So...I did skippered our boat for the first time this weekend in a race across Lake Michigan (yay for the newbie!). All of the boats had to tack close to the wind for most of the race. We found that 90 percent of the boats could point better than us, and I'm wondering if it's a function of design, rigging, crew placement, or whatever. In other words, I'm wondering what we could be doing to get closer to the wind.
The boat is a Catalina 30 Tall Rig (1981), with fin keel, 155 Genoa. We were a crew of three in 10 to 15 knots winds, both sails fully out (not reefed or furled) and close hauled, crew on windward side. I have not heard that this boat doesn't perform well upwind, so I'm thinking it's me, not the boat.
Any input?
The boat is a Catalina 30 Tall Rig (1981), with fin keel, 155 Genoa. We were a crew of three in 10 to 15 knots winds, both sails fully out (not reefed or furled) and close hauled, crew on windward side. I have not heard that this boat doesn't perform well upwind, so I'm thinking it's me, not the boat.
Any input?