How do you optimize your upwind performance?

[Danny Jo]

If I wasn't the author of the questionnaire I would politely point out that it is flawed, because most of the options aren't about optimizing upwind performance so much as maintaining the boat and sails at a certain angle to the relative wind direction. But I was the author, so, hey, isn't it obviously a trick question?

With everything hard in, genoa sheeting angle spot on and tell-tales tickety-boo I sometimes feel that the boat isn't happy. So I play with the sheets, the vang and the outhaul and sail a bit freer, and wow, look, we've got another half knot or so. The original question hinges on how we decide whether that extra speed is getting us upwind any faster.

John Wilson's answer takes first prize (to be collected in person).

 

[bbg]

A modern integrated instrument system will tell you. If the wind and boat instruments are all tied in, and the system has the right software, all you do is set the mode to VMG and it will tell you your VMG towards the wind. So you will know whether cracking off a fraction and getting an extra half knot of boat speed is actually getting you upwind faster.

 

[michael_w]

Concentrate, concentrate; look at the jib? More like a hypnotic stare.

 

[Heckler]

Best post Ive read for ages, seriously!
Stu

 

[Aeolus_IV]

[ QUOTE ]
Concentrate, concentrate; look at the jib? More like a hypnotic stare

[/ QUOTE ]

The only way once you've tweaked and maximised you VMG is to focus only on the tell-tales. Failure to do so will see you miss a lift or header and lose ground.

I presume that if you're this intent on your windward performance that you are racing, aren't you?

Jeff.

 

[jimi]

Primarily tell tales and feel. However as already said wave direction important and also tidal flow if crossing , no point in pinching and crabbing sideways against the tide .. best to sail fast and free when tide against you

 

[Danny Jo]

[ QUOTE ]
I presume that if you're this intent on your windward performance that you are racing, aren't you?


[/ QUOTE ] No. But if I've got the choice of a 5 hour or a 6 hour bash to windward, I'll choose the 5 hour one. It's noticeable that when I'm "not racing" boats of a similar size going in the same direction, Freestyle seems to go upwind faster in spite (or perhaps because) of not pointing so high.

One of the main attractions for me when Freestyle came on the market was the promise of windward performance to match that of her sister ship "Sparkle II". Her owners had kindly given me the helm in a beat from Cowes to Lymington some years earlier; leaving two other boats that were apparently racing way behind (mind you, they had far too much sail up), I was totally smitten. Although Freestyle's windward performance is similar, I am a little disappointed not to have clicked with her in the same way as with Sparkle II. But then Freestyle has a skeg-hung rudder controlled by a wheel, whereas Sparkle has a balanced spade rudder controlled by a tiller. With a tiller it seems much easier to get a little more out of each gust and to bear away again on the lull before loosing too much way.

Gut feelings don't cut much ice with younger crew members, who may be inclined to dismiss them as an old man's ramblings, hence my desire to back them up with a bit of science.

When I'm on the helm nowadays I tend to spend the first half-hour or so on the lee side of the cockpit staring at the genoa tell-tales - thereafter it seems possible to stay in the groove with only an occasional squint at them (or perhaps by then I've just got bored).