What boatspeed should I expect, as a percentage of True wind?

[GRIT]

Thanks Tupaia. I don't know how close we can point in very light winds, as we haven't had much opportunity to try.

In winds over 10 knots, 50 apparent seems to be our limit. I haven't had much time to test the sail yet, but I will try bringing the sheet inboard, if I can. The sail's pretty close to the shrouds at 50 degrees, so I doubt I can get much better.

The code 0 is too large to fit inboard of the shrouds, so I may have reached my practical limits for this sail. We'll keep experimenting, and let you know.

Thanks for the tips.

Paul.

[smj]

Originally Posted by GRIT

YES, and it took all I could all the gentlemanly power I could muster to take it down so my wife wouldn't wake up due to the noise.

Cheers.
Paul.

You’re a better husband than I!

[GRIT]

I'll let my wife know you said that. It should be worth something...
Cheers.
Paul.

[GRIT]

Nice video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59OpOVHWplQ

Showing his Leopard 45's performance in different conditions, and angles to the wind.

By the way: Those Raymarine instruments look fantastic.

Cheers.
Paul.

[jmh2002]

Paul, all this light wind sailing talk is great, but you know that at some stage we want to see a video of GRIT with the hammer down, in a decent breeze...



PS: drone footage of this would be great thank you very much

[GRIT]

JMH2002:

Sure, no problem. Just a drone? No proper helicopter footage?

I had a nice sail in 35 knots of wind, sailing at 15 with surfs to 20, until I came inshore a bit, with winds of 25 knots and sailing at 11, with surfs to 15, on my way to Palm beach from Ft Pierce (about 45 miles) Florida. But the winds were at 180, and I was sailing with just the reefed mainsail and a reefed jib. You can't showcase much with the winds at 180 AWA. Keep in mind, I was going against the gulf stream too, so you can likely add 2-3 knots to the "through the water" speed.

The speed showing is SOG, I was single handing, and not trying to sail particularily fast.

It was my first time ever sailing that fast, (on autopilot too) so I was paying too much attention to the boat to video. I did eventually think about video, and filmed a few minutes at 12 - 15 knots, but as you can see on the video, the wind's at my back, and there's no real sailing involved. I'm not much in to videoing stuff, but I do like to share with those interested. The compromise there is, the videos tend to be short, and very poorly done.

The average speed ended up at 9.3, from anchor up to anchor down.

https://youtu.be/N40hgO8KDYU


I'm headed north these days, and we'll hope for good winds. If I get some, I'll get some footage for you.

Though you'll have to remember, this is our home, so I'm not likely to push the boat too hard. I'll also be single handing for the next month, and I don't like to push hard when I'm tired.

Cheers all.
Paul.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by GRIT

I had a nice sail in 35 knots of wind, sailing at 15 with surfs to 20, until I came inshore a bit, with winds of 25 knots and sailing at 11, with surfs to 15, on my way to Palm beach from Ft Pierce (about 45 miles) Florida...

...the average speed ended up at 9.3, from anchor up to anchor down.

I appreciate that it's your home. Seeing these averages is great too.

Your boat looks so good it seems like it's going fast even when it's standing still.

[GRIT]

Thanks for the compliments. It's well appreciated.

My wife's got her eye on buying a drone in the future. I'll have to start doing research on the subject. I imagine it'll be a model from DJI, as they seem to dominate the space.

When we get a drone, I'm sure the entire first month of sailing will be catalogued in video. She's quite anxious to try one of those things out.

Cheers, and stay well.
Paul.

[Tupaia]

If you haven't flown a drone before consider a PowerEgg, their waterproof kit enables ditching in the sea.


https://www.powervision.me/en/product/powereggx

[GRIT]

Thanks Tupaia. That's an interesting drone.

I'll include it in my research notes. Having something that'll float would be a very good idea. I'll show it to her, and see what she thinks.

It certainly wins in the "cute" contest.

Cheers.
Paul.

[chrisr]

in my experience boat speed is as much dependent on sea state as wind speed

there is also the rattle factor ie how much shaking and banging do you want ?

cheers,

[GRIT]

I should correct one of my statements about the wind being at 180 degrees.

I just watched the video, and it's 170 TWA and 130 AWA. Still, I wasn't really sailing, as much as I was being pushed.

Cheers.
Paul.

[BigBeakie]

What are thoughts of having an inside rigged screecher, as opposed to an outside the shroud rigged Code 0 ? For light upwind work.

The same screecher can go outside shroud and be used in higher winds reaching?

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

What are thoughts of having an inside rigged screecher, as opposed to an outside the shroud rigged Code 0 ? For light upwind work.

The same screecher can go outside shroud and be used in higher winds reaching?

Absolutely, if you have a relatively small jib (like we do - 95% self-tacking) then a screecher about twice that sail area will be very good for light wind upwind. We’re eventually getting one and it will be designed for 3 to 8 knots TWS, so up to approximately 14 knots AWS. That may be too light material for higher winds reaching, so you need to decide how important light wind upwind is to you.

Our current outside the shrouds screecher is almost 400% of our jib area and we can carry it to low 40* AWA. Unfortunately it generates so much speed that our tacking angle is about 140*, so it is only good for reaching.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Absolutely, if you have a relatively small jib (like we do - 95% self-tacking) then a screecher about twice that sail area will be very good for light wind upwind. We’re eventually getting one and it will be designed for 3 to 8 knots TWS, so up to approximately 14 knots AWS. That may be too light material for higher winds reaching, so you need to decide how important light wind upwind is to you.

Comments aimed at GRIT.


It is not so much upwind. In very light winds if the boat is light and fast enough your sails can be close hauled but you are sailing down wind or at least off the wind.
Getting the sail cut so that it misses the spreaders and is high enough to be above the coach roof can be challenging and reduces the area a bit for when it is used outside of the shrouds but IMO it is worth it.

Your figures look about right and GRIT will probably end up with a sail roughly the same size as his main. How will GRIT run the sheets given you have a forward cockpit?