Improving the performance of my 36 foot, GRP, production, sailboat.

[Ian_Rob]

Other than changing the skipper - what one change would you make to my boat to make her perform better (sail faster and closer to the wind, etc) and what performance increase might be expected from making that change? She is just over 5 years old with the original, production mainsail & genoa, adjustable (but not cockpit-adjustable) cars, non-adjustable backstays, self-polishing antifouling......

 

[jwilson]

New genoa.....

 

[BAtoo]

And a new main,

and get the rig set up properly,

and a folding/feathering propeller.

So that's best part of £10K gone..................

Take all of the unnecessary weight off the boat (that's free)

Next winter make sure the bottom is a smooth as a baby's.....(that might be another £1k or so....)

Go club racing & practice (most clubs have a Cruiser Class race series, often no spinnakers)

 

[FullCircle]

Take every piece of weight out of the boat.

....and a new main. With Cunningham.

Rig checked for correct tension/rake etc.

Towable genoa cars.
Backstay adjustment block arrangement

Faired off hull.

 

[BAtoo]

keep up at the back...........

 

[FullCircle]

keep up at the back...........

If its good advice, expect it twice..... in the same minute.

 

[johnalison]

I agree with the good advice given:

Folding prop - about 1/4 - 1/2 knot

Laminate jib - about 10 degrees made good to windward in anything of a blow.

 

[alant]

And a new main,

and get the rig set up properly,

and a folding/feathering propeller.

So that's best part of £10K gone..................

Take all of the unnecessary weight off the boat (that's free)Next winter make sure the bottom is a smooth as a baby's.....(that might be another £1k or so....)

Go club racing & practice (most clubs have a Cruiser Class race series, often no spinnakers)

I think the OP covered that when contemplating "changing the skipper".

PS, the bottom needs some roughness, to go faster, so not sure what baby's you 've been looking at.

 

[TangaraToo]

Add a dinghy sailor to the crew.

 

[Lakesailor]

Get rid of drag and improve the prop



like this

 

[Twister_Ken]

Race, on someone else's boat who does well, and look at what they do when it comes to sail trim.

Learn how to cheat foul tides and take advantage of fair ones.

Sail the shortest distance through the water.

Look outside the boat - especially for new wind.

Mark halyards, sheets, control lines, etc so that when you've found the right position for speed in a set of conditions, you can note it down, and replicate it next time.

Do you have an easily controllable mainsheet traveller? If not, consider fitting one. It's a primary control and one often neglected.

Fit an adjustable backstay, esp if it's fractionally rigged, and has a bendy mast.

 

[npf1]

See if you can get the boat's polars, so at least you'll have a good idea when you're doing things right.

 

[FullCircle]

See if you can get the boat's polars, so at least you'll have a good idea when you're doing things right.

Is that for bearing away?

 

[Biggles Wader]

Is that for bearing away?

Only if you are content with grisly performance.Never get round the Koala peninsula that wat.

 

[michael_w]

Measure everything before you start to fiddle with the rig. That way you'll have a base to note your changes.

New rags always helps as does taking everything and I mean everything out of the boat.

 

[30boat]

A few G&Ts and you won't care...

 

[Ian_Rob]

I recall just how well she sailed up Southampton Water the first day we had her with new sails and without the additional weight that we have since accumulated.

I am sure new sails would help but laminate seems very expensive - though the idea of being able to sail 10 degrees closer to the wind is very appealing.

What performance increase might one expect from having adjustable back-stays? Is it speed or the ability to sail closer to the wind or what?

Towable Cars would be nice but having researched this the present track would have to be replaced so not a cheap option.

I also interested in the idea of better fairing. My keel/hull junction is very sharp with just an approx 10mm radiussed, mastic fairing. Obviously, the density of water is different to air but if it was a wing/fuselage junction it would ideally be very much more faired than it is.

Everybody's thoughts much appreciated.

PS As an aside, does a hull benefit from not being perfectly smooth - in the same way that the roughness of a sharks skin contributes to its hydrodynamic efficiency?

 

[Twister_Ken]

PS As an aside, does a hull benefit from not being perfectly smooth - in the same way that the roughness of a sharks skin contribute to its hydrodynamic efficiency?

Each argument has its exponents. Me, I'm a mirror finish believer. Spent too many hours wet&drying to be otherwise. But there are those who argue the slight- roughness-creates-a-boundary-layer proposition. I believe the Olympic dinghies were smooth.

 

[bitbaltic]

What performance increase might one expect from having adjustable back-stays? Is it speed or the ability to sail closer to the wind or what?

Towable Cars would be nice but having researched this the present track would have to be replaced so not a cheap option.

An adjustable backstay lets you play with forestay tension in light airs (to optimize headsail performance) but basically it is for flattening the main in strong winds thus to delay reefing as long as feasibly possible. This is not really of much practical use to the cruising sailor.

The towable cars are nice but are only a performance advantage in that it is easier and safer to make multiple adjustments in heavier weather. In steady winds they have no advantage over basic cars set right in the first place.

I'd say dump all unnecessary weight and make sure you have a proper traveller which is a huge performance plus. If you have one of those AWB coachroof mounted main sheets though, it's unlikely you can do much to upgrade the traveller.

Cheers

 

[onesea]

I recall just how well she sailed up Southampton Water the first day we had her with new sails and without the additional weight that we have since accumulated.

As you say start by ditching weight, makes a big difference. Also optimize what you do carry heavy low and midships, lighter towards the ends.

If she sails better a bit more buy the bow or stern, move the heavy stuff bit further forward/ back.

How old/used are your sails? You can expect afew percent from them but unless racing Laminates that last 5 years? Are they really worth it?

As for smooth bottom if you are prepared to put the work in yes I am sure it helps. Then you have to keep it that way cleaning it regularly...

A fast boat takes allot of time and effort (or money to pay some one else to do it). If you are really intent on improving performance, before spending all your time/ money on a trying to turn a regular ford fiesta into XR2.

Why not just buy a faster boat?