[Rhodes22-list] Balanced Helm

Roger Pihlaja rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Tue, 27 Aug 2002 08:12:07 -0400


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Mary Lou, Joe, Et All,

If you are having lee helm with the 175% genoa in light air, then =
consider trying the following before you lengthen the forestay:

Slack off slightly on the mainsail's outhaul on the boom.  This will =
increase the fullness or maximum draft in the mainsail's shape.  In =
light air, increasing the draft on the mainsail will power it up =
relative to the genoa, which should move the sail plan's center of =
effort aft & thus decrease your lee helm. (& make you go faster as =
well!)  The downside is that the new sail shape will be less forgiving =
of sail trimming & helmsman errors.  i.e., the "groove" will be =
narrower.

    +

Tighten up the mainsail's leech line.  This will cause the mainsail's =
leech to curve ("hook") to windward.  This will cause the mainsail's =
center of effort to move aft, which will decrease lee helm.

    +

Make certain you are using the main sheet & traveller properly.  Watch =
your mainsail's leech telltales to be certain you are not overtrimming =
the mainsail, thus causing the airflow to stall.  If you stall the =
airflow over the mainsail, the sail plan's center of effort will move =
forward & increase lee helm.

    +

Make certain you are not overtrimming the genoa.  The exhaust airflow =
coming off an overtrimmed genoa will blanket the mainsail & induce the =
airflow on the leeward side of the mainsail to stall.  See above bullet =
point


If these techniques solve your light air lee helm issues; then, it will =
be better than permanently raking the mast further aft, which will =
increase weather helm under all conditions.  Remember, these sail shape =
adjustments are subtle & a little bit of sail shape or sail trim change =
can have a significant effect.

Good luck!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Lou Troy [mailto:mltroy@netreach.net]
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 9:18 PM
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Balanced Helm


If you are fighting to keep the boat from falling off the wind you have =
lee=20
helm not weather helm.

With the 175 jib, lee helm can be a real issue. It certainly is on=20
Fretless. In light to moderate winds when we have the full job and main =
out=20
we have lee helm that we can only reduce by furling the jib somewhat. In =

very light air, lee helm isn't an issue and we're glad for the 175. We =
have=20
tightened the back stay as much as we can with the backstay adjuster. =
Our=20
next step is shorten the backstays one more notch so that we have a bit=20
more leverage with the adjuster.  We are also going to try setting the=20
rudder so that it not quite all the way forward. The next step (next=20
season) will be to let the jib stay out a notch. Stan suggested moving =
the=20
knot on the centerboard line to let the board drop a bit further. That=20
helped a bit.

Any other ideas? We would be happy to hear other suggestions.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Swan Creek, MD / Ft. Washington, PA

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mary Lou, Joe, Et All,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If you are having lee helm with the =
175% genoa in=20
light air, then consider trying the following before you lengthen the=20
forestay:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Slack off slightly on the mainsail's =
outhaul on the=20
boom.&nbsp; This will increase the fullness or maximum draft in the =
mainsail's=20
shape.&nbsp; In light air, increasing the draft on the mainsail will =
power it up=20
relative to the genoa, which should move the sail plan's center of =
effort aft=20
&amp; thus&nbsp;decrease your lee helm. (&amp; make you go faster as=20
well!)&nbsp; The downside is that the new sail shape will be less =
forgiving of=20
sail trimming &amp; helmsman errors.&nbsp; i.e., the "groove" will be=20
narrower.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; +</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tighten up the mainsail's leech =
line.&nbsp; This=20
will cause the mainsail's leech to curve ("hook") to windward.&nbsp; =
This will=20
cause the mainsail's center of effort to move aft, which will decrease =
lee=20
helm.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; +</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Make certain you are using the main =
sheet &amp;=20
traveller properly.&nbsp; Watch your mainsail's leech telltales to be =
certain=20
you are not overtrimming the mainsail, thus causing the airflow to =
stall.&nbsp;=20
If you stall the airflow over the mainsail, the sail plan's center of =
effort=20
will move forward &amp; increase lee helm.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; +</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Make certain you are not overtrimming =
the=20
genoa.&nbsp; The exhaust airflow coming off an overtrimmed genoa will =
blanket=20
the mainsail &amp; induce the airflow on the leeward side of the =
mainsail to=20
stall.&nbsp; See above bullet point</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If these techniques solve your light =
air lee helm=20
issues; then, it will be better than permanently raking the mast further =
aft,=20
which will increase weather helm under all conditions.&nbsp; Remember, =
these=20
sail shape adjustments are subtle &amp; a little bit of sail shape or =
sail trim=20
change can have a&nbsp;significant effect.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good luck!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Roger Pihlaja</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>S/V Dynamic Equilibrium</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Mary Lou Troy=20
[mailto:mltroy@netreach.net]<BR>Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 9:18 =
PM<BR>To: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org">rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org</A>=
<BR>Subject:=20
RE: [Rhodes22-list] Balanced Helm<BR><BR><BR>If you are fighting to keep =
the=20
boat from falling off the wind you have lee <BR>helm not weather=20
helm.<BR><BR>With the 175 jib, lee helm can be a real issue. It =
certainly is on=20
<BR>Fretless. In light to moderate winds when we have the full job and =
main out=20
<BR>we have lee helm that we can only reduce by furling the jib =
somewhat. In=20
<BR>very light air, lee helm isn't an issue and we're glad for the 175. =
We have=20
<BR>tightened the back stay as much as we can with the backstay =
adjuster. Our=20
<BR>next step is shorten the backstays one more notch so that we have a =
bit=20
<BR>more leverage with the adjuster.&nbsp; We are also going to try =
setting the=20
<BR>rudder so that it not quite all the way forward. The next step (next =

<BR>season) will be to let the jib stay out a notch. Stan suggested =
moving the=20
<BR>knot on the centerboard line to let the board drop a bit further. =
That=20
<BR>helped a bit.<BR><BR>Any other ideas? We would be happy to hear =
other=20
suggestions.<BR><BR>Mary Lou<BR>1991 R22 Fretless<BR>Swan Creek, MD / =
Ft.=20
Washington, PA</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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