Running vs. sailing under the lee

[chrondi]

Based on my observations, I think that sailors spontaneously react and luff up by a few degrees thus avoiding running dead downwind!

[Drylander]

Thanks for your replies! The conclusion that I made is that in most cases it is better to broad reach than run, especially in my case with sailing experience being close to zero.

[jboatjack]

2 Questions. What size boat and are you racing?

racing a light displacment hull, sailing by the lee is a tactic we all use. Carrying the boom almost perpendicular with the hull on a knife edge can be just the trick to walk the fleet.

[Drylander]

Originally Posted by jboatjack

2 Questions. What size boat and are you racing?

racing a light displacment hull, sailing by the lee is a tactic we all use. Carrying the boom almost perpendicular with the hull on a knife edge can be just the trick to walk the fleet.

I am currently taking ASA 101 class, so not racing, but cruising. Primarily 25' -35' range boats.

[tenuki]

if it's a long run, whisker pole + preventer, or symmetrical chute. but you actually have to pay closer attention with those because it just ends up meaning that if you jybe you break something for sure!

[SanderO]

Tenuki,

Interesting point about setting up a pole. What would you say would be the conditions which call for poling out the genny? That is for how long a sail? I find that if it less than 2 or 3 hours I don't bother... that would be at least 10 -15 miles on that point of sail.

jef
sv shiva

[tenuki]

Originally Posted by SanderO

Tenuki,

Interesting point about setting up a pole. What would you say would be the conditions which call for poling out the genny? That is for how long a sail? I find that if it less than 2 or 3 hours I don't bother... that would be at least 10 -15 miles on that point of sail.

jef
sv shiva

haha, i'd be the last person to ask for that. i'm not a real sailor who is going anywhere, i put up the whisker cause it's fun and cool, not for any particular reason. ;P

[tdw]

Originally Posted by SanderO

Tenuki,

Interesting point about setting up a pole. What would you say would be the conditions which call for poling out the genny? That is for how long a sail? I find that if it less than 2 or 3 hours I don't bother... that would be at least 10 -15 miles on that point of sail.

jef
sv shiva

Sander,
A lot of people use their spinnaker pole as a whisker pole. While this works the SP is usually a heavy bit of kit and the effort involved in setting the thing up often outweighs the advantages, for short periods at least. A light(ish) weight whisker pole is much easier to use. For me, I'll set a pole whenever I'm running as that infernal crashing of the collapsing headsail is far too irritating for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

[tenuki]

I know I've posted this before, but here's how we wisker in the PNW