Tacking the 21
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Eric2101
- Professional
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- Boat Make/Model: Supercat 15
- Location: Davie, FL.
Tacking the 21
I am finding it rather difficult to tack the 21. Are there some techniques unique to this boat in order to execute fast, smooth tacks?
Eric Arbogast
Supercat 15
Supercat 15
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Matt Haberman
- Administrator
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- Location: Minnesota
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Hi Eric,
After having sailed the 21 for most of this summer I am quite surprised your having troubles with tacking.
Here is our standard routine for tacking:
1) Head the boat up to the highest heading (without stalling the jib) in preparation for the tack, Ie: don't try to start the tack while on a reach.
2) Smoothly push tiller ALL the way to the rudder stop.
3) As bow of boat passes through "head to wind" release ~2 feet of mainsheet. (Keep holding rudder against the stops)
4) "Flip" or "Snap" mainsail battens over to new tack if necessary.
5) As the boat starts to head down, sheet in the main and ease rudders back onto the new heading.
6) Trim in the mainsail and re-trim the jib for your new heading if necessary.
Note that it is not necessary to make any jib adjustments before or during the tack, that is why it is called self-tacking
This is our routine for tacking all of the boats, although on the 22, 27 & 30 it is not as critical to release the mainsheet like it is on the 17 & 21.
Hope this helps.
After having sailed the 21 for most of this summer I am quite surprised your having troubles with tacking.
Here is our standard routine for tacking:
1) Head the boat up to the highest heading (without stalling the jib) in preparation for the tack, Ie: don't try to start the tack while on a reach.
2) Smoothly push tiller ALL the way to the rudder stop.
3) As bow of boat passes through "head to wind" release ~2 feet of mainsheet. (Keep holding rudder against the stops)
4) "Flip" or "Snap" mainsail battens over to new tack if necessary.
5) As the boat starts to head down, sheet in the main and ease rudders back onto the new heading.
6) Trim in the mainsail and re-trim the jib for your new heading if necessary.
Note that it is not necessary to make any jib adjustments before or during the tack, that is why it is called self-tacking
This is our routine for tacking all of the boats, although on the 22, 27 & 30 it is not as critical to release the mainsheet like it is on the 17 & 21.
Hope this helps.
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Tom Haberman
- Expert
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- Joined: November 15th, 2003, 9:55 am
- Location: Minnesota
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Eric,
Just what sort of problems are you encountering and what are the wind & sea conditions?
I would really like to help you because there is something certainly out of the ordinary when you have problems tacking the ARC21.
Before I start offering advice lets get some basic details.
From my experience with the ARC21 you have to really have something out of the ordinary to have the 21 not tack. We have a larger problem in that at times it will tack so fast that we find ourselves not set up on the windward side quick enough. I. e. the 21 is on the new tack and we have to scamble to get on the wire.
The self tacking jib does all the work up front , all you have to do is push & hold the tiller over and let out about 2' of mainsheet just as you go head to wind. The bows will fall off as soon as jib fills on new heading and you can then start sheeting in on the main.
The jib should be sheeted in so that it's leech is approximately 2-3" outside the spreader tip. There is no reason to release the jib sheet when tacking and if it is released it will foul up the tacking.
Make sure you keep the tiller all the way over throughout the tack.
Proper jib trim , tiller control and main sheet trimming are the answer.
Just what sort of problems are you encountering and what are the wind & sea conditions?
I would really like to help you because there is something certainly out of the ordinary when you have problems tacking the ARC21.
Before I start offering advice lets get some basic details.
From my experience with the ARC21 you have to really have something out of the ordinary to have the 21 not tack. We have a larger problem in that at times it will tack so fast that we find ourselves not set up on the windward side quick enough. I. e. the 21 is on the new tack and we have to scamble to get on the wire.
The self tacking jib does all the work up front , all you have to do is push & hold the tiller over and let out about 2' of mainsheet just as you go head to wind. The bows will fall off as soon as jib fills on new heading and you can then start sheeting in on the main.
The jib should be sheeted in so that it's leech is approximately 2-3" outside the spreader tip. There is no reason to release the jib sheet when tacking and if it is released it will foul up the tacking.
Make sure you keep the tiller all the way over throughout the tack.
Proper jib trim , tiller control and main sheet trimming are the answer.
Sincerely,
Tom Haberman
Tom Haberman
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Matt Haberman
- Administrator
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- Joined: November 10th, 2003, 8:22 pm
- Location: Minnesota
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Eric,
The 21 really isn't "weight sensitive".
We raced the 21 this past summer and over 50% of the time my daughter sailed with us. That's an extra 13% or 50 lbs of crew weight on the boat! We didn't really notice the boat tacking any different, other then the fact that there was an extra body that had to get across to the other side at the same time . In fact the only time that I recall we noticed the weight difference was a few weeks ago during the Leukemia Cup, it was blowing in the upper teens and she sailed with us. That extra 50lbs made a difference on our righting moment and ability to keep the boat powered up longer then we would have be able to without her sitting on the high side.
The 21 really isn't "weight sensitive".
We raced the 21 this past summer and over 50% of the time my daughter sailed with us. That's an extra 13% or 50 lbs of crew weight on the boat! We didn't really notice the boat tacking any different, other then the fact that there was an extra body that had to get across to the other side at the same time
. In fact the only time that I recall we noticed the weight difference was a few weeks ago during the Leukemia Cup, it was blowing in the upper teens and she sailed with us. That extra 50lbs made a difference on our righting moment and ability to keep the boat powered up longer then we would have be able to without her sitting on the high side.-
Matt Haberman
- Administrator
- Posts: 602
- Joined: November 10th, 2003, 8:22 pm
- Location: Minnesota
- Contact:
Bob,
As long is the jib is trimmed properly before the tack, no adjustment is necessary. The reference to the spreader tip / jib location was purely for trimming purposes and applies to the 21 when sailing upwind.
Here is something to remember about the self-tacking jib. Trim the jib for the heading your sailing on. When you go to tack, forget about the jib, it will tack to the other side at the correct time as the bow of the boat passes through the wind. Once on the other tack, re-trim for your new heading if necessary.
I will try answer you question about jib trim on the 17, although it has been about 1 year since I last sailed on it so my memory might be a bit foggy. When going upwind the jib car will be about 1/2 way out the track so 12-16" roughly? If the jib is sheeted too tight and the car is in too close you will see the tell-tales on the leeward side of the mainsail get back-winded and blow upward. Going downwind let the jib out and trim the tell-tales so they are flowing. This might put the car at the end of the track, and it might not, it will really depend on wind conditions.
Hope that helps.
As long is the jib is trimmed properly before the tack, no adjustment is necessary. The reference to the spreader tip / jib location was purely for trimming purposes and applies to the 21 when sailing upwind.
Here is something to remember about the self-tacking jib. Trim the jib for the heading your sailing on. When you go to tack, forget about the jib, it will tack to the other side at the correct time as the bow of the boat passes through the wind. Once on the other tack, re-trim for your new heading if necessary.
I will try answer you question about jib trim on the 17, although it has been about 1 year since I last sailed on it so my memory might be a bit foggy. When going upwind the jib car will be about 1/2 way out the track so 12-16" roughly? If the jib is sheeted too tight and the car is in too close you will see the tell-tales on the leeward side of the mainsail get back-winded and blow upward. Going downwind let the jib out and trim the tell-tales so they are flowing. This might put the car at the end of the track, and it might not, it will really depend on wind conditions.
Hope that helps.