Weather Helm

[malcb]

As some of you may know my boat does at time exhibit avery strong tendancy towards excessive weather helm.

A Virgo Voyager could have one of two mast options. Mine has the option of the Pioneer mast. The Pioneer is a 26 foot boat whereas mine is a 23 foot boat. So I carry more sail than standard. This does mean that in light winds I do manage to sail faster than a standard Virgo.

However, it does mean that I do have to put in reef 2 at F4 and consider the second reef at between F5 and F6.

I cannot move the mast forward or backwards.

I have played around with the mainsheet, whilst using the Autohelm to steer. It is obvious that has I harden up the weather helm increases (the Autohelm moves the tiller to windward, to stop the boat rounding up). If slacken the mainsheet the Autohelm moves the tiller to a more central, neutral, position.

Is there anything else I can do.

[NigeL]

Mmmmm you know that SA is bad as well - plus I have that daft offset rudder blade.

I kept easing main etc. as you describe ... then I bit the bullet and said sod it - I'll start reefing BOTH genny and main together ... not one more than other ... bingo ! I couldn't believe the improvement ...

I reckon it has something to do with when genny is unreefed the centre of effort is aft ... reef it and it moves fwd pushing the bow off-wind. Reefing the main also mean less pressure to round up ... I also found that I could sheet nicely and keep balanced without mains luff flopping around !

It all seemed to be opposite to what I expected !!

Jim and Steve watched SA go when we left Newport with Tom ... I reefed her properly and she took off like a good'un ... certainly didn't need the engine to keep up with or edge past Jim in Bluey ... which was not normal !!

[malcb]

So...
Probably first reef in main at F4. As the wind builds, start reefing the genny, then as it increases another reef in the main, finally pull in the genn even more.

I'll try that.

[searush]

Other options could include raking the mast a little forward or a short bowsprit. But Reefing the Genoa & main together could be a good idea, as stated, the CofE of both sails will move forward & most of the genoa area lost will be overlap anyway.

[NigeL]

searush said:

Other options could include raking the mast a little forward or a short bowsprit. But Reefing the Genoa & main together could be a good idea, as stated, the CofE of both sails will move forward & most of the genoa area lost will be overlap anyway.

Thats how I imagine it working ... When looking at various sails for boats before furling - the emphasis was on reducing CofE aft in the sails ... on some the apsect ratio increased dramatically ... still tall but short in the foot.

For now I reef both together ... if I tak in a bit of main - genny comes in as well ... as SA will never race, despite Searider sales Sheet showing a Sunrider with race number on her !!, I reckon balanced sailing is worth more than fighting the helm !!

Thinking about the sales sheet and picture - the genny she has in that is MASSIVE .... the clew comes right back literally to cockpit winches ! That must be one hell of a sail to look after on such a boat ..........