Bigger head sail question...

[Fourwinds]

I know the CP19 is no race boat, but alas she the only boat I own. Where I sail the winds are predominantly light and it's killing me. Question is: on a 1984 CP19 no sprit, how much difference will going from a 130head sail to a 150 or 155 make?  It's on a roller furler so I'm not worried about too big!

[jdklaser]

Are you racing the boat?  phrf?  a 150 or 155 probably won't make that much of a performance difference for all the hassle involved plus a probable change in rating.  I'd sit back and enjoy the ride.  It's all good.

[Fourwinds]

We race Portsmouth rating and my rating would not change from the current. I'm racing against all other keel boats and with our constant light wind I really thought it would help.

[slode]

Are you currently flying a spinnaker downwind?  If so I wouldn't expect any big improvements with the shole draft keel and a bigger sail upfront on the upwind legs.  If not you may get more out of that than a bigger jib for close to the same cost.

[wes]

I can speak from personal experience. If you have enough wind to fill the sail (that's a big "if" for a lake sailor) the 155 will make a very big difference. In racing you will leave your competitors in the dust. And with the furler you will be much safer staying in the cockpit rather than trying to manage a spinnaker on the small foredeck of the 19.

However, when the wind pipes up to 10 knots or more you will be severely overpowered, and you'll be furling up a LOT of that sail. When I transitioned from lake to coastal sailing I soon realized the 155 was too much sail most days, so I bought a 110 and now the 155 stays in a bag most of the time.

Wes

[Fourwinds]

Our wind here is often 4-8; pathetic I know. It can pipe up but rarely lasts and I figure I can reef the main as well. I'm not currently flying a spinnaker and most of the fleet I race against sails 150-155 and no spinnaker. I think I'm getting crushed bc they are all flying bigger head sails....

[wes]

I'd definitely go with the big sail. Even if you aren't racing I think you'll be happier on those days when the wind is 4-5 kn.

Since you don't have a bowsprit, you should make sure the sailmaker has your correct dimensions. If you are working with one of the big companies like National Sail, their"standard" 150/155 for the CP 19 is probably cut for boats with the sprit.

Wes

[mattman]

I looked up the yardstick rules, it sounds like you can carry a spinnaker as part of the base rating. That would explain why your rating doesn't change with the larger headsail. You could ask for a correction based on the smaller 130. Or add the spinnaker to get full advantage of the rating. Years ago I raced Portsmouth and had to declare sails before the race with no sail changes during the race.

If it were me I would spend some time talking to the other skippers and ask them why I'm slow, they should be willing to say things like
"you are missing wind shifts""your sails are blown""your draft is too far aft""you aren't starting well" things like that. It sounds like a nice bunch of people getting together for fun so they should help you out. Also if you can catch a ride on one of the faster boats, you can snoop around some and see what they are doing different.
I would also start reading every book on sail trim and race tactics I could then go out and practice.
Practice some more....and a bit more...

if the racing is just for fun... leave it at that and be a better sailor. That means you won't be in the back of the pack any more or maybe redefine a " win" by going across the line first or simply passing that boat over there....But if you want to take first places regularly you will eventually need good sails (or at least better sails than your competitors).
I would look at a new set of well cut sails for your boat and sailing conditions from a good loft. (that means North, Doyle, Quantum, UK or known local guy producing winning sails in the area...not budget lofts or cruising sails...you have to pay the money, it's just the way it is).
Have fun out there and best of luck!

[Salty19]

Consider a flying drifter too. Love, love, love ours....tacks like a genoa, can be used upwind and isn't a bear to deal with.  We (admiral and I) can rig it in about 5-6 minutes and take it down in about 1/2 that.

We used National Sail, ended up with a 170%  1.5oz nylon free flying luff drifter. I installed a bracket and halyard block just below the furler, so we can switch back and forth between a furled sail and the drifter without much fuss. 

I have pics but I'm not near my main computer to share them, and won't be for about a week. 

Suffice to say, it pulls much harder in light wind--we are definitely the fastest boat on our small lake in low wind situations!

[Jackrabbit]

The main problem with a bigger headsail is the increased difficulty in tacking.  I guess it depends on whether you are in a skinny body of water where you are constantly beating or in the wide open expanses where you stay on one tack for hours at a time.   Also, I find the CP19 can be easily overpowered in gusts, and would be very careful about increasing sail area.