I have been sailing a 28 for about 5 years, now. I have found that the boat likes to sail reasonably upright - if you press her hard, you get loads of weather helm, and the rudder looses grip and she rounds up whether you want to or not. I find this happens in winds about 15 knots, if you are flying full main and genoa. My reefing practice is to keep the full main and either roll a few turns in the genoa or change down to the working jib. This takes the pressure off and once more the boat is comfortably under control. If the wind increases up to about 17 knots, I take about 3 rolls in the main, which also has the desired effect. If the wind pipes up more, further rolls in the main give you lee helm, which makes for uncomfortable steering, so it is better to roll up the headsail a bit more ( I don't have a number 2 jib). In fact, my reefing tactics tend towards the headsail disappearing completely - which doesn't seem like a very efficient sailplan. I am thinking about fitting an inner forestay so that I could carry a small jib closer to the mast and thus keep the C of E aft while retaining efficiency. Looking through some old magazines though, I spotted some photos of old IOR racers with full genoa and reefed mainsails and suddenly wondered if I'd entirely missed the point! Should I be pressing my boat hard and keeping sail area well forward to combat weather helm?

Cheers! Neil

Neil Sinclair

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hi neil
just browsing and noticed your messages.
i also sail a lot single handed although my boat is a 285 and i certainly echo your comments about using a blade jib...so easy to handle but i would just add the old principle about anticipation and good preparation being important when on your own.
as regards the reefing i would certainly try to have both jib and main up to maintain balance and would tend to reduce main first [ to counter increased weather helm] I find lee helm not a problem on 285 and can hold the full blade jib longer with 2 reefs in the main
i do sail in F6+ and find 2 reefs main and reduced blade jib fine [ even 3 reefs in main sometimes] but have never furled blade completely. Maybe 285 behaves differently.

regards
charles
charles clements

I don´t know exactly but I don´t think that I have to reef so early.
On the 1st of october I sailed the 25 miles from Borkum to Emden with 5 to 6 bft (rather 6 than 5), wind against water from about 40°.
Before leaving Borkum I had put the 1st reef in the main ( I don´t like to roll the boom) and left the genoa full size. I had no problems with steering, except of some heavily increasing winds when I couldn´t hold the tiller. Bumblebee inclined to appr. 22-25°, but I didn´t find it uncomfortable or insecure, she cut the waves very smoothly and sailed well balanced.
Maybe the Beilken-Sails which the pre-owner ordered for the boat are really perfect and maybe I had found a pretty good mast trim, I kept the backstays quite tightened to get the mast bended backwards.
It was the first time I had to sail her under those conditions and I was very glad to be able to sail her single-handed.
Always good winds
Gerold
Gerodl Wallenstein

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Thankyou, Charles and Gerold! I will try keeping more headsail up when we get launched again next spring. I do have a problem with the mainsail on Andiamo though. I have two sails. One, by Bruce Banks, could be original kit. I also have a later one by Lucas. I still use the through-mast reefing. The Lucas sail reefs very well but seems to me to be excessively flat. The old Banks sail gets a bit untidy when rolled around the boom, but seems to have a better shape when not reefed and I generally set that one.

Cheers for now! Neil

Neil Sinclair

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