Sail advice

[mjcoon]

Very likely - there's a lot to be said for staying dry!

If you want to try it, you could rig up lee boards over each side which would allow you to experiment without hacking the boat apart

Set 'em up so you can use one at a time, and only put the windward one down, which will reduce the chances of getting wet as it lifts out of the water as the boat heels

Which reminds me of my Mother's misunderstanding of the dagger-board on my Enterprise dinghy. She thought it would act to stabilise me. I pointed out it was wooden, so acted as the opposite of a keel. And per "staying dry" comment above, when the board was down the lateral resistance allowed sailing into the wind, so long as the crew shifted... (Not sure she ever grasped that!)

 

[DownWest]

This what is nearly in the water, with a mizzen..

But does have a shallow keel, with some lead in it.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I had a Mirror rig on it at first, and the mast step was a foot further aft. Going about was more difficult, balance about the same, but performance was slower.
I keep a 20litre can of water in the bow as ballast, if I have crew I don't need it. Without it I miss stays a lot. Me moving for'd, or the ballast, gets the bow to bite and allows the rudder to push the stern round.....I think. She is dead level, same draft both ends. Newer rig here, then the mirror one;View attachment 138053View attachment 138052

Moving forward to aid a tack is counterintuitive. You want less of the forefoot submerged, so that there is less resistance to the change of direction.
As your boat seems to be so well balanced, it would be interesting to attempt rudderless manouvering, i.e lash the rudder and bring body/crew weight to leeward so as to make the curvature of the hull initiate the turn.
Your boat may sail very well under main only, in straight line, but I would hazard a guess that with that sail plan close quarter manoeuvering would be quite difficult, as one of the functions of the jib is to help move the bow through the wind when going about
Regarding the problem of the jib causing partial backfilling of the main: I experienced this when first becoming accustomed to my AWB. I took a bit of advice and refrained from sheeting my genoa in so tightly, which solved the problem. Perhaps you are sheeting in too tight, or your sheeting angle may need revision?

 

[fisherman]

All very true, except with the weight bias aft I could not tack at all, as you say, counterintuitive. Close quarter manoeuvres, with the long straight keel, near impossible. I resort to a paddle to haul the stern round. I used to sail a Hornet and Wayfarer, so I know what should be with a flat bottom and daggerboard.
With no ballast and no helm, sheet in and she sails as high as she will point (as high as a Wayf I was following, but with a lot of leeway in light airs). With ballast and no helm. she luffs up, so push the boom out and we're away after a length backwards.
It is, after all, a working boat built for racing under oars. Surprised she sails at all, but held up against some of the classics at Mousehole last week.

 

[MADRIGAL]

I'm nearly persuaded, look nice too.

It would indeed!