close-hauled course

had some nice rides at the weekend and i tried some of your suggestions. the caps thing really helped but the thing that really helped in pointing higher was setting the jib higher! it´s amazing how much that changed! i´ll try out next weekend the mast rake but the jib setting was the problem i think. and there is really a difference between the hyde and the p&b main.

Pippa

I assume you're set up to the class tuning guide?

http://www.420sailing.org.uk/docs/uploaded/GenTuningGuide.ht m

You then need to get the jib setting correctly with the main - two boat tuning is probably the fastest way to get the right settings (then remember to mark the positions so you can go back to them.

I'm not a 14 sailor so I know little but a new main may mean something has changed which means the boom is not coming in as far as it used to.  Is the leach longer so that the strop needs shortening or if you have boom sheeting its the bridle at the stern.  Remember the main should come in and then the last bit of the main sheet should then pull down, thus tightening the leach.  You will go fast but not point if this isn't right.

If youve got a new main try heading up until your jib luffs and see how high you are in relevance - this should show whether the new main is causing the problems or whether its your settings! Try checking your rake it should be within 8m 20cm to 7m 90cm, check out http://www.i14.org/boat/training2.html

and hyde sails website to see if they have got any different tips!, remember - point high, = slow but high duh , or step of the wind slightly move back slightly on the wing and the boat will go one hell of alot faster but no where near as high. The best idea is to pinch (basically luffing in gusts - main hardly in use in strong winds when doin this) on the start line to get away or to make a layline - and once in clear air bring the bow off the wind keep her flat and on the plane!

This mainly depends on conditions the guide above is for basically when theres enough wind to twin!

And heres the pic spot of the res when the wind died on wednesday!!

m_liddell i can tell you if you forget your mastrake you have already lost! i was trying many different rakes untill we got our new main and now the thing starts again! should buy a nice little book to write all your numbers inside!
stefan, with my point of view i meant i´m crewing and so i concentrated on the main as it was very shifty and i only saw some times that everything looks ok. helm tells me he can´t go any higher, so i believe in him but there is defenitley something wrong!
granite we have now a new p&b fat-head main. before that one we had thise orange hyde sails. and i just don´t have a clue where all this speed comes from! was the first regatta of the year and before that we hadn´t much time for sailing due to illness and bad conditions. the conditions were normal for the mountain lakes in bavaria. a moderate breeze between 1bft and 3bft very shifty and turns of the wind within 45° (hope that sounds reasonable in english!)