I hate my boat

[BarryL]

Hello,

So my wife, three kids and I are out for a short sail. We didn't have a lot of time, so the plan was get on the boat around 11:00AM, sail for two hours, then get home in time to do some chores.

The weather was just about perfect: temperature in the mid 70's, wind a pretty steady 10-13 kts, starting from the NNW and moving W as we sailed. We were enjoying the day, sailing with full main and 150 genoa. When the wind was 13 or so the boat heeled, but not too much. I was just starting to depower the main by using a lot of halyard tension, full outhaul, that sort of thing.

So why do I hate my boat? Well, at one point we were heading north, about 50 degrees off the apparent wind. The boat was moving well, about 5.5 kts and all were happy. Then I saw a boat behind us, about 500 yards and moving in the same direction. I recognized the boat from the marina, it's a very nice, very new Jenneau, about 36', furling main, 130 or so headsail. So he is on the same course as we are, and he's gaining. Hey, I don't want another boat to sail faster than me. So I have my wife and kids get on the weather rail. I trim the headsail until the telltails are streaming. Then I trim the main to match. The boat is moving a little faster, but the Jenneau just keeps getting closer and closer. I was doing everything I could to keep him behind me, but he just sailed faster and passed me. By this time we had to turn around anyway, so a few minutes later we tacked and headed back. Wouldn't you know the other boat tacked and sailed past me again on the way back to the marina!

Now I'm going to push my wife harder so next year we replace the 20 year old original Neil Pryde 150 genoa with a new headsail. And I will paint the bottom of the boat so I don't have so much growth. Maybe a folding prop to replace the fixed 3 blade and and and.....

In all seriousness, I like my boat but it burned me to have another, similar size boat, so completely outsail me.

Barry

[k1vsk]

O'days are generally considered to have good sailing speed. Don't be too concerned with similarly sized boats as they all have different hull configurations, e.g., flat bottom boats will sail faster in moderate wind but they have lots of undesirable characteristics in other conditions where you'd be much more comfortable in an O'day. Bette to compare your speed with another boat of similar hull design.
Having said that, something as simple as a folding or feathering prop makes a big difference as does a smooth hull, both of which could be the case with the boat you were watching.

[sailingdog]

I love doing that...finding a bigger boat and sailing past them...

[USCGRET1990]

...forget about speed and think about comfort...speed cost money and ain't all it's cracked up to be...

[sailhog]

Saying or writing, "I h--- my boat" is bad voodoo. Don't do it. I won't.

[USCGRET1990]

"Ditto"......................

[SanderO]

Might be a fouled versus a nice clean bottom too... that can slow a boat down.

Some boats perform differently in different points of sail and sea states.

Even helming can improve speed.

jef
sv shiva

[USCGRET1990]

If speed is a factor in your sailing life, get a race boat like Giu's, otherwise, sit back, relax, enjoy, who cares..?! Embrace Capt. Morgan..!

[teshannon]

You know, you reach a point in your life where speed is just not so important anymore. When I was younger I used to tweek the sails all the time to get more speed and keep that yahoo from passing me. Now I just sit back and enjoy the sail with only minimal sail adjustments. Don't miss out on the experience by always trying to be faster. Put your money into creature comforts instead and relax out there.

[Lancer28]

HAHAHA I've made some of my friends really mad by passing them in my boat. I've even ran the inboard and watched them get fried about me passing them in light winds with the 170 out (of course they had no idea we were running the inboard just above idle)...

Anyhow, don't sweat that stuff, I've seen a 79 Blackwater 22' cutter pass a 14' laser.... likewise, all hulls are built different - weights, drafts, and beams - all of that junk including keel design makes sailing at different points faster or slower - so don't kill yourself over it.