Tell-Tales (airflow)

I have noticed while sailing that my leech tales do not seem to be flowing properly. I have them placed in the positions reccomended by Hobie. When sailing upwind, my jib tales all flow back, my center main tales all flow back, but my leech tales wrap around the sail on the windward side, and either flow bacward or down on the leward side. Is this a batton tension problem? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

_________________
James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909

No advice? Am I missing information that is found elsewhere on the site? If anyone could direct me to a similar post about this that would be great. Or, any help would also be really appreciated.

_________________
James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909

James, aren't they supposed to hook behind the leech?

Take a look at the How to point higher thread I had a couple of months ago.

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

The leech tell tails should alternate between hooking around the back and flowing.

Hooking and staying there is a sign of over sheeting... flowing and never hooking is a sign of under sheeting.

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

Thanks ya'll. Sadly enough I was hoping that I was doing something wrong. I got really out-pointed at the last race I was at. I think it's time to do some rake measurements and finally get some EPO's.

_________________
James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909

Some one say Epos. Ya know where to get them.

Getting out pointed is frustrating. It tends to cause you to point higher and sheet harder which stalls the boat. In reality, you should foot off for boat speed and then come up again. Check that the jib is not chokeing off the air flow. Should be a nice even leech curve that nearly matches the main. Best rake? As much as your boat can handle. Rake back till the mainsheet bocks "nearly" touch when fully sheeted going to weather. Also, your position on the boat is critical. Too far forward is not goo unless very light and flat as I recall... been awhile. In a blow, you want to be way aft when going to weather.

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

Ok, I worked on some pointing over the weekend and feel a little better about it. But, I'll still have to see how it compares against another boat.

I have another question about the tells. What does it mean if the center tale on the top of the leward side is flowing foward. Sailing yesterday in 15-20 mph winds the jib tales all flowed back. The center two tales on the main flowed back, the leech tales were flowing back and wrapping around alternatively, but the upper tale in the center of the main would flow back on the windward side, but foward on the leward side. Is this what I'm wanting?

_________________
James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909

Reviving this post, because I'm seeing sort of same things James is describing (and more).

Yesterday while horsing around in pretty good wind I was watching my main tell tales doing all kinds of things:
- trapping out, moving fast I see my main windward tell tales all streaming up, leeward were in all directions, even forward.
- I tried to change course or play main sheet, but this did not really help. I can't say exactly what I was doing, but I managed to keep them flowing back only at the cost of loosing power and speed. I think that is wrong.

edit: basically all of my main tell tales were a total mess, but the speed was great. as soon as I tried to calm the tales down, I was loosing speed and power...

help please?

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

Based on my mono-slug experience, it sounds like you're pinching to the point of stalling the sail. How's the slot between the jib and main? Try falling off next time to see if the air flow improves. Like me, I have a tendancy to try to point too high and kill the ir flow.

Hmm... not sure I was pinching. Let's see what's going to happen this weekend. Thanks for advice.

_________________
Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago