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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 6:35 am 
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Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 7:36 am
Posts: 59
I'm set up with the sidestays in the second hole, jib halyard tension tight, and in a 10 kt wind the crew on the wire (when needed). Two great starts last night in the club races but notice that the competetion is 5 to 10 degrees higher than I am with the same speed. The course on our lake is relativly small so there is not enough distance to foot for speed and make up enough distance on the "pointers"
How do you guys have your boats set up to point?. It probably cost me at least one if not both races.
Thanks,
John


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 Post subject: Mast Rake etc.
PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:14 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Judge your mast rake by the distance between the mainsheet blocks and the boom blocks when fully sheeted. You should be touching or nearly touching the blocks together. This works as a guide regardless of the type of blocks you have. The idea is to get as much rake as possible to point highest.

Add tell tails to the sail leach at about 3/4 way up. These should indicate whether you are sheeted correctly. Try to have the tell tails alternate between flowing aft and hooking around the leach. If they flow aft at all times, you are under sheeted. If they hook around to the leeward side at all times, you are over sheeted. Biggest mistake is to over sheet and stall. Allow the boat to attain boat speed before coming up closer to the wind. Coming up too high too soon can also stall the boat.

There are a few tips shown in our support section. One is a telltail placement suggestion. This one shows tell tails over hanging the leach. Many people put them right on the leach edge:

Image

Check the jib sheet tension and tack hole attachment point. Adjust the tack attachment to open up the "slot" between the main and jib. The jib leach should have a similar curve as the main luff where they overlap.


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 Post subject: mast rake
PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:21 am 
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Is there a relationship between crew weight and mast rake for pointing higher, both absolute and the distribution of the crew weight?


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 Post subject: Rake and Crew weight?
PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:52 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Absolutely!

More rake is better for pointing in most conditions.

Image

Other than in ultra light winds, crew weight on a 16 should be together (standing / sitting close). Generally aft on the 16 as the wind picks up. You can drive the bows down a little, but as the wind picks up you need to move aft. In high winds the team should trapeze at the rear of the side bar. Often the skipper has his aft foot on the hull rail behind the trampoline.


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 Post subject: mast rake
PostPosted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:36 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:48 am
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should you use less mast rake for a heavy total crew weight?


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 Post subject: Less rake?
PostPosted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:38 am 
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Less rake = more power... More weight? Possibly less rake, but less rake is less pointing ability. It is a balance.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 1:33 am 
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Waking up this old thread, I have been having the same problems this weekend, lack of pointing ability with a heavy (365 pounds) team. My question is, once set up mast rake and sheeted in, how do you steer for pointing high with respect to your telltales? Leeward flowing, windward slightly up (this is what I used to do) or windward practically stalled (almost straight up) while leeward still flowing (what I would have to do in order to point higher)?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 10:01 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
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Location: Detroit, MI
You've got the sailtrim right (Leeward flowing, windward slightly up) for pointing, but 365# is going to keep you from pointing as high.

With that much weight on the boat, you need to foot to gain more power. Power=speed=pointing ability.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:03 pm 
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MBounds, what is the exact meaning of "to foot" in sailing? Does it refer to point less higher and thus obtain more speed? How does this provide pointing ability?

The funny thing is we were a little bit faster than the other (lighter) teams downwind, but on the upwind part we lost quite a lot, especially against the ones pointing high.

What other things are important for heavy guys upwind with light to moderate air? We had the mast raked a little less back than block to block and tightened the downhaul only to get out the wrinkles.

Or do we need to get a bigger boat ? :o


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 Post subject: Faster downwind?
PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 2:19 pm 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Faster downwind? Must be all technique.

Footing is, as you described, sailing a little lower to get speed. Once you have speed, you can head up again (SLOWLY!) and point higher. If you loose speed and still try to point, you end up crabbing sideways some. Foot and then point again. Gotta find the best track.

More mast rake if you cannot keep the boat flat. Watch your crew position on the rail. I think a lot of people trap too far forward. You have to move back and forth depending on boat speed. Further aft as you speed up... even up wind. Driving the bow down doesn't work well on the 16 going up wind.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2005 2:29 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2004 6:39 am
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Location: Finger Lakes, NY
Don't forget, none of this works if you don't pay attention to the changes in the wind direction and speed. :wink: So, from the man who brought you the sailors saying: "red, right, returning" we bring you another saying: "head up in the puffs, head off in the lulls" 8)

And most of all, HAVE A HOBIE DAY !

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The fact that this windy world is largely covered in water obviously means that man was meant to sail.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:21 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:47 pm
Posts: 614
Location: San Diego
Pointing on a H-16 is also affected by boat trim. Bow down, weather hull just skimming the water, rudders adjusted with just a little tow in, tramp tight, pylons tight (loose boats are just slower). The age of your sails, especially your jib will also affect speed and pointing. Remember, the boats may have started one design, but age, sunlight, wear and tear change everything. Keep with it, it will get easier.


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