Greetings Richard!
In a message to Rich Little  Richard Wheet wrote:
>>     I'm not too sure about momentum as a major factor.  It has seemed
>> like falling off just a bit before I start to tack, unsheeting the main
>> a bit, and going into it slowly has kept me out of trouble the most.
>> Working the jib across instead of just letting it take its own head, and
>> not sheeting in the main too soon has also seemed to help.
RW> Since the 16 has no dagger board it has a tendency to slide around the
RW> mark on a tack.... if you backfill the jib on a tack or jib, it will
RW> bring the bow across faster, then release the jib just as you are about
RW> on the proper tack...
That's exactly what I do...
RW> No dagger board.. that's why fin boats can turn on a dime  But on a
RW> run... less water resistance makes them a screamer.... and on reaches, it
RW> gives them a bit of weather helm since you have no lateral resistance as
RW> in a keel boat... (that's one of the reasons the 18ft Hobies are faster
RW> on a reach.. they have a bit of resistance and can raise the dagger on a
RW> run)...
Well, I also have a Nacra 5.0 which, like the H16, has no daggerboards. Also,
the Nac has symmetrical hulls vs. the H16 asymmetrical design, making it
(supposedly) even harder to tack than the H16. Real life results? Tacking the
Nacra is *much* easier than tacking the H16. Since I haven't been out on a
multi-hull with daggerboards, I can't really compare the two, but I hadn't
thought about why the larger cats were able to turn on a dime. Makes lots of
sense, though. I had always assumed, and had it backed up by local fleet
sailors, that the H16 was much more reponsive than the H18/H20/H22, but less
so than the H17/H17 Sport, etc. and *should* tack easier than the big boats.
So it's an issue of lateral force being re-directed by the daggerboards?
Again, I had assumed (read it in a book somewhere) that the reasons the 
arger
boats needed daggerboards was a) they have longer hulls and b) their hull
designs were symmetrical. The H16, with the assym. design, was supposed to
eliminate the need for daggerboards. Ah well, I don't really need to know the
physics of it, just as long as it works. :)
--+Brian
... My computer has EMS... Wont you help?
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