Back winded main sail

We had a great race Saturday average wind 20 with gusts up in the high 20s. I have problem with the main being back winded and looking like a big s. we tried jib track forward, and back. we tried loosening mast rotator. Finally furled jib and no more back winding. Any one have any experience with sailing in heavy winds with these boats. Maybe I am pinching too much? We were sailing at about ten nots upwind with only main sail.
thanks for any help!

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Hobie 21se
feral cat

Haven't had mine out in over 20 yet... maybe a few gusts... Do you have any issues releasing your jib? I expect you were out on the trapeze?

Cheers - Andy

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Andy Gardner
Hobie 21SE "Lickity Split"
Cowan Lake Sailing Association
Foster, OH

maybe the boat was just overpowered I bet if you could have pulled down the main enough it would have got the good sail shape. My main sheet gets really hard to tighten at those sort of winds A 30 mph wind is kinda hard to do anything but to hold on.
The big question is that could you right the boat in a 30 mph wind
I worry about destroying my mast or some other part that will turn my beautiful boat to the parts bin
I do not have any mercy on the hc16 as any part can be replaced
Former hobie admiral Gary

Probably pinching too high. Even upwind in that much wind, the traveler needs to be way out. Low is faster as the wind cranks up. I was surprised the first time I saw Pete Melvin sailing as low as he was in this much wind going upwind. The extra boatspeed makes up for the lower angle. I think I've told this before here, but in one race, Ed Baird and I had the best starts, and were sailing right side by side, thinking we were doing really great. Pete crossed behind us going way lower, but crossed right ahead of us getting to the mark. The wind hadn't shifted at all. He was going very fast. His traveler was all the way out, and both guys were at the back of the wing.

Thanks for the replies. As I am reviewing in my mind I agree I was pinching to much . I will try the travel out and go fast and low next time.

I would love to sail with a couple of these boats. It must have been awesome!
I am trying to get another one out on the lake with us! 21se is a blast to sail.

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Hobie 21se
feral cat

I don't have experience with the H21, but I do have a lot of experience with the 17, 18, & 20 and the 21 is basically just a larger version of those boats.

If you're heavily backwinding the main, it means your slot is being closed off and the jib is blowing air into the forward section of your main. In essence, your main is sheeted out too far relative to the jib. In really strong wind, this can unavoidable to some degree and at some point, you would need to furl the jib. But, the first thing you should do is crank your downhaul. Pulling in the downhaul hard does several things. First, it flattens the sail which allows you to pull the main in closer to the centerline of the boat so the air coming off the jib does not cause as much of a backwinding effect. Cranking the downhaul also bends the top of the mast which allows the top of the sail to open up. This spills power from the top of the rig so the top of the mainsail is more open above the jib and the center of effort of the rig drops lower which ultimately allows you to carry more power. The H21 doesn't have inboard/outboard jib travellers, but it does have fore/aft travellers. In really high wind, you should move the jib traveller all the way back. This relieves tension on the top of the jib allowing the upper section of the jib to twist off. The top of your jib may flutter somewhat, but you will reduce backwinding the main. You can also tighten up the outhaul on the mainsail. I wouldn't make it totally flat, but bringing it in slightly will reduce camber in the lower portion of the mainsail which will reduce backwinding.

To summarize, the first steps should be increase downhaul as necessary until maxed out. Then increase outhaul slightly. Then travel the jib cars back in the tracks. Then travel out the mainsail. If you've done all those things and you're still heavily backwinding the main, then it's time to furl the jib.

sm

Sometimes you just can't avoid the inversion at the front of the sail and keep the boat upright. The same weekend on San Francisco Bay that the above race I mentioned was on, we assembled the boats on the Presidio beach, and had to sail them to impound at the docks behind one of the tourist piers. When I got my boat ready to go, I had no crew yet for the weekend, so I stuffed a girl on the beach into my drysuit for weight on the boat. She had never been sailing before.

The bay was CRANKING. The kind of cranking where spray is being blown off the whitecaps, water almost black, with streaks all over it. We went with main only downwind. I might have been using the back two feet of the main, sailing as low as I dared, with me on the wire, and the girl grinning thinking that this sailing stuff was really fun. She had no idea what danger we were in, but we were racing for money on the weekend, and I needed the money at that time, so the boat HAD to get there.

I sailed into the lee of Alcatraz to jibe, and fortunately, the docks were in the lee of the pier.

I caught a ride to St. Francis, and walked in with wet foul weather gear still on. There were people entering to go to some awards function in black tie. I walked back to the bar to try to find a crew. Fortunately, the International 14 Worlds were just finishing up, so there were plenty of guys in the bar looking for another ride.

Downhaul hard (main), loose diamond wires(h-18)-rotate mast/tight diamond wires (prebend/Hobie /F-18 style) center rotation on mast, jib cars back a few holes, main traveler to hiking straps (this allows you to sheet in with less twist and lessen twist related backwinding/drag). As the wind builds, move the main traveler out. At some point you will roll up the jib as you will still be over powered. This is usually the time to go to the beach and tell the story.

Thanks all good info

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Hobie 21se
feral cat