pointing better

[mgoller]

I've been out sailing a couple of times.  The winds have been steady and cool and the sun peeks out between the spring time clouds.  
In seasons past I have enjoyed testing out different sail configurations.  Its fun to turn the boat with sails only.
I have never really been happy with how the boat points using the genoa track.  I have toyed with using the fairleads between the shrouds a couple of times and it seems to work better.  Yesterday in about 10 knot winds I used this setup and I could get really close to the wind.
What are the advantages to using the genoa track except for shaping the genoa in differing wind strengths?
I definitely am sailing outside the 45 degree angle to wind using the genoa track, and using the fairleads am sailing nearer to 35 degrees.
Using the fairleads I can bring the genoa in very tight and parallel to my tightly trimmed mainsail.
Give me your experience and thoughts on how well you point your 19.
Thanks

[tsaiapex]

I am assuming you were flying genoa?  What I found out about the genoa is that is not a good sail for pointing, it is good for light wind sailing to get you going.  The belly of the genoa is too full.  

The track is used to induce twist on the top of the jib/genoa.  Move it back at high wind to induce twist to spill wind at the top.  On CP19, by the time you need to move the track aft, you should also start thinking about trimming the main.  Otherwise the boat will move sidway fast, but not move forward because your will overwhelm that keel.

On the main, tighten the outhaul.  You should feel instanly reduction in weatherhelm on the tiller.  If you have boom vang, crank it down to faltten the sail but let the mainsheet out a bit to give it some room to breath.  Now look the gap between main and jib, what you are striving to have is uniform gap.

Experiment a bit and you should find the boat sails flat with correct sail trim and you should also point higher.  Isn't this fun!

Jeff Tsai
CP19, Mary Grace
Apex, NC

[mgoller]

Thanks Jeff,
Great advice.  Yes I was flying the genoa.  I have a hank on jib but the genoa is on the furler.  Unless I am making a several hour passage it wouldn't be worth changing the genoa off the furler for the jib.  And I would need to have the jib resewn with the furler in mind.
The genoa doesn't set as nice as the jib when partially furled.
Everything is a compromise.
What do you think about running the genoa sheets between the shrouds and through the fairlead?
I'll try this with the genoa partially furled and yes I try to maintain an even gap.
I don't have a boom vang, but I can flatten the new North Mainsail pretty good.
I have for fun run the jib up a temporary stay as a stay sail behind the genoa.  Probably doesn't help but it is fun to fly more sail on a reach.

I was sailing off Santa Barbara years ago when I was 20 something.  We were four boys and four girls on board.  We drank a bunch of beer and hit an area with light wind.  So rather than paying any attention to the girls as we should have, we rigged every single sail we had.  It was a 27 foot something and we had 4 sails flying.  By evening we weren't any closer to shore and we had to be towed in.  My guess is those girls will never step foot on a sailboat again.  
Moral of the story, never be distracted from good sailing and look for a tow when the beer runs out.