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Hotdogger on her ear. I was on the rail and my phone is not waterproof, so not much else from me.

Looks like loads of rudder angle. 

What was the wind speed and sail plan? If she was over like that a lot, I wonder if more twist in the main, or a reef may have been faster.

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That would have meant going forward.

You damn lazy cruiser you.

To put more twist in the main you pull the traveller up, and let the mainsheet out. No need to go forward at all. It spills the top of the mainsail off, so there is less healing force. (the traveller was right down in that photo, which is why I mentioned it, more productive than talking about politics)

You can also crank on the backstay, that pulls the forestay tighter, which helps pointing, but on a fractional rig boat, cranking the backstay on bends the mast more, flatenning out the mid section of the main (less depth, less power), the less power bit makes for easier handling, less rudder angle and more speed.

 

All without leaving the cockpit BP (and potentially all without getting off your arse).

 

If you twist the main out too much, the top just flaps and adds drag. That is a clear sign you will go faster if you put a reef in. To do that may actually required getting up and expending physical exertion.

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But you assume i have traveller controls and backstays. Since we dont go upwind (no self respecting cruiser does) i decided the traveller never really got touched anyway so took them off and now i can't stub my toes on them. The boat came without backstays and who am I to argue with John Spencer?

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But you assume i have traveller controls and backstays. Since we dont go upwind (no self respecting cruiser does) i decided the traveller never really got touched anyway so took them off and now i can't stub my toes on them. The boat came without backstays and who am I to argue with John Spencer?

Does the BP even have a tiller?

I thought all the smart cruisers have a remote control on the autopilot so you can change course without getting up from the sun lounger.

I was referring to the tiller the the photo posted by Lizaloni, but now you mention it, wouldn't BP go upwind like a demon? good tall efficient rig and plenty of slots to play with?

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The tiller is tied up on the back bit in case we ever have a steering problem.

 

Uphill we don't have the beam to really power up. A good description would be we go upwind like a 45 ft boat but reach and run like a 70 ft boat

 

You should stop by one day and have a look. I'm trying to convince Angela to do the cruising race at Easter but it is a hard sell. She thinks racing is stupid and other boats nearby make her nervous.

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The mainsheet wasn't being operated by the regular mainsheet trimmer because he wasn't there  :oops:

There isn't much structure there - you're looking at a rope bag :-) 

 

David! you took my traveler system off BP?!?!  But I used all those blocks and bits of string you'd taken off the Ark...  :roll:

 

Can confirm that BP goes like a 70 footer downhill - very exciting going mining too! 

 

We'll see you in Kawau then  :thumbup:

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Looks like loads of rudder angle.

What was the wind speed and sail plan? If she was over like that a lot, I wonder if more twist in the main, or a reef may have been faster.

Winds 25+NE, #1 and full main due to a 4min30s late start (no excuses as to why we were holding that sail plan at this late point). We were doing 9.5+kts boat speed with this setup sooo, yeah, doing okay regardless!

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^

 

we did get a reef in not long after that

 

as the rail-meat reported that the top half of the main was doing nuttin!

 

the brainstrust later reported back

 

that the helm had apparently lightened considerably

 

and zig-zagging the rolling NE swell became easier 

 

but we may have dropped a 1/4 knot? 

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