Jimbo - are you saying you don't think I should re-rake the rudders, even if the mast rake gives promiment weather helm? Beside the needed muscle power I really don't like significant weather helm, especially on a singlehander, since if you drop the tiller you're in irons before you know it and it make tacking tricker.
The recommended facory setting for the shouds (rake) is 4th hole from the top all the way around. I'm on 7th hole from the top (I assume my shrouds are just long) now with only mild weather helm but the prior guy who raced had it raked way back from that setting.
Remeber this is a unirig - I get the feeling that raking the mast on a unirig has a greater effect on weather helm than sloop rigged boats.
Thanks,
Jerry
Jerry,
It's going to come down to an evaluation of just what you are getting out of all that mast rake. Some boats point significanyly higher with pronounced aft mast rake. Also, some boats heel less since the center of effort of the sailplan is lower. This may make the boat faster generally. I know that the mast rake mod works well for the H16, and there may be other boats where it is applicable as well. But it is not likely universally applicable. I'm not knowledgable about the H17 so can't comment on the applicability of this mod to that boat. If you race around buoys these sorts of mods do make sense, since they help you win and you are not fighting the helm all that long.
But if you do mostly distances races or usually just like to cruise around, then that prominent weather helm has got to be fatiguing. Fatigue loses distance races.
If you decide to keep the rake, then it does make sense to mitigate the weather helm as best you can with rudder balance. Don't expect miracles here; the rudders will still be unbalanced rudders, just a little bit less unbalanced.
This whole dilemna might be just the thing you need to help you decide to add a jib
No more getting stuck in the irons, either. And sloops definitely point higher than unas.
Jimbo
