Remember that a well designed sloop rig boat will push the stern toward the lee side anytime the boat is tuned to sail on an 'even keel', that is with a minimal mismatch between the center of lift of the sail rig, and the center of lateral resistance determined by the hull's and/or daggerboard's centers of lateral resistance. Since a little weather helm is generally regarded as a good thing, it is intentionally designed into the boat by the placement of the daggers/max hull draft, etc. in conjunction with the sailplan.

Unbalanced rudderrs (rudders with the pivoting axis in front of the rudder's center of lift) have the ability to feedback the amount of lift they create back through the tiller; the greater lift they create (the angle of deflection) the greater the push on the tiller. This type of rudder will always self adjust to the angle of least resistance when the tiller is released. Since the boat naturally wants to steer to weather when correctly trimmed the unbalanced rudders give you the feel of weather helm. Virtually all beach cats have unbalanced rudders.

Note that the conditions which causes weather helm have nothing to do with rudders at all; it's just that unbalanced rudders allow you to feel it. This is not necesarily a bad thing because the feel of the helm can be regarded as a tuning tool allowing the skipper to adjust the center of lift of the sailpan (traveler position/cunningham tension) until the helm is light. The boat sails faster when the rudders are not fighting the daggers. This is sailing on an 'even keel'

You could adjust the rudder overhang to make the rudders more balanced, and this will reduce the sensation of weather helm, but the forces acting on the hulls and rig are still present, and you still need the same rudder deflection angle to overcome these forces and steer your intended course. With balanced rudders it just takes less muscle power to do so.

Anything you do which moves the center of lift of the sailplan aft will cause or increase weather helm. Loose downhaul tension increases the sail draft and moves the point of max draft aft, thereby moving the center of lift aft. The opposite is true for increased downhaul tension. Centering the traveler moves the cener of lift aft while traveling out moves it forward. Rear mast rake moves it aft also, so rear mast rake definitely will increase weather helm. Despite this, some boats will sail faster with pronounced aft mast rake despite the increased drag caused by the increased rudder deflection. This has to do with lowering the center of lift thereby reducing heel angle, among other things.

So if you have a 'stock' boat with excessive weather helm, don't immediately look to modify the boat to correct this. Check for the factory settings first and if they are OK, try to move the center of lift forward (traveler position, proper downhaul tension, mast rake) and then go from there.

I'm not trying to be too technical here, just want everybody to understand what's really happening.

Jimbo