Pearson 34 Jib selection

[Sanduskysailor]

Since you want to keep the 6 sec recreational credit here are a few things to consider:

(a) If the wind is 10knots or less the 135% jib is a loser. You mention that you feel the boat has enough power. Could it be that your heavy 135% with a high cut clew is bagged out a bit causing the boat to heel quite a bit? A new lighter 155% won't heel the boat any more than older heavy 135%.

(b) you can use both a 110% and 155% and still get the credit. Get a good 110% with high clew.

(c) mylar, pentex, and dacron are still eligible for the credit. Suggest you get a 155% UK silver tape drive with pentex or glass tapes which are not high modulus fibers.

Other tips- replace U shackles on swivel and drum with low profile ones from Harken. That way sail changes from the 155 to 110 can be quick albeit bareheaded. Save the 135% for cruising.

Since you sail JAM, try furling the 155% in a little when going wing and wing. About 140% is usually about right.

Never sail dead downwind unless apparent wind is 15 knots or over.

Sail downwind with pole out at about 165 to 170 degrees in lighter winds

If there are any waves trying sailing downwind at angles where you get a little push from them . You can even sail by the lee a little if it gets your transom at the right angle to the waves.

Obviously take all non essential equipment that your PHRF area allows, keep a clean bottom, mark your prop shaft to show where prop is vertical, then lock it in reverse.

Best light air tip I ever got. "The wind around the starting area is disturbed, foot a little at the start and look to clear the other boats then head up to a higher course when you get clear".

Best heavy air upwind tip" Sail to heel angle and knotmeter. Depower the main and see if speed jumps. Max heel angle for an 80s cruiser racer is somewhere near 20-22 degrees:

[Alegria110]

yup - finally made the choice to stay with the 135% - Pentex deck sweeper - I'll keep the 3 sec/mile for the 135 & use it only for racing - crew will put it up & take it down - regular old dacron 135 for day sailing & cruising ( there is actually nothing wrong with this sail other than it is too full for upwind racing)

Thanks for the input - anyone wanting to buy new sails look up Steve Thruston or Quantum - he's been great through this little ratings dilema.

[Alegria110]

Oops I meant Steve Thurston OF Quantum sails....

[puddinlegs]

Originally Posted by Alegria110

yup - finally made the choice to stay with the 135% - Pentex deck sweeper - I'll keep the 3 sec/mile for the 135 & use it only for racing - crew will put it up & take it down - regular old dacron 135 for day sailing & cruising ( there is actually nothing wrong with this sail other than it is too full for upwind racing)

Thanks for the input - anyone wanting to buy new sails look up Steve Thruston or Quantum - he's been great through this little ratings dilema.

Sounds like a reasonable choice. As a rule of thumb, I generally consider that we're racing one design if our rating is within 6-10 seconds a mile of other boats in our start class. It's made us faster not allowing any psycological 'excuses'.

[DrB]

FWIW,

I do the MH Wed Night Race Series as Crew on a J105 and some other boats. I don't race my boat my own boat. My ride is a Pearson 10M, which is very similar to your boat as far as performance.

The bottom line is, that unless you put up a kite, which by the rules you can't, your boat is going to be slow down wind. Putting a 155 instead 135 isn't really going to make a significant difference unless you can pole it out, have the wind to fill it, and fly wing-and-wing. Even then your looking only at a small improvement. Strong winds will not really make a 155 better than a 135 as the boat can only gos fast as it's hull speed will dictate. Putting more cloth up isn't adding to speed. The only time a 155 will help is in very light winds, and typically the MH race committee will call the race if the winds are very light or non-existent. They actually have called races in the middle of a race because the wind is dying down and they want to get home in time for beer. We have been 200 yds from the finish, and moving, and they have called the abandoned/called the race, but it was getting "late"

However the issue with using a 155 upwind is more dramatic. A 155 is going to be harder to trim, tack, and will back wind your main. If your in the race and the wind pipes up, you better have a lot of bodies on the rail to even have a chance of minimizing weather helm or you will need to constantly trim the main/155 to get the boat to sail well. Remember your boat sails fastest at about a 20 deg heal, not like a Bristol 35, where like a 30 deg heal maximizes the wetted surface.

In my opinion, for your boat, if your in the 4-8 kt apparent, a 155 is probably ok, but as soon as the wind is more than 8-10 kt apparent, the 135 is a better choice. We have a 135 and a 150 and I have yet to fly the 150 on our boat.

DrB

[sailingfool]

If you are buying a sail for racing, my opinion would have been to get the 150%. Mablehead has plenty of light air evenings where the 150 will deliver far more than the 3 seconds per mile. I suspect if you poll the folks who participate in the 'racing" classes about their "cruising" ratings, that almost all or all include the 150% that is universal in their "racing" profile, also in their "crusing" profile. Naturally, there are plenty of racer/cruisers who include a max of 135% in their ratings, but few of then would buy a sail for "racing".

FWIW, I believe that you can still change your rating twice a year... back when I used to add a 165% for the summer...but nobody buys those anymore...

[Sanduskysailor]

Dr B, he's bought the 135. I take issue with some of your postulations. Even though the P-34 has a 12.5 E, the J is still 14 which means a lot of the power is derived from the jib.

"your boat is going to be slow down wind. Putting a 155 instead 135 isn't really going to make a significant difference unless you can pole it out, have the wind to fill it, and fly wing-and-wing. Even then your looking only at a small improvement. Strong winds will not really make a 155 better than a 135 as the boat can only gos fast as it's hull speed will dictate. Putting more cloth up isn't adding to speed. The only time a 155 will help is in very light winds,"

Really? So if you are going dead downwind on a windward/leeward what do you thing the apparent wind will be in 12 knots true wind?? The 155 will make a big difference. There's got a be a reason why those spinnakers are so big.

However the issue with using a 155 upwind is more dramatic. A 155 is going to be harder to trim, tack, and will back wind your main. If your in the race and the wind pipes up, you better have a lot of bodies on the rail to even have a chance of minimizing weather helm or you will need to constantly trim the main/155 to get the boat to sail well.

I can't believe you are saying this. Harder to tack? So what, that's racing. Backwind the main, uh you need to look at your sail trim, main cut, and jib car positioning. Depower? Ever hear of vang sheeting or reefing.

Your advice might be even close to accurate if you had a powered up frac rigged boat with a big main like a eh J105 or if you were sailing in a venue that has flat water when the wind picks up. Pounding upwind in chop in 12-15 apparent (8-11knots true) you will wish you had that 155%.

Heh, if he were racing in my fleet I'd be all for him getting the 135%.