[Rhodes22-list] Define: Lee Helm

[SVTRITON at aol.com]

hi all
i dont write very often because i have little to add to the usually  
intelligent discussion.(other than politics) on this list..however i have lee  helm at 
low windspeed and i have a theory as to why so many of us have it...i  hope 
that stan will chime in and tell me im wrong...lee helm is caused by the  
center of effort of the sails being in front of the center of lateral resistance  
of the boat....i dont think the boat was designed that way but it has resulted  
because of changes that were made to the boat...when designed my guess is 
there  was no poptop and the boat was meant to sail with the boom in the down  
position..this would result in a larger mainsail which would bring the center of 
 effort towards the stern and closer to the center of lateral 
resistance...with  the introduction of the poptop and the resulting higher position of  the 
boom the mainsail has to be made smaller thus moving the center of  effort of 
the sails forward resulting in lee helm...the 175 genny compensates  somewhat 
for the smaller main in moving the center of effort aft but if youre  like me 
and use a 150  and a ups you really have to live with lee  helm..luckily as 
windspeed increases the center of effort moves aft so at  the more dangerous 
higher windspeeds you go to neutral helm and then  weather helm...i have tried to 
compensate by adding a 3 inch extension to my  forestay and raking the mast 
back...it helps a little but the lee helm  persists...if stan says im wrong then 
there may be a fix i havent thought  of but if im right its something i have 
to live with 
that's my experience and thought
tom 
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