How High Can You Sail ?

[Neo]

I don't seem to be able to sail any higher than 53° off the wind. This observation is based on viewing a season of my GPS tracks on a chart plotter (OpenCPN). I have been sailing an Olson 25 and J24 in and out of Boston Harbor. I don't think it has to do with tide or currents because they are coming and going and my pointing ability has been consistently mediocre.

Is it because I'm sailing a smaller boat into the chop of the harbor, combined with normal leeway. Or is it just because I am a poor pointer? MY other excuse is an old stretched out main.

What's your experience?

[sailstoo]

Good question, not an easy answer. A full keeled boat with old baggy sails will probably tack through 110-120' +/- apparent. An AC Class boat with crispy sails can probably tack through 75-80' apparent...maybe less. Your experience will vary with boat design (fin keel, inboard shrouds v. full keel outboard shrouds) and sail material/condition (new aramids/old dacron). J24's are good pointing machines and with crispy sails, the genoa up, and a capable driver should tack through 80 - 90' apparent and easily point to <=45' on a tack. Chop could be an issue as is windspeed. Leeway not.

[daddle]

Old genoa? Cruisers should check out the nice flat genoa on this SC70. This is what a good new sail looks like. This flatness is what it takes to point. This is how one prevents excessive helm. (c) Sharon Green

[zeehag]

my sails are baggy .my boat dont point. dont need to point. it sails. isnt a setter or a pointer-- she sails. love the wind--more the better.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Neo

I don't seem to be able to sail any higher than 53° off the wind. This observation is based on viewing a season of my GPS tracks on a chart plotter (OpenCPN). I have been sailing an Olson 25 and J24 in and out of Boston Harbor. I don't think it has to do with tide or currents because they are coming and going and my pointing ability has been consistently mediocre.

Is it because I'm sailing a smaller boat into the chop of the harbor, combined with normal leeway. Or is it just because I am a poor pointer? MY other excuse is an old stretched out main.

What's your experience?

Do you have any pictures?

Is your hull clean?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Neo

I don't seem to be able to sail any higher than 53° off the wind. This observation is based on viewing a season of my GPS tracks on a chart plotter (OpenCPN). I have been sailing an Olson 25 and J24 in and out of Boston Harbor. I don't think it has to do with tide or currents because they are coming and going and my pointing ability has been consistently mediocre.

First of all, measuring your angle to the wind by looking at GPS tracks is not the way to go. You won't be able to differentiate between leeway and true pointing ability. Far better just to use a compass, and measure the differential in degrees between being close-hauled on each tack.

There are two kinds of people in world of sailing noobs: pinchers and footers. You're going to be one or the other, and either way you won't improve your pointing ability until you learn how to put one of your boats in its groove. It should be easy to get the polars for either the O25 or J24, and if you'll teach yourself to sail the polars you'll quickly cure yourself of being a pincher or footer. Otherwise, you can try sailing where you maximize VMG (Velocity Made Good) on your GPS.

Understand that the polars assume crisp sails and a full crew. If you're sailing singlehanded and I've got crew on the rail, I will outpoint you. Period. Keeping the boat upright is a huge part of pointing.

Finally, you'll never point well until you can sail fast. The same nuances of sail trim that allow you to sail faster than a rival boat will help you out-point that boat. If you haven't learned how to move your draft forward, or control twist, or flatten your sails, or keep a clean leech, et cetera, the boat won't point as well as if an experienced sailor was trimming.

[daddle]

This high...

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by daddle

This high...

Sure there wasn't a bit of current up your butt? Like about 2 knots?

[daddle]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Sure there wasn't a bit of current up your butt? Like about 2 knots?

No significant current. Perfect sails. Perfect slick bottom. Perfect trim. Cruising boat set-up by a racer (No potted basil hanging from the bimini, no BBQ). And if you look close you can see the brilliant helmsman is tacking on the shifts.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by daddle

No significant current. Perfect sails. Perfect slick bottom. Perfect trim. Cruising boat set-up by a racer (No potted basil hanging from the bimini, no BBQ). And if you look close you can see the brilliant helmsman is tacking on the shifts.

Yeah.
That potted basil kills a good tack.
But no BBQ?
What's the point of sailing if you don't have a BBQ bolted to the rail?

Heresy.

[zeehag]

basil just falls overboard anyway--- but the bbq is great for whenyer line catches a fishie...oh but the fishie would slow ye down....dang--what is thepoint of sailing iffn ye cant hook and boat a decent fishie??????

[daddle]

Originally Posted by Bash

What's the point of sailing if you don't have a BBQ bolted to the rail?

I'm friendly, as in I make friends easily. Friends have the BBQ, and the spare parts, and the power tools, that I need from time to time. Otherwise the fish become sashimi, seveche, or pan fried. So heresy is no BBQ nearby.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by zeehag

what is thepoint of sailing iffn ye cant hook and boat a decent fishie??????

hard to say. it's been a loooooooong time since I had a boat slow enough to catch fish from.

[zeehag]

bash---i LOVE my sluggish brick--she dont point, she dont turn , but she is fiiine and takes a great lot of wind in her stride as if it were a whisper. i still wanna catch a dorado off her--i caught a bunch of bonita, a skipjack, a barracuda-- but no dorado...saw marlin swim by us, but not a dorado to be caught..... hhmmmmm

is ok for ye to sail circles around me----i will laugh and have fun!!!!

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by zeehag

basil just falls overboard anyway--- but the bbq is great for whenyer line catches a fishie...oh but the fishie would slow ye down....dang--what is thepoint of sailing iffn ye cant hook and boat a decent fishie??????

BBQ for fish?!

BBQ for cat, the other white meat.