How to point higher

As I learn my H16 more and more, I now get interested in actually tuning it and sailing it better.
A lot of information is about it here, yet I want to describe my situation so that I get a better understanding.
So over the last weekend my wife and I were out. The wind was between 10 to maybe 15 mph at times (no white caps at any moment).
My shrouds were in the third hole from the bottom. Main sheet was 3 inches between the blocks, traveler out about a foot. Tell tails on jib and main were all straight. Downhaul was pulled somewhat tight.
With that setup we had the highest speed going upwind.
What I kept noticing was that other monohulls going in the same direction were pointing much higher than us did.
As soon as I tried to pull traveler in, jib in, main sheet block to block, and turn closer to the wind, I was immediately loosing speed. So I had to bear away, release traveler and main sheet to the set up I mention.
What did I do wrong and what should I try to play with for better upwind sailing?

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

Its inevitable. The closer you go to the wind the slower you're gonna get.
More mast rake will help you go higher. Monos can typically point higher than we can anways.

_________________
Division 10, Fleet 185
Hobie 17 and Hobie 14

Pointing is not the be-all, end-all.

VMG (Velocity Made Good) is. VMG is the component of your velocity towards the wind.



If you go proportionately faster by not pointing (footing - which the 16 loves to do), you'll still get to the weather mark first.

All right. I guess this is what I wanted to get confirmed that a monohull can point higher than a multihull.

I agree, as long as I can move faster, then pointing does not matter that much.

thanks guys!

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

From a recent post in the 14 section... same issue.



Yes, bearing off for speed and then coming back up as far as possible is the trick. You can not point high sheeted tight and pinching. You have to have some boat speed. Otherwise the boat crabs sideways more. Plus the sheeting is likely stalling the boat speed.





Tell tails in the upper third of the sail really help to tune the sheeting. It is easy to over sheet. You need to pay attention to the air flow in that area. Tails at the leach should flow aft and hook behind the sail alternately.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Oh, I see. I don't have tails on the leech. I guess I will install them.

Can you please explain what does "hook behind the sail alternately" mean?

I understand they need to fly straight aft as in the picture, but what is "hook" here?

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

If you have old plastic rudders, buy a set of EPO2 carbon rudders. The rudders on the Hobie 16 act as daggerboards so old soft injected plastic rudders will not make the boat reach its full potential. A helm with little or no tiller load means your stiff rudders are taking the load and will help you to point better.

Oh, my rudders are good - EPO2 Kevlar. Thanks for advice though.

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

What you are doing by falling off and building speed and then pointing up is to build apparent wind speed. Then as you point higher you can maintain that apparent wind at the higher angle. The instant you begin to slow down, you need to fall off again and do it all over again. Go Fat, Get skinny, slow down, get fat etc...

Tell Tails flowing off the leech straight aft would indicate that you are under sheeted typically.

If you sheet in too hard, the air flow comes across the sail and around to the back side "hooks" behind.

Good sheeting is a balance of the two... a little of both. Back and forth flowing aft then hooking and then straight aft.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

A-ha! Now I got it. Thank you for explanation!
Well, I'm definitely ordering a set of tails to put on the leech.

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago