Better Pointing into the Wind

[Tomfoolery]

Don't really need to bother with a vang when you use two main sheets, either.

I usually only use one, with air blocks as the main system, but sometimes I use two, with the second either as a preventer, or mounted to eye straps on the rail as a twin sheet system.

[Newell]

I have used duel mainsheets, now use cabin top traveler, reinforced boom and 8:1 vang to control the main. My main is a Judy B, Hyde, well built sail, loose footed with a 4:1 outhaul, I can move boom windward of center with my traveler. I have also tried changing the angle of the genny by pulling in the clew with carabiners and lines to the jib cars (this method has a sailing name but I forget it).

Returning to my question about mast rake, I moved my mast forward so many years ago, I am surmising, I may have possibly handicapped all of the pointing features herein reported. McChesney of Blue Water Yachts instructs:

"We actually don’t use the angle method at all, it is very difficult to measure it accurately enough and is affected significantly by mast bend, not just rake. I prefer to use a plumb bob from the top of the mast down to the deck with the waterline stripe level to the world, this gives a consistent measurement for reference. The X should carry more rake than any other Mac because it tends to be VERY nearly neutral when sailing (almost no weather helm), if the mast is too far forward it will have lee helm which is bad for both safety and performance. If people think they need to move the mast up to nearly straight then they are likely masking a problem caused by bad sail shape or bad sail trim, they should be fixing the problem, not adapting to it."

So why am I seeing 62 Degrees to wind tack to tack? The X is a frustrating pointer but is my mast rake contributing to the problem?

[BOAT]

Don't really need to bother with a vang when you use two main sheets, either.

I usually only use one, with air blocks as the main system, but sometimes I use two, with the second either as a preventer, or mounted to eye straps on the rail as a twin sheet system.

Tom,

Dual mainsheets is the best way to do it but I do not know where I can attach them on the M boat. Do you think the genoa track is okay for that?

[Hamin' X]

The most important lesson that I had to learn when beginning to sail my , was to limit heel. Anything beyond 15- 20 degrees and you are making more leeway than headway. This means that you are trimmed to tight, or carrying too much sail. My sweet spot was about 15º.

An old salt once told me, "If you think that it's time to reef, you're too late." Just like flying an airplane, you have to stay ahead of the machine. If you are behind, you're in peril.

~Rich

[Neo]

Hmmm ... You guys have got me thinking.
Traveler to one side and Vang to the midship stanchion base (on the same side). This would be kind of an Offset Twin Mainsheet setup.

[Tomfoolery]

Don't really need to bother with a vang when you use two main sheets, either.

I usually only use one, with air blocks as the main system, but sometimes I use two, with the second either as a preventer, or mounted to eye straps on the rail as a twin sheet system.

Tom,

Dual mainsheets is the best way to do it but I do not know where I can attach them on the M boat. Do you think the genoa track is okay for that?

I don't see why not. If the tracks can't take that load, they're unlikely to take genoa loads during exciting sailing.