Weather helm / helm balance question

[debonAir]

As your main bags-out the center of effort moves back which increases weather helm. It also becomes impossible to de-power with outhaul and twist because there's still too much raw curvature in the cloth. When your main is carrying a bubble up front, all of the pressure is on the back half of the main right? So the center of pressure is about 1/3 of the way back from the middle of the sail. The boat wants that center to be about 1/3 back from the front of the sail.

My weather helm disappeared when I got a new main. It was a much more dramatic difference than I would have even imagined. In 10kts true I can lightly-lock the wheel and balance the helm with jib/main sheet to sail for nearly an hour straight without touching the wheel. You do want a little weather helm going up wind to keep the boat lifting to windward and get helm feedback. A few degrees of rudder is good.

Also, I rarely reef the main anymore. My boat (E35-3) generally sails better with jib alone then with jib and reefed main. If the wind is picking up enough to reef its probably gonna keep picking up more so I just drop the main now. Weather helm is no longer an issue for me.

 

[steven]

I find the E35-2 maximizes speed made good to weather at around 12deg heel. More than that and it might go a bit faster through the water, but slips to leeward (due to less projected keel area) more than you gain by the speed.

 

[N.A.]

I thought I would update after everyone's generous advice earlier.

In short: I got a new main, and had my jib cut down to 90% given the high wind here (sailmaker said it was in good shape). Earlier genoa was 20 years old, and is now also being replaced.

As some of you predicted, all the excessive weather helm is gone. I had not appreciated that even pinching (aka feathering), etc. to keep the boat flat, that old sails would make everything so bad.

PS: If you're in the bay area, then I have been very happy with the new main, from David Hodges at Ullman (formerly Santa Cruz Sails, a local loft). Actually, more than happy -- the main has been great, and he gave all kinds of extremely helpful advice when he came by the boat to measure for the sail, and to help install it / rig the reefs differently -- that advice more than compensated for any loss of savings I could have had by mail ordering. I'm now going back to him for a 130% to replace my old genoa.

 

[G Kiba]

David Hodges at Ullman is great to work with. I bought a new spinnaker from him this summer. Good sails and great Dave is a great resource.