What gives a boat 'height'?

Originally posted by Isis I dissagree with Mr Sparrow about the twist. A lack of height is usualy a sign of too much twist. The upper telltail on the main leach should be streaming about 70-80% of the time depending on the boat and conditions. Trimming for max speed does not give you your best VMG upwind. If the crew is on the wire then I assume you are fairly powered up - were you dumping power at all? (easing the sheet)

Yes but I was making a big guess on limited info. And just suggesting a little more twist, still keeping a little hook so you can point. It sounded like the top was over hooking and stalling from the original post. But if the wind strength is dropping you have the impression that the crew should be on the wire from earlier sailing out, so it's possible that you are thinking, keep the main pinned in to keep the crew on the wire and stalling everything and ending up dropping off to leeward. Ease the sheet slightly, go a bit faster, get flow on the foils and then squeeze back up a bit. But like you said without see things it's a difficult call.

The leach line you refer to on the jib should be as loose as possible while preventing leach flutter. On a well made new sail you shouldnt need to touch it.

A lack of height could be any number of things and its impossible to give a decent answer without seeing the boat on the water. That not being possible here the next best option is to try and get some sail trim shots for us (Camera on the centreline looking up at the sails)

You said you are down on height but you havent said anything about speed.. are there any other vagos to compare against?

I dissagree with Mr Sparrow about the twist. A lack of height is usualy a sign of too much twist. The upper telltail on the main leach should be streaming about 70-80% of the time depending on the boat and conditions. Trimming for max speed does not give you your best VMG upwind.

If the crew is on the wire then I assume you are fairly powered up - were you dumping power at all? (easing the sheet)


Edited by Isis

oversheeting the jib can cause the boat not to point, you need to have a decent slot shape between the main and jib.

Dan

Easing off the sheet tension a little sounds a reasonable idea then, I take it it wasn't blowing hard when you weren't pointing?

Originally posted by Jack Sparrow Sounds to me like you have been sailing in conditions with a bit of wind shear. And you need to sail with a little more twist. Let the kicker off and the top have of the sail won't stall so much. Is the main top leach tell tail streaming?

I'm pretty sure they we're streaming. I've been controlling
the leach tension with main rather than kicker when the
boom's been on the center line. Perhaps I've been cranking
it in too tight?