The size of my foot :) ?? Question

Garffin · #1 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Hello all! I Hope everyone is ready for Christmas. Ready or not

I have a question about the length of my main sail, boom verse the length of my boat. My luff is roughly 25.5’ and my foot is about 12’. It seems to me that I have a rather larger sail for the size of my boat. Oh my boat is 24’. Do you think making shorting my boom and getting a smaller main sail will help in up wind sailing ?? Thanks Dan Have a happy holiday

davidpm · #2 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

OK this is fun we can look up the sail dimensions and try to guess what boat we are talking about.

I suspect the answer to your question will have something to do with displacement, ballast, wind conditions you are optimizing for. What do you think?

And help with upwind sailing is a little vague. If you mean go slower the answer is yes.

Garffin · #3 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Oh My boat is a 24'Bristol hull #157 standard model. Paul Coble
LOA 24'7
LWL 18'1
Beam 8
Draft 3.5
Ballast 2500#
Displacement 5920#
sail area 296 sq ft. CCA 19.7 and MORC is 17.2

davidpm · #4 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

That is a heavy boat for it's class. Many boats the same length are 2,000 lbs lighter.

A heavy boat needs enough sail to get it moving.
It has a ballast to displacement of 42 which should make it pretty stable.

I sense there is more to this question than what you have mentioned.

Are you having problems with it tipping too much?
What are you running for a head sail?
What exactly is the problem you are having with upwind sailing?

Nice pocket yacht by the way.

PS
I just looked this up in my brand new book. Now I'm the expert on any boat under 26'.

Garffin · #5 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Oh no! It tips really fast but then it pretty much stays there. I love it. Have np with the way it rides. It loves the ocean. The reason I started thinking about this was because I started looking around for some main sail covers and most of them were no where near the size I needed. So that led to me getting side tracked into thinking about my mast height and boom length etc... I have just noticed alot of boats a bit bigger than mine with shorter booms. Just thinking that the age of the boat that maybe there was some new ideas out there. Thats all. I don't have any problems with the way my boat rides. I feel really good at about 30 degrees or so. Its hard to get it over more than that although I have. Thanks Dan

Garffin · #6 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Oh I have 3 jibs storm full jib and a 150. Just depends on the wind

davidpm · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garffin

Just thinking that the age of the boat that maybe there was some new ideas out there.

Well the new idea is that if you take a few thousand pounds out of a boat the sail can be a bit smaller.

In your case making the sail smaller will make the boat slower.

To say nothing of seriously damaging the resale value.

Remind me not to go clothes shopping with you. If the pants on sale are too long I shudder as to what your solution will be.

mitiempo · #8 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Dan
If it was just a matter of reducing sail area you'd just be a bit slower in a given condition. But there is a lot more to it than that. When a rig is designed for a boat the goal is to have a bit of weather helm which is considered safe - if the tiller is released the boat will round up into the wind. In a gust the boat rounds up a bit as well. The larger the mainsail for a given boat the more weather helm if that is all that is changed. Conversely the smaller the main for a given boat with no other changes (like mast position for example) the less weather helm and ultimately lee helm. With lee helm when the tiller is released you head away from the wind - not what you want.
You have 10 sq ft less sail area than a C&C 25, but are 1794 lbs heavier. Your sail area/disp ratio is 14.47 vs the C&C at 19.03. Many boats were designed with tall small foot mains with all the power in the foretriangle. These boats won't sail as well under main alone as yours and need frequent jib changes to suit conditions. I wouldn't change a thing. Mainsail covers can be made in any length by a canvas shop or sailmaker. Mainsail covers are also available from West Marine in the correct length for your boom.
Your boat is fairly narrow and deep bodied and depends more on the ballast than on beam for resistance to heeling. But at a certain point after heeling easily at first it should harden up as the ballast weight takes effect. I would think if you're heeled 30 degrees it's a bit much. I think you'd be faster with the sheet eased a bit or a reef to keep closer to 20 degrees of heel.

Tempest · #9 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Dan, I agree...I wouldn't touch a thing...certainly not for for a sail cover.

When I first looked at your boat it reminded me of my old Bristol 29.9
and low and behold..

Anyway, my bristol took an early reef...but then stiffened up very nicely..
back then the boat came with a really crappy roller furling with a 150.
I took the furler off, took the 150 to a sailmaker and had hanks put on..

I found, however that most of the time my 110 would be perfect..except in very light air..

Anyway, your boat looks great! if she performs well, leave it.

davidpm · #10 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitiempo

The larger the mainsail for a given boat the more weather helm if that is all that is changed. Conversely the smaller the main for a given boat with no other changes (like mast position for example) the less weather helm and ultimately lee helm. With lee helm when the tiller is released you head away from the wind - not what you want.

Massively important point.