Closed Haul Sailing on an H16

Someone help me out here.
Im still very new to hobie-ing so im trying to learn all the right techniques

It seems like the 16 can not sail up wind at all. Or barely atleast.
Is this true or am i just doing something wrong. I was having a blast out in the ocean the other day in about 12mph winds. Reached back and forth all around cresent bay until it was time to go in. Well i had gone south of the harbor and the winds were blowing north to south. I could not get home. It took me another hour and 1/2 sailing closed reaches and zig zagging all the way home.

Is there anything i can do to get the boat to sail into the wind better. I mean she seemed like she could sail upwind but it probably would have taken just as long as the big zig zags did. Atleast then i was going fast, when i pointed into the wind i barely moved i had to go back to reaching or i was just going to sit there.

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1971 H16 (sail #1768)

To all of you on the Hobie Forum... I love you guys!!!
thanks for all the help!

The Hobie 16 does not point well but you should be tacking inside 100 degrees. If not you need to make some adjustments.

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http://hobiebob.blogspot.com/

You can probably sail up wind by now, but as a tip if you have to pinch, travel in ,sheet in jib and main, get your weight forward, and play with it ;you will be surprised how well you can sail to weather. also the more mast rake you have the better you will point.

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Bodhisatfa

Little Wing,

I was wondering about mast rake. How much is ideal. I have pulled it back far enough its almost tuff to get under to the other side and have tried it alsmost straight up. I am refering to rather windy conditions.

I know a raked mast is faster, but when the wind is high one hardly needs more speed on the 16, the thing rips.

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Dale Guthormsen

Where to be, On the Edge
2008 hobie 16

It's not so much about speed directly, but more about helping to keep the bows out of the water (preventing pitchpoling) and moving the CE back over the rudders to help the boat go better upwind. Basically moving everything back.

It's been a long time since I've sailed the 16, but I recall as a ballpark setting we took the main halyard, touched it to the bridal wire screw on the bow, held that point on the halyard and then walked back to the stern, and the point should be about 1 foot below the bottom of the transom (or the length of the upper rudder casting). I'm sure today's racers have more exact settings, but I believe that's where it was recommended to be set at the time.

sm

I agree mast rake on a sixteen is for high wind and up wind performance, In high wind rake it as far as it will go. The boat will suffer a little down wind try it and see what works best for you.

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Bodhisatfa

You know you have enough rake when you are almost block to block when sheeted in tight. If your main blocks are touching with very little effort, you have too much rake.