Sailing to Windward

[hinmo]

Yep without much hull speed in light air these CP's will basically drift sideways into the mark your trying to sail around.
Fall off and shoot under the mark. I use the navigation nuns as marks for practice. I missed one by a few inches trying to go around it instead of under it.
Won't do that again.

skip.

no light air here in Buzzards Bay Ma. I am planning to stay in the harbor (protected) and or outer harbor (semi-protected).

Others - thanks for the responses, reminds me of Engineering School!

[atrometer]

Well, I read it ALL, and found it to be correct (LOL).  BUT I ALWAYS sail flat and if I'm not making much progress toward my goal, I start the engine!

[kickingbug1]

if there is wind, im stubborn and never start the engine. who would want to listen to a 40 year old air cooled 2 hp?

[Bob23]

Interesting, Aug:
   I always thought the 16's and 23's were meant to be sailed heeled a bit. My 23 likes a slight heeling, maybe 5 degrees or so and she seems to sail better and faster.
Bob23
Kick: Amen. Anytime I can not use my motor is a good time. Builds sailing experience, too. That's why I sail off and back onto my mooring whenever I can. Sure, I miss once in a while but I ain't sunk her yet!

[cas206]

Could be.  I would expect it depends on hull shape and possibly so that gravity can help with sail shape.  By "upright", I really meant upright'ish.  I wouldn't expect that 5 degrees has much effect on the keel holding power.  (but my expectations are too often wrong)

[Pete H]

Sailing to windward? In my opinion that's where the fun is, well it is for me. Its exciting, sometimes frightening, always wet, but usually for us recreational sailors optional. If you you don't like heeling, weather helm and getting wet, then change direction, change destination, wait or motor. As for leeway going upwind, the Legacy seems to me to be as good as most similar craft, I guess the centreboard gives it an edge over a 16 that doesn't have one, but does it matter anyway? What's the rush to get anywhere? Its all for fun anyway, isn't it.

In the days when sail was used to move goods around England's east coast, there were a lot of shallow draft barges used. They were slow, difficult and uncomfortable to sail upwind in the shallow estuaries of that region, and skippers preferred to wait until the wind and tide suited, rather than flogging to windward. One was quoted in a book I read somewhere as saying, after he had seen a fleet of sailing yachts flogging upriver against wind and tide and having a hard time of it, "If I were Yachtsman, which I ain't, I wouldn't go to windward, not never!"

So, sailing to windward, just enjoy it, don't worry about a little leeway, you're not sailing a racing dinghy, you're sailing a heavy displacement, shoal draft fixed keel cruiser, and you're only doing it for fun.

Cheers,