Going downwind.

[Allan]

We are definitely cruising sailing but would like some advice from racers. Going downwind we normally goose wing with genoa or gennaker and main. I believe most of you racers gybe across the wind as that's faster overall. I'd like to try gybing downwind this year to see which I prefer. What sort of angle off the wind would most people start at?
Boat is a Starlight 35 (standard keel) recent fully battened main and very good 150% Genoa.
Allan

 

[AllWinds]

I think this is boat and conditions dependant. Pure displacement boats are likely to be better sailing deeper or straight downwind. Planing or semi displacement hulls will probably be able to sail a better VMG downwind by gybing. Windspeed, water state, sail plan and hull shape all play a role into determining which option is best.

 

[flaming]

We are definitely cruising sailing but would like some advice from racers. Going downwind we normally goose wing with genoa or gennaker and main. I believe most of you racers gybe across the wind as that's faster overall. I'd like to try gybing downwind this year to see which I prefer. What sort of angle off the wind would most people start at?
Boat is a Starlight 35 (standard keel) recent fully battened main and very good 150% Genoa.
Allan

Depends on wind speed.

The stronger the wind, the narrower the gybe angle. Flying kites I'm doing 140TWA in 6 knots, 160 in 9 knots, 170 in 14 knots, as low as I dare in 18, then come back to 155-160 over 20 knots as I'm on the plane at that point.

However, with a genoa on a Starlight, I'd be pointing almost DDW with the Genoa poled out from about 8 knots. Simply because a roller furler genoa, which will have a much heavier cloth weight than my J1, will not be very efficient sailing deep angles in light breezes, but will be ok when supported by the pole. With your Gennaker, you should be sailing roughly the same angles as me in the light, but over about 14 knots you'll probably be better DDW with the poled out Genoa.

 

[Laser310]

A jib to leeward - even poled out to leeward - will not have better downwind vmg than wing on wing

Angles will be quite bad and progress downwind will be frustratingly slow

Without a spinnaker, what you are doing is the fastest way to get downwind

One thing you could try when wing on wing , and maybe you are already doing it, is to head up a bit and put the jib by the lee. This will probably be faster than straight down wind. You will need to adjust the pole fore and aft as well as up and down to get the most out of this

Boat speed and vmg will both be better, but if your destination is ddw you will have to gybe and that takes time

 

[John_Silver]

On a strictly displacement Rassy 310, with the choice of a fractional 105% genny or an asymmetric (which amounts to a masthead 150% genny), both of which I can pole; the rhumb line, shortest route, always seems to win out. Certainly over a day’s passage. It worked for Jean Le Cam, in the 2020 Vendée, and I’ve been sticking to the strategy ever since! With faster passage times, but lower peak speeds……

 

[Birdseye]

We are definitely cruising sailing but would like some advice from racers. Going downwind we normally goose wing with genoa or gennaker and main. I believe most of you racers gybe across the wind as that's faster overall. I'd like to try gybing downwind this year to see which I prefer. What sort of angle off the wind would most people start at?
Boat is a Starlight 35 (standard keel) recent fully battened main and very good 150% Genoa.
Allan

My last boat as a Starlight 35 and I raced it on a similar basis to you. It was definitely faster to sail downwind rather than tack - the boat was to heavy and too cruisey to gain enough speed off the wind to make up for the extra distance sailed.


Lovely boat - wish I had kept it but it was getting too heavy for my old body. Bought another Steven Jones to replace it - a Sadler 290. Excellent performance for a 29ft bilgie