[Rhodes22-list] [Rhodes22e-list] New Traveler Modifications

Wed Mar 24 16:34:27 EDT 2021

Rick,

If you have so much mainsail area up that dumping the traveler is not sufficient to keep the boat upright in a gust; then, you need to reef down the mainsail.  The more efficient reefed mainsail shape will more than compensate for the greater unreeled mainsail area that spends a lot of time all twisted and luffing.  Besides, it makes you look like a real amateur and it’s hard on the sail.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 24, 2021, at 4:25 PM, ROGER PIHLAJA <Roger_Pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:
> 
> Rick,
> 
> I would welcome the chance to match race you.  I would be willing to bet considerable money that your strategy is wrong and I would beat you decisively.
> 
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Mar 24, 2021, at 4:21 PM, Rick Lange <sloopblueheron at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Roger,
>> 
>> We're talking about sailing close hauled in a stiff breeze (15-20knt) with
>> sudden gusts that will round up the boat.  The only mainsail shape that
>> matters during a gust is the shape that quickly dumps enough wind to keep
>> the boat on course without luffing the jib and, in the case of the R22,
>> sailing flat.
>> 
>> Easing the main sheet is the quickest way to react while affording the
>> tactile control needed to ease and recover appropriately as the  gust
>> varies.  In addition to being quicker than a traveller can move,
>> sheet control is not as restrictive as a traveller in allowing greater boom
>> motion for dumping enough wind when there is a really strong gust.
>> 
>> For small sloops up to 32', sailing close hauled by feeling sheet tension
>> is the fastest way to go.  I have sailed with totally blind crews and they
>> sail closer to the wind than many sighted sailors distracted by watching
>> sail shape.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Rick Lange
>> 
>> 
>>>> On Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 1:48 PM ROGER PIHLAJA <roger_pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Rick,
>>> 
>>> My 1976 Rhodes Continental 22 came with a cable style traveler.  This was
>>> not a very good setup and I soon upgraded to the GBI bar-style traveler
>>> that is mounted on the backstay.  This traveler was much better and I used
>>> it for many years.  However, because the mainsail trimmer needed to be in
>>> line with the clam cleats on each end of the traveler bar in order to cleat
>>> off the control line, it was very difficult for the helmsman to also play
>>> the traveler.  This was especially an issue when the helmsman was sitting
>>> up on the windward gunnel (i.e. hiking out) and the traveler needed to be
>>> trimmed to leeward.  GBI’s 2nd
>>> (3rd?) generation traveler pretty much solves all these issues.  Properly
>>> adjusted, the latest generation traveler has a built-in slip characteristic
>>> that will save you in an accidental gibe or a knockdown gust.   The
>>> traveler control line is a continuous loop, which enables the helmsman to
>>> play the traveler to windward or leeward without leaving his hiking station
>>> up on the windward gunnel.  The helmsman drives with one hand on the tiller
>>> extension, the other on the traveler control line, and multitasks.  The
>>> helmsman can feel the weather/lee helm pressure thru the tiller and is in
>>> the best position to adjust the traveler to optimize the weather helm/lee
>>> helm balance.  I’ve been sailing with the new generation traveler for 3
>>> seasons now.  If you care about boat speed and sail short handed, this
>>> upgrade is well worth the price!  On a close hauled course in 10-15 knot of
>>> wind, If you get into a drag race with another Rhodes 22 that is properly
>>> using  its latest generation traveler vs you using your mainsheet, you will
>>> fall behind by ~30-40 sec/nm.  In a PHRF race, that’s huge!  Other than
>>> buying new sails, there is probably no other upgrade that offers this much
>>> performance per dollar spent.
>>> 
>>> Roger Pihlaja
>>> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>>> 
>>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>>> Windows 10
>>> 
>>> From: ROGER PIHLAJA<mailto:roger_pihlaja at msn.com>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 12:12 PM
>>> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] [Rhodes22e-list] New Traveler Modifications
>>> 
>>> Rick,
>>> 
>>> When you ease the traveler, the end of the boom does not rise as it does
>>> when you ease the mainsheet.  Thus the mainsail shape is affected much less
>>> when you ease the traveler vs the mainsheet.  When you trim the traveler
>>> back to where it was, the flow reattaches itself much quicker.  Overall,
>>> boat speed stays higher.  That’s why you play the traveler much more than
>>> the mainsheet.
>>> 
>>> Roger Pihlaja
>>> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Mar 24, 2021, at 11:25 AM, Rick Lange <sloopblueheron at gmail.com>Trim
>>> the trawrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Jeff,
>>>> 
>>>> Why the traveller?  The sheet is so much faster and gives greater range
>>> of
>>>> boom movement.
>>>> 
>>>> Rick Lange
>>>> 
>>>>> On Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 9:13 AM JeffSmith <jeffsmithphoto at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> When sailing to weather I like to play the traveler (as opposed to the
>>> main
>>>>> sheet) in the puffs while sitting on the high side cockpit combing with
>>> the
>>>>> hiking stick.
>>>>> A continuous 5mm line with the core removed where it travels through the
>>>>> blocks on the New Traveler and possibly changing the purchase from 5 to
>>> 1
>>>>> to
>>>>> 3 to 1 is part of my plan. Before holes are drilled in the cockpit
>>> sides to
>>>>> accomodate turning blocks to lead the continuous line forward around the
>>>>> perimeter of the cockpit, I would welcome input.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----
>>>>> Jeff Smith
>>>>> 2009 R22 #101 RADIANT
>>>>> Atlantic Highlands Municpal Harbor
>>>>> Atlantic Highlands, NJ
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 