Optimum Crew weight??

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd But Hannah, you don't need to be able to handle all the possible pressure on the sails. You can always ease things or pinch. That means you are slower upwind, but a lighter crew/helm is also faster downwind. So the question of what the optimum crew weight is depends on how much slower upwind versus how much quicker downwind, which is not at all simple to work out from a theorectical perspective.

If anyone has had the pleasure of a training session with Adam Bowers he explains it quite well.

He uses the concept on 'units' These are completely arbitrary and vary from sailor to sailor and from boat to boat.

Basicaly when you are at 20 units the boat is fully powered, you are fully hiked and the boat is going the fastest that is possibly can on the given point of sail.

If you have less than 20 units you should be trying to power the boat up, using the gust to gain ground etc..

More than 20 units you need to start depoering using vang, cunningham, outhaul and feathering the sails. His way of putting it was that if you have more than 20 units you need to spill the required number of units to bring you back down because you are not going to go any faster!

That is a very very brief summary of a 2 hour or so talk about it.

Paul

But Hannah, you don't need to be able to handle all the possible pressure on the sails. You can always ease things or pinch. That means you are slower upwind, but a lighter crew/helm is also faster downwind. So the question of what the optimum crew weight is depends on how much slower upwind versus how much quicker downwind, which is not at all simple to work out from a theorectical perspective.

I agree with Nick, in that the optimum weight follows whoever happens to be leading in that particular class at the time.  i guess there should really be a formula for adding in all the variables and ending up with a preferable optimum weight for each boat. But unless ur sailing olympic classes where the vast majority tends to be top of the game then really optimum crew weights count for very little in comparison to sailing ability.
On that note though, i do seem to remember there being something about sail carrying power in relation to crew weights in the mighty bible bethwaite book...hmmmm, me thinks im gonna go have a read!

I was wondering if anybody has ever tried to predict what the optimum crew weight would be for a dinghy based on the sail area and the Beam (or righting moment).  I have been looking at some of the classes and the relationship is not as clearly defined as you would think. 

Anyone got any comments  or am I just a bit sad and I should get out of the office more??