Close Hauled.... Slow Going

[ChuckD]

My simpleton rule:
If my hat wants to blow off, I reef the main.

[mattman]

For me light air is 0-6kts, heavy starts at 20-25kts, this is for inland lakes. I find that on the ocean and large bays that I tend to carry sail a little longer simply because the wind is more consistent with fewer puffs and extremes, plus the seas are a little more rounded. I find that inland lakes get a steep chop with a wave with no back which slows you down and then you get a blast that knocks you down due to reduced acceleration.  My understanding is that many of the one designs are optimized at around 12kts with normal sails and crew weight. After that you start to depower by taking other measures such as more rail meat, flatter sails, crap loads of vang, or soaking your crew to add a few pounds,  etc.  On the one designs sails are cut fuller or flatter depending on the vendor. That allows a bigger wind range for best performance. Guys I crew for often carry several suits from different lofts, and decide at the morning of each regatta depending on expected wind which suit to fly. For my 16, I reef at about 12kts, by that time the boat is overpowered meaning I have to put a bubble in the main or constantly sheet the main in and out to stay on course. Although a lot of guys will sail with the main backwinded and eased I don't think this is not as efficient as tucking in a reef. Of course that means you probably need to shake the reef out when you head downwind... The 16 needs to be sailed flat and with minimal rudder movement (as do most boats), you won't do that by being overpowered. At about 18-20kts I drop the main and sail under 110 alone. The 16 does not seem to sail well under just the main. Under jib alone, you point better and as a puff hits you drive up to minimize heel.  Light air leads us to another discussion. That being jib size. In super light stuff <4kts a large lapper may actually be slower that the big headsail. A 150% has a lot of weight and draft to get the air to attach. I have found that a 110 can be faster than the bigger sail on the wind, once you fall off it is a different story. Btw I am not talking about a 1.5oz nylon lapper, I am talking about a normal 4.5oz and up dacron. After 4ish the 150-5 will start to pull much better and no doubt will out pull the smaller sail. In light air I adjust the main with an ease on the outhaul but not too much, you still need that draft to stay forward and not move back too far. However you want to watch your actual boat speed. Sometimes too much belly can be slower... you just have to play and check. Skip talks about sailing the Star with the sails ballooned, what he didn't mention is that you also rake the mast forward on the downwind leg too, to get a really nice luff off the leach, what I mean by that is the leach is now the luff. I used to sail Stars and Y-flyers and really didn't get this until I started flying a spinnaker. (btw being poled out is pretty much mandatory). The last thing I will mention is that people tend to overestimate wind speed... and by a lot...so it takes practice to estimate then check with a meter to see how close you are. Decatur I am south of you an hour or so just north of Carlyle lake, if you want to pm me I would be happy to meet up some time.

[kickingbug1]

    hey D, if you get a chance to sail with Matt, take it. he knows his stuff. he will show you what your boat can do. he actually needs his own category on here

[mattman]

Way too kind Kick, I am just a guy that spends a lot of time sailing as many boats as I can and with as many skippers as I can. You never stop learning when you're are sailing! It really is a wonderful lifestyle...

[Mas]

Nice description Matt. We had a 16 many years ago and learned on her. What a great craft. True nuff she likes to be sailed fairly flat as that shoal keel gets shadowed by the hull with a lot of heel. We had to return to our little slip once with a wind rising to near gale blowing and a broken roller reefing on the main and a working jib. Kinda white knuckled and buried the rail more than once. My wife informed me that if we did not get a motor and fix the roller system she would not go back out! Can't blame her but became far more confident in that little boat's ability to handle it, thankfully for only a couple NMs with reasonable wave protection from a point of land for much of the mad dash. Still married 35 years later!