The wind is so light it has pushed me to an off wind course. I keep doing this to the point I have sailed off into a circle and it eventually pins me against a lee shore. Just like when you fire the motor in a light wind, a few knots of boat speed in any direction and the apparent wind is always right on the nose.

This is the extreme example, but I seem to notice the same affect in moderate wind. Adding boat speed shifts the apparent wind forward. At what wind speed/boat speed combination does the apparent wind stabilize or actually shift back aft to allow you to point to the maximum?

For those who know, or who can estimate, at what angles are you able to tack into the wind. My apparent wind angles at the masthead are almost 30 degrees, but on the compass....with shifts in apparent wind due to boat speed, it's more like 50 degrees at the compass and less than that with leeway added in.

BTW...the A/S fills on a whisper of air....and will really get the boat moving. With 5 to 10 knots....I think we are looking at a rocket ship on a broad reach!

Howard

On 6/29/04 12:53 PM, "chbenneck@juno.com" <chbenneck@juno.com> wrote:

...

Hi gang

Just finished reading Dennis Conner's book, "Sailing Like a Champion". ISBN 0-312-07078-0

Let me recommend it to you.

He does an excellent job of explaining all the bits and pieces: hull hydrodynamics; sail aerodynamics; and best of all for the experienced sailor - the why's and how's of controlling sail shape: cunninghams, barber haulers, leech tension, luff tension, etc.

I wish I had seen that 40 years ago. I had to learn it all the hard way - bit by bit.

Here in once concise volume Conner tells you all you need to know to become a more proficient sailor, even if you are not interested in racing and racing strategy and tactics.

At least page through it at your library and see what holes in your knowledge he can fill.

Connie

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No brewskis.....my head was still hurting from too much pineapple mix with the Dominican gasoline (rum) the night before. Straight rum is OK...it's the mix that get's you. The asymmetrical spinnaker (not a jib) was set flying....no hanks....just a tack...a clew....and a head. It did seem to work better set flying than pulled down tight to the deck. The luff was less likely to collapse that way. Howard On 7/29/04 4:07 PM, "Doug Kelch" <doug_kelch@yahoo.com> wrote:

Howard,

This is definitely counterintuitive.

If I understand what this is suggesting you set the jib flying (not hanked on forestay) with the tack a few feet off the deck on a tack line and it points better?

Did you consume a number of brewskis while setting this up?

The jib must sag off to Leeward quite a bit and this helps?

Doug