To reef or not to reef

Slow_boat

Slow_boat

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 Sep 2005
Messages
15,101
Location
My own cosy little world where nice things happen
Visit site
I always reef as soon as I ask myself if I should so I was bashing up the Wallet channel into a force 5-6 with two reefs in the main and a roll in the genny and swmbo asleep below last week. Then I got passed by a Sadler 29 the same as mine, pointing higher, healing the same and carrying full sail!

How?

My genny is a good shape with a padded luff and the main, though a bit baggy, is quite nice when reefed. The bottom of my boat is clean.

What was I doing wrong?
 
Who knows ... set of sail ? distribution of weight in boat ? There are so many factors as well as just a matter of sq.area !

My boat is a motor-sailer and I usually carry full sail or nothing. Recent Riga Bay cruise - we reefed down genny and speed went up ! Usual is 5kts max ... when we saw speed hit 6.5kts - we looked at each other ... OK if that's what she wants ... lets play more ... we played with sheets, rolled more genny IN and we hit 7.3kts ...

Who knows ?
 
Might well have been stuffing the hell out of her.

something i tend to do when i don't want a reef in, point the hell out of the boat, Genny in bar tight and get the battened section of the main working and let the rest of the main just flap. keeps her nicely balanced and not too much a sacrifice in speed. maybe half a knot at worst.
 
Deeper keel... flater main..... more weight on the rail.... bigger cahoonas.....
 
Sounds like one reef too many in main for a competant seaboat like Sadler 29.
Do you mean ONE ONLY roll in the genoa, which would seem a tad unbalanced, or several in one go? Seem to remember you have small main [main/genoa size ratio] typical of that era, in which case the genoa provides most of the "pull" upwind ---when sails are balanced.
If you are underpowered when beating into a nasty Wallet type chop you will be set both back and sideways, regardless of keel type.

My boat, Varne 27, is ok in a "5" with a full main, fully flattened [I use old fashioned "flattening reef"], and 0-3 rolls in genoa depending how idle I'm feeling.
In a "6" I take a first reef [25%] in main with 3-6 rolls in genoa.

So yes, think you were overreefed for max. performance, but SWMBO had a comfortable sleep below.
 
I don't know which keel you have on your Sadler, but the fin-keel will sail much higher than the twin (and make less leeway). A Sadler 29 would normally sail better with a reef in anything over the top of force 4, so I expect your competitor had a good set of sails and was sailing well.

If you have the budget, a log which reads VMG (to windward) can be very helpful and you may well find that your natural course isn't actually the best. According to my meter I need to point higher than I would expect, and handle the helm very very gently. The important thing is to relax and let the boat do the work and not try to fight your way upwind; it doesn't work.

Alternatively, try some racing.
 
anyways SB, dont sweat it... he was probably running the engine, just to wind you up...
 
lizdu said:
My boat, Varne 27, is ok in a "5" with a full main, fully flattened [I use old fashioned "flattening reef"], and 0-3 rolls in genoa depending how idle I'm feeling.
In a "6" I take a first reef [25%] in main with 3-6 rolls in genoa.
Click to expand...

IMHO a boat which doesn't need to reef until F5 is simply under canvassed - and this is a weakness not a strength, as likely to need lots of motoring in F1 / F2 when a more generously canvased boat will be sailing fine. My ideal boat would need a reef at c 15 knots, to get down to a standard working canvas. Current boat nearly fills this bill.
So reef early and reef often can be FAST
 
Other things being equal, a larger boat will stand more wind than a smaller one. I remember seeing one designer quoted as saying that a cruising boat should be able to carry full working sail in 20 knots wind with no more than 20 degrees of heel. It would be more helpful if I could remember if he said true, or apparent wind; I suspect the latter.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I always reef as soon as I ask myself if I should so I was bashing up the Wallet channel into a force 5-6 with two reefs in the main and a roll in the genny and swmbo asleep below last week".

Sounds fine to me, don't change a thing.
 
If you were comfortable doing your own thing just continue that way. There is a lot more to sailing than trying to squeeze an extra half knot to windward. Some of us actually do it for enjoyment on our own terms.
 
The sheeting angle for the genoa is a critical factor in these conditions. I presume you have a genoa car to adjust it? If you have the right car position for a close hauled full genoa, it will be the wrong car position for a close hauled, partly rolled genoa - there'll be too much twist in it and a boat with a properly set genoa will pass you. This year I had my fill of trying to adjust the genoa car position without tacking to relieve the pressure, and installed a car sheet so that I can winch it forward. Makes a big difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top