Ultimate upwind efficiency

Greenheart

Greenheart

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Still sitting here, pondering what dinghy I'll launch and spend most of next summer aboard...

I remember regularly enjoying the long beat against the south-westerly, from Bosham Quay down to East Head (about five miles) almost as much as the effortless, speedy run back at the end of the day.

Still...it was frustrating, seeing faster classes of dinghy streaking ahead, practically heading right into the eye of the wind as it seemed, while I steered countless flat tacks and cursed every aspect of the boat's design.

Who was it who said the trouble with yachting is that one only ever seems to be sailing upwind?

Plenty of dinghies seem designed with extreme downwind performance in mind. I think I read that the Soling keelboat manages its Portsmouth Yardstick rating of around 914 (not far behind the 505) not by being light or specially quick downwind, but by extraordinary efficiency 'uphill'.

Considering how much sailing seems not to involve those sparkling high speed downwind sequences which photographers love, I'm looking for a design that can slice easily and rapidly upwind. I don't mind at all if the broad reach isn't electrifying.

Any recommendations?
 
For upwind speed (but not that exciting downwind) and International canoe is the business, for both up and down speed an International 14 is quite effective. Planing boats will not point as high but go so fast they make up for it.
 
Planing boats will not point as high but go so fast they make up for it.
Click to expand...
that seems not bad !:)
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I've just added a 420 to the collection.

You might be surprised by how close winded the new generation catamarans are. Our F18 can out point many dinghies, apparent wind angles, extremely long, narrow daggerboards and all that.
 
Suggesting a dinghy is a little difficult without knowing the standard of the sailor in question. Granted a 49er, Foiling Moth, Int 14 etc all have the potential to get the OP to windward faster than the proverbial.... But if the OP was of a standard to sail such machines I somewhat doubt such a "which dinghy" post would have been necessary!

So - what was this current craft that had to tack so much? How many people do you want to carry - and what standard of sailing are they?
 
Hmm. Thank you for those thoughts.

I see that my personal dislike for impractical super-light super-fast downwind flyers, hasn't prevented their fans from speaking up! Fair enough; perhaps these skiff-styled rocketships are likewise windward winners.

But...I was thinking of the supreme sail/foil efficiency of older designs, rather than the low weight, high 'Velocity Made Good' principle which seems to be behind extreme rigs that atone for pointing less high, by sailing faster.

I'm sure I read that the Flying Dutchman trounced all other designs in the Olympic trial for selection, mainly because of its effortless upwind planing. It may be elderly, but it'd be quick enough for me, and has no rivals aesthetically!

My years sailing at Chichester were mainly in very little, very inefficient, kids' boats - Topper, Mirror, Bosun, Skipper 14; and my brief use of Contenders and beach cats in Australia was in locations where I couldn't judge my progress because I didn't know the place.

I expect almost any competitive, adults' class would be radically better than the boats I'm accustomed to. Having mainly sailed big AWBs in recent years, I want a dinghy that's easy on the eye, responsive but not untameable in a breeze, and doesn't make harder work than necessary of the upwind leg.

I'll be interested to know what Moth/Musto/RS700/I14/49er fans think of Seajet's recommendation of the classic Osprey...
 
Trouble is with heavy boats is the sheet loads when it gets breezy, the lighter the boat the easier it will plane and the sheet loads drop. I also think that you need to be fitter to sail a hiking boat than a trapeze boat. So the Viper looks like hard work for not great speed, and the Osprey although pretty needs all your strength to pull it up the slip and to get it planing will take some wind.

My 14 planes in around 7 knts.
 
If you fancy the Viper 640 check out some of the other sports boats /lifting keel types - dont need to hike em and some 'point' like crazy. list on my wish list includes;
RS elite ( seemed to point striaght into the wind :0))
Open 5.7
Projection 762
Seascape 18
Platu
Corby 25
Pacer 27
 
Hi,

I have a wooden mark 1 Gull and whilst it may not be the fastest dinghy on the water it is one of the kindest dinghies i have ever sailed.

I use mine in Southampton waters and have found her to be spacious, easy to handle both on the water and off and very forgiving. I often sail her single handed and have never been afraid. I know wooden boats need a little more tlc than GRP but they look better and theres nothing better than someone telling you your boat looks great.

Go get a gull and have fun
 
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