After reading an article in YM, I invested last year in a new blade jib for my 275, as I do a lot of single-handled sailing and have also found reduced foresail essential on the annual trip down to warmer climes "round the corner" to and from North Norfolk. I am very pleased with the purchase, and we had a lot of fun short-tacking on the upper reaches of the Deben, but have been unable to eliminate a degree of lee helm despite taking the sheets through the cabin top fairlead car (where I seem to get much closer to the wind) or the usual deck genoa car and with various combinations of reefing. Has anyone any ideas how we overcome this?
Anthony Marshall
Parker 275 Sanderling

Have you tried releasing the rudder down-haul slightly. I found that the rudder is very finely balanced on Rascal - and sometimes seemed to be biased slightly too far forward. The original instructions for Rascal includes a note on setting the rudder position using the up/ down-haul ropes. (The same adjustment aft could be realised by adding a limit stop on the lower rudder pivot bolt - this is a more repeatable adjustment.

Ray

I think thats right. There was an article in PBO about new sails on an SS26 a few years ago which reached the same conclusion.

Inadequate mast rake may contribute too.

Why it should happen now is another question, probably because of the "power" of the new sail.

I find on Cascada I get lee helm more often with the 100% blade than with the Genny, but put it down to the centre of effort of the sail plan being further forward of the centre of lateral resistance of the hull, with the blade, as opposed to the genny.

In any event in light winds after tacking (and before speed is picked up and the keel starts to generate lift), I often experience heavy lee helm. A dirty bottom does not help either!

As flow over the keel picks up and lift is generated the keel starts to "work" again, and the lee helm usually disappears

275/30 "Cascada"

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If you go to page 4 in the Super Seal 26 forum you will find a discussion on lee helm ... particularly with reference to the rudder blade position.
However, I presume this query refers only to foresail changes ... with no alteration to the rudder.
If you bring the centre of effort forward by using a blade jib you will inevitably generate some lee helm in light winds.
As the wind pipes up the centre of effort is driven aft.
The blade jib will then behave as it should.
Indeed as far as I know, the 27,275 etc. behave rather like the Super Seal and will sail to windward with balanced helm in a force 6 with a blade jib only (no main).
Chris, SS 26 Elsa.