[Rhodes22-list] Stan on Pointing

[Bill Effros]

Stan,

I know absolutely nothing about pointing, and I'm planning to learn 
about it on my boat next year.

It seems different people on this list mean different things by the term 
"pointing".

Peter refers me to my GPS, which measures the direction the GPS has 
traveled.

Others refer me to my compass, which measures the direction the bow is 
"pointing".

Others speak of how well catamarans "point" while some of the literature 
I read says they don't point as well as mono-hulled boats.

I have never noticed a pointing problem on my boat.

I can point directly into the wind...Of course, I sail backward when I 
do that, so this skill is useful only in certain situations.  As I point 
closer and closer into the wind, I go slower and slower, until I begin 
to think "maybe I would arrive at my destination faster if I took a 
longer route with more favorable wind."  I understand this to be the 
central issue in racing.

When you heave-to you can cause your bow to "point" almost any angle 
into the wind, while the boat itself slips sideways.  Unable to point by 
one definition, great pointing by another.

Instead of simply moving a lot of junk forward, I have removed a lot of 
junk from my boat.  It sails very high in the water, bow down.  I have a 
light engine, and I keep your anchor on the bow for ballast.  I sail 
single-handed most of the time, and always when I'm experimenting.

Also, I sail the boat flat, as designed, and I read that sailing flat 
improves pointing.

Of course, the centerboard must be down for pointing.

There is no question that a J-24 will sail better than an R-22 into the 
wind under most conditions.  On the other hand, I was recently competing 
with a J-24 for bragging rights on getting back to our moorings and I 
won because the J-24 grounded itself, and I didn't.

Congratulations on Cindy's book.  I'm ordering a copy from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bubble-Economy-Profit-When/dp/047175367X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222439170&sr=1-1

Bill Effros









stan wrote:
> dedicated to Dr. Krawitz (Paul to his fellow Rhodies) re pointing, to Rummy 
> for reminding me and Ed and Dan and others for responding to my "Test".
>
> I attempted this some time ago but it seems I had been excommunicated from 
> the List for ignoring the don't tell code on my take on religion.  MM now 
> has me back in temporary good standing but did not pass on the blocked 
> message,  I sent it off List to John to post but he may not have received 
> it.  I sent it off List to Rummy to post but it looks like he did not get it 
> either so, having passed the "test",  I will try again:
>
>
> Lee, I need a curious Rhodie to give my guess a try.
>
> When Phil designed the boat he had no idea we would build it so good or
>  that there would be a UPP on the transom or that owners would over stuff 
> the lazaret and
>  themselves, so it sits too low at the stern.
>
> It is my guess that if the nose of the boat were lowered in the water:
>     a)    The transom would come up leading to less turbulence (more speed)
>     b)    The water line would increase leading to better wave formation 
> (more speed)
>     c)    The fin's center of effort would move slightly more forward 
> leading to better helm (possibly more speed)
>     d)    And pointing ability would improve.
>
> Lee, try putting 200 pounds or more temporary ballast way forward in the V 
> berth and then put your boat through all your double blind tests and call 
> Dr. Krawitz in the morning.
>
> One other TRICK, if you have the energy:
>
>     The large spreader width on the Rhodes was designed to make using the 
> shrouds as vertical life lines, when walking to the bow via the boat's cabin 
> side decks, comfortable.    Drastically cut back the length of the spreader 
> tubes.  This will allow better pointing using the full genoa, or any genoa 
> size larger than can be used when switching to the secondary genoa jib sheet 
> leads inside the upper shrouds.
>
> Allow we proud parents an aside:  Now that we are all socialists I want to 
> remind you that Cindy's book, "America's Bubble Economy" (Barnes and Noble) 
> was right on the money.  You do not want to hear what the economists behind 
> this book are predicting from here on ..............
>
> ss 
>
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