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couple questions

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  pedcab 
#1 ·
okay, im pretty new to sailing (learned to sail at camp) and i really want my own boat, i loveeee laser's but there way to much used so im looking at either a used zuma or a used force 5 any suggestions?

also, what is the fastest point of sail and if you were trying to get to a location would you travel in a straight line assuming you're not sailing into the wind or would you tack on a different point of sail until you reach your destination?

what happens if you over pull in the mainsheet? would you just heal over more? i know how to find out but im not near a boat right now:)

thanks so much
 
#2 ·
It would help if you said what your budget for the boat was... there are a lot of small boats out there...

As for the fastest point of sail, it depends on the boat.

As for whether you'd travel in a straight line or not, it depends on the boat and the point of sail to the destination. If the destination is dead downwind, many boats will get there faster by "beating" downwind from a broad reach to a broad reach, since the boat's VMG will be higher than if it sails DDW.
 
#3 · (Edited)
okay, im pretty new to sailing (learned to sail at camp) and i really want my own boat, i loveeee laser's but there way to much used so im looking at either a used zuma or a used force 5 any suggestions?

also, what is the fastest point of sail and if you were trying to get to a location would you travel in a straight line assuming you're not sailing into the wind or would you tack on a different point of sail until you reach your destination?

what happens if you over pull in the mainsheet? would you just heal over more? i know how to find out but im not near a boat right now:)

thanks so much
Hello!

About boat suggestions, on the size range you're looking for, mine is only one: The Europe dinghy class.
It is yet to be invented a boat as complete as the Europe (IECU). Lots of tunning points, it's super unstable yet sensitive enough to let you do whatever you please out of it after you learn its tricks.
It is a boat that will never let you get bored of sailing, in oposition to a Laser that is no more than a damn ugly shoe like boat with a stick and a piece of useless thick and deformed canvas attached to it.

Much like the Europe you have the Splash and the Flash Splash Dinghy Class. They're also worth a test drive if you're into performance dinghy sailing.

About the fastest point of sail, as said before, it depends very much on the boat but, as a rule of tumb, tight upwind and dead downwind are usually the slowest. That´s why everything from AAC´s to Melges and the like never sail dead downwind, they jibe again and again in order to maintain some laminar air flow on their sails... Purely for comodity purpouses some cruise sailors prefer to sail downwind for days in a row, but those guys aren't usually in a hurry are they?

For instance, in my boat (a 24´trimaran) I never sail closer than 45º to the true wind nor do I sail dead downwind. It is noticeably faster anywhere between that and the extra speed largely compensates for the lack of angle to destination...

After all it's a matter of trial and error and of observing others. I always tell my kids (in the Optimist sailing school here at the club) that there's usually nothing to learn by observing those sailing last in the fleet. Keep your eyes on the best and there is always something to learn.

Regards

Pedro
 
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