Upwind Target Boatspeed

[prochase]

Just purchased a U20 and a new Speedpuck and will be racing PHRF. Can anyone provide target upwind boat speed numbers based upon windspeed? I contacted Don Corey and he says there was never a polar diagram created for the boat.

We participated in our first race last weekend and the Speedpuck was all over the place, one sec it would read 4.8 and the next sec 5.4 without any change in windspeed or sail or boat trim. The Speedpuck does have a damping feature to level out GPS data rate. Would be interested if anyone has adjusted the factory default of 1 sec speed reporting.
 
Used to sailing a Melges 24 by the numbers for speed taken from the polars and sailmaker recommendations for shroud tension.

Thank you,


Eric
Hull #159

[Lighten Up 31]

IMHO the U20 is better sailed by feel than with instruments. The Speedpuck and is better for telling you how fast you went, rather than how fast you are going. Years ago I made the mistake of purchasing the Tactick compass with both speed and depth sensors. Drilled nice holes through the bottom of the hull that I now regret having to patch. I sail faster with it off the boat and me instead looking at the sails and feeling the boat accelerate and move.

Upwind notes: As I understand it, the high aspect ratio keep allows the boat to out point most other boats like a J24 or even a J80. While this is useful in a tactical sense, the boat will not have a high VMG that way. The strategy I have heard over and over through the years is to keep the boat moving. I pinch up until I feel the boat start to slow, then I back off. Better to use the traveler and then the sheet rather than pinching up when the boat becomes overpowered. In light winds keep the boat healed.

Downwind: Keep the boat on plane if possible. Just like on the Melges.

Now given that I will probably upgrade to a speedpuck soon. Not for racing but for fun, because everyone wants to know how fast they are going.

[Mark Allen]

The boat does not have a set of polars from the designer. Jim artrim could work some up for you if you wish to pay for them. I have asked in the past. I agree with David, the boat is more of a feel from your ass to know if you are sailing fast or slow. The class is more of sailor on sailor then instrument on instrument.

Mark
#26 JUNTA

[prochase]

Thanks for the input guys and I appreciate you taking time to respond. Yes, you can't pinch these sportboats, learned that the hard way on the Melges.

Will try what you say and see how things go.

Best Regards,

Eric

[Bob Brunius]

Upwind in 7-10 kts this weekend we got our asses handed to us by Hotfoot 27s, J29s and a SantaCruz 27. We were not even close. If you compare hull speed of 27 ft vs 20 ft then I guess that's what you'd expect. What am I missing?

[Travis Gregory]

flat water?

[Bob Brunius]

A bit of chop. Not to bad but not what I'd call flat.

[TimPorter]

I have found that the hardest conditions to sail the U20 in is chop.  The boat just doesn't cut through the chop like other boats and doesn't carry as much momentum because of how light it is.  You have to keep it powered up. 

[Tac Boston]

Been sailing the boat a lot this summer on our Wed nights here in Sarnia. There have been a few nights with left over bump and little breeze. A few things that we are relearning are, 1) Twist, Twist, Twist! I have moved the lead forward a car length to round the foot up but then ease jib sheet about an 1-1.5" past my normal upwind jib mark. Then on the main it is trav all the way up, outhaul off a "fist" width and eased the sheet so that the top batten tell tale is flying like 75% of the time and the second batten tell tale is flying like 95% of the time. Then you just foot, foot, foot. 2) I have been using a speed puck but as mentioned it is all over the place. Mostly because of current in our area as it is GPS based. 3) a bit of extra heel and crew weight forward also seems to help.

One other thing is that in the really bumpy stuff I have not been letting the rig tune off much. I just find that it bounces around to much if that makes sense?