[Rhodes22-list] Soliciting Practical Advice

[Roger Pihlaja]

Guys,

Like most sailboat hull shapes, the Rhodes 22 tends to develop weather helm
as it heels.  Thus, in gusty, overpowered conditions, it is desirable to
keep as much sail area up forward as possible in order to counteract this
tendency to build weather helm.  Masthead rigged boats also derive most of
their thrust from the genoa, which is another reason to leave as much of the
genoa flying as possible.  On Dynamic Equilibrium, we will put 2 reefs in
the mainsail before rolling up the 150% genoa at all.  By reefing the
mainsail 1st & keeping as much genoa up as possible, the Rhodes 22 will not
round up until the boat heels the rudder blade clear of the water.  By this
point, you had better have all the opening ports dogged down tight & you may
very well be taking water over the gunnel into the cockpit!  However, the
Rhodes 22 sails fastest when it is sailed as level as possible.  It is very
much like a big sailing dingy in that respect.  Most of the time, heeling is
controlled by playing with the mainsail's traveller.  It's the most
frequently used sail shaping control on the boat.  However, if the traveller
must be dumped to leeward more often than about once per minute in order to
prevent a knockdown or a broach, then it's time to put another reef in the
mainsail.  By the time the boat is heeling enough to put the leeward rail
goes into the water, you could be going much faster if you did something to
reduce heel like dump the traveller, put more weight on the windward rail,
or reduce sail area.  With its big, transom hung rudder and relatively light
weight, the Rhodes 22 is very responsive, especially with the latest
generation sails made with composite sailcloth and full batten mainsails.
The boat rewards an aggressive active style of sailing.

The Rhodes 22 is also very sensitive to fore/aft trim.  On flat water, a
slightly bow down trim is faster.  A slightly bow down trim allows the boat
to climb its own bow wave without burying the wide flat stern section of the
hull.  Burying the stern section causes a great deal of drag and turbulence,
rather like the lowering the flaps on an airplane wing.  If the boat is on
the verge of planning, a sensitive crew can actually initiate planning by
carefully shifting their weight forward to slightly sink the bow & reduce
the drag on the stern section.  Note, that this requires a very good crew
because they must also keep track of sail trim, helm control, wind shifts,
their proper course, and the other boats around them.  It works best with a
spinnaker on a broad reach.  In waves, a different strategy must be used
which involves steering a slalom course among the waves, surfing down the
faces of the waves and bearing off to climb the backsides.  In waves, the
best fore/aft trim is level with the design waterline.  Trimming down by the
stern is always slow & should be avoided under any conditions.

The neat thing about the Rhodes 22 is that you can also reduce sail area &
sail in passive mode under the same conditions if the crew does not feel
like or does not know how to sail actively that day.  It's really a
remarkable little boat.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve" <rhodes2282@yahoo.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Soliciting Practical Advice


> Richard
> Your right about heeling slowing down the boat and
> that furling the headsail to much does hender
> performance.  We're just pointing out that a 175%
> Genoa is a tough old sail and that the Rhodes is a
> tough old boat.
>
> When we race (me & the guys) we throw the 1st reef in
> the main when it starts backwinding so much that its
> no longer pullin.  On an inland lake we can get away
> with not having to try for the 2nd reef (40k about top
> wind we have seen during a race).  We keep main flat
> in heavy wind; Halyard tight, cunningham/downhaul, &
> outhaul.  We try to keep it pulling and not
> backwinding.  There is a point in there where you will
> just have to let it backwind but the headsail will
> keep pulling as long as it tight.  Mainsail must be
> played at all times.  Bill normally works the traveler
> continuely; full time job.  We try to keep the top
> batten parrel with the boom as much as possible but we
> maintain the 20 degree heel you refer to.
>
> Backstays are tight with consideralbe mast bend.
> Healsail halyard tight and genoa sheet leads adjusted
> to allow a little spill at the top.  We use Maylar
> headsails, 155% is maximun the rule allow without
> taking a handicapp lost.  In order to keep the 155% in
> use, we normally will take the lost with backwinding
> the mainsail.  If your leads are adjusted properly
> with the right amount of spill at the top; you can
> maintain speed with the mainsail being icying on the
> cake when it is not backwinding but I'm talking 40k
> here.  We do keep out mainsail in play when possible.
>
> This will work on any boat, from the Rhodes to many
> others I have raced on.
>
> Now what some folks call tender, I call responcive.
> The Rhodes will respond quickly to the wind to the
> point that the flare hit the water. Never dump your
> headsail when this happens.  Traveler or mainsheet
> will be enough to keep the boat in the groove.  In
> heavy wind, I keep the headsail tight and pulling at
> all time with adjustments for heel being made thru the
> mainsail.
>
> Anyway, I was't meaning to be an ass here at
> Christmas.  Not that I not an ass but that I just
> didn't mean to be one here at Christmas:-)
> Later & I always enjoy the exchanges of
> Cannonballs:-)!!!!
> Steve
>
>
>
> --- "R. Smith" <sailnut@asan.com> wrote:
> >
> > > The whole point of sailing in the first place is
> > to have fun.>
> >
> > GOD BLESS YOU!  Exactly correct!
> >
> > Merry X-mass
> >
> > Richard Smith
> > _________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help?
> www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
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