Catalina 22 Champ John Allen’s Speed Secrets (Editor’s Note: John Allen has proven himself to be one of AYC’s best sailors, so we asked him to write up some observations and suggestions about how to go fast on the desert. Here are what he calls some “chunterings” about sailing in Arizona. “Some are well-known,” he writes, “so skip the bits you know! Skip can skip it all.”) By John D. Allen Catalina 22 #6081, Laser #128429 Usual Mistakes We All Make Sailing too high and “pinching” is ailing too high, “pinching” a natural trap. (All photos by Chris Tingom.) upwind, and sailing too Minimize weather helm (and drag) by s low when off-wind is of- using crew weight to keep the hull flat. ten a natural trap. The Catalina 22, like most, likes it lower downwind “Keep the 150% Genoa driving unless the when over 10 knots and of course wind is shifty and puffy. Always head a little lower upwind when light. Know your racing polar plots for differ- lower than your nearest rivals.” ent winds. Don’t follow the sheep. It might the killer in a heavy breeze. The keel helm on all points of sail, so mini- be the best favored starting position must always be kept near its most mize weather helm (and drag), use and favored side of the course, but efficient position. crew weight to keep the hull flat or if everyone is there, then it may no On the Catalina for the 110% or slightly to windward. longer be favored! I see too many blade jib, less sail area is far better Laser Trim sails bending and reducing wind if the sail can be drawn in on a short With the Laser, as ever, it is natu- speed, and apparent direction. foot to a closer angle to the ral to over sheet and head too high Watch the Tell Tales centerline. 6081 has a blade jib some upon the start gun. Always free the It’s important to keep the 150% 10 sq ft less in area than some I’ve sheet in light to medium conditions, Genoa driving unless the wind is seen, yet its short foot permits it to head a hair lower if you can hold shifty and puffy. Always head a sit inside the lower forward the power: The extra speed will ne- little lower than your nearest rivals. shrouds on cabin tracks. gate the lower heading, unless air Watch the tell tails. It’s easy to Avoid Drag is filling in from windward. You’ll over-trim sails in a Laser. Learn As we all know, EVERY time you also clear the packs wind-bending from Mike Hester: “if in doubt let it move the tiller, you effect a drag on influence. out.” A sail slightly luffing is easier the blade, so use weight movement In heavy breeze, use maximum to trim than a stalled sail — and to steer the boat whenever possible. vang and block-to-block sheet to more forgiving. Even the Catalina 22 will steer flatten the main nicely, pinch to In a heavy breeze, Dumping the nicely with crew weight movement. wind and NEVER ease sheet or main, luffing and keeping the yacht On a light wind day, try removing vang. Easing in a gust simply fat- flat and driving on the more effi- your rudder and sail without it. tens the chord of the mainsail, mak- cient Genoa/foresail is always more Reaching on triangles with the 22, ing more power. To handle gusts, efficient than full to near full sails. a heavy hull also likes a flat balance. pinch and flatten the hull, even to Trim back on in the lulls. Leeway is The 22 has naturally heavy weather windward if possible, then bear off slightly before the ten not apparent to the helmsman, (Continued) Speed but sensitivity to leeway move- gust hits for maximum power. ments are often seen from the shore, Pinch up until you have to ease not from the helm. It’s easy to over- mainsheet in a breeze if not gusty. estimate the amount of drag from Understanding the Centerboard the lowered centerboard and not realize how it capures energy, es- Mike Hester is the local master of pecially with near-to-flat hull this approach with the Laser. With shapes. his characteristic understatement, In patchy drifter conditions I Mike has taught many of us rookie rarely raise the centerboard off AZ Lasers many tricks of the trade, wind — maybe 2/3rds down if light such as heeling the hull to wind- gusts are hitting. You’ll be creating ward upwind. extra water drag on the board but Windward heel and its induced you’ll be gaining more by minimiz- lee helm is weird to the senses but I’ve simply tied off the traveler in the ing leeway movement and translat- central position, because it’s more it’s fast. Picture a well-practiced ing that movement into forward windsurfer’s stance and mast posi- important to sail smoothly than to be distracted by traveler adjustments. movement. tion. Water is forced up the lee side Of course even slight body move- of the Laser’s centerboard, where ments can affect Laser speed, espe- the hull acts like a foil end-plate, re- cially if the centerboard is lowered ducing high- to low-pressure vor- or half lowered. texes slipping from high to low sides of the plate. As we all know, The Hull reducing pressure escape increases Forget about looks and infinite lift. smoothness — it has a marginal ef- Windward heel also causes the fect. Overall weight in keelboats has flexi-mast to present itself to the air- little effect, too. (Though looking at flow in a similar, more-efficient some of the Catalina 22 National fashion — more upright because it Championship boats, I saw some bends off to leeward in anything Forget about how the hull looks and with ratchet blocks instead of above a flat calm breeze. The rig whether it has infinite smoothness. It has Genoa winches for the sole reason little effect on your speed. then tends to straighten up in a puff of weight saving! That’s extreme! instead of falling off to leeward, re- ducing air vortexes. “It’s generally far more profitable to Contrary heeling to leeward ‘externalize’ and watch the wind than to obsess “feels” faster especially when wind about boat details.” is light, and it is the right thing to do in a zero-patchy drifter, but in It’s generally far more profitable to reality max lift is always when the “externalize” and watch the wind boat is heeled to windward or as than to obsess about boat details. near upright as possible as wind in- creases. This is also true of traveler usage on the Catalina 22. I’ve simply tied Off the Wind off the traveler in the central posi- In a Laser when you’re off-wind tion. The C22 main is small and in a drifter or light air, it’s some- short windward legs often dictate times faster to have the centerboard that it’s better to go for a smooth, lowered when running, even all the slow tack and “eyes out of the boat” way! When a slight wind hits the than reaching back and messing center of effort of the sail, it often with traveler adjustments after moves the flat-hulled Laser in a di- tacking. rection you didn’t want to go. If you On the C22 (and any foil) thinner have the board down when the keel chord better. The first third of wind hits, the hull grips, and the Catalina 22 competitor Tom Ohlin the leading edge produces the most slight off-vector movement is cap- trimming weather helm on a windy lift. Make sure the leading edge is tured and energy focused in the di- day. smooth and consistent. rection you meant to travel. It’s of- A Closing Flourish of Speed Secrets A keel bound in fiberglass Of course the more overpow- “sheaves” fattened up, look smooth ered the boat is, the more weather (and are smooth) but results in a helm it has, and mast-rake affects wider chord, making it less lift effi- weather helm. Since center-of-ef- cient. fort is further to the stern of the cen- Under-deck shroud ties to bulk- ter-of-lateral-resistance, the advan- heads help transmit energy into tage comes from sail twist, which lowers the center of effort of the power instead of deforming the Mast rake is essential in deck. They can be removed for medium to heavy air. Leeches sails and somewhat negates the cruising. free more easily. weather helm induced by the mast A Closing Flourish of Speed Tips controllable for drifter/light stuff. rake (compared to weather helm produced by a more balanced yet I’ve gleaned from George’s I know we all know this: In overpowered upright rig). son, Greg that flat- light air very slow tacks are always Being more upright in light air ter sails in drifter fastest. Momentum can carry you is good, but I think more rake on conditions reduce through to leeward and ahead of a the C22 works well upwind — even “stalling” and boat tacking on your air if they tack if the wind is light and if the back maximize exposed quickly in a light drifter. lowers are not too tight. Then the sail area. Mast rake is essential in a me- rig will compete with more upright Roll-tacking, dium to strong breeze — main and rigs for the downwind run.