Bearish or neutral boat: which is better when sailing?

Nettle boat
A ClubSwan 50 upwind. A gyre boat in medium-light winds will also have more efficient appendages.

Sometimes it happens to hear a helmsman say with disappointment,“the boat is gilt,” or rather with satisfaction,“it is neutral.” In the latter case it means that we could also leave the tiller or wheel and the sailboat, upwind, would go straight without changing direction. On the surface this might seem to be a gift, since a neutral hull will generally be “easy” to steer and undemanding. However, the fact that the boat does not start to have a slight gyre tendency from 8 knots is not a sign of good performance.

Bartiera boat – what is it for

Having a nettle boat, starting to give us bite on the rudder from the 8 knots of wind, translates into a few degrees to the bowline gained, useful both if we do regattas whether in cruise we have to sail to reach a destination against the wind, and we don’t feel like starting the engine. There’s more: especially when we sail in winds below 10 knots and with little heeling boat, having a slight bearish tendency helps us increase the load on the appendages, on the rudder in particular, improving their efficiency. We will then be able to contain the drift a bit as well, achieving numerous benefits at least up to 15 knots of wind. Above this intensity having a boat that is too eared means having to clash the rudder often, slowing it down, and leaving a lot of mainsail behind. A balance needs to be found by adjusting the sail shape and finding a compromise with the mast adjustment.

Barca orziera – a lot depends on the rake

The rake is the measurement between the masthead and a point at the center of the boat’s stern line. The shorter this length gets, with the head getting closer to the stern, the more we will have a nettle boat, and vice versa. The rake of a boat is adjusted mainly in two ways: the length of the forestay and the position of the mast foot. The more we move the latter forward, the further back the head will go, changing the rake and increasing the load to the heave due to the shift in sail center.

Bearer boat – the length of the forestay

Choosing the right forestay length, beyond the adjustment we will later make to the tension, will be decisive in being able to change the rake. That is why it is important, if we buy a new forestay, whether it is for racing with tuff luff or with furling, not to mistake with whoever supplies it to us the length of the cable. Getting it wrong at fault, with a forestay that is too short, will penalize upwind because we will have a mast that is too bowed. Conversely, if the forestay is long, action can be taken by adjusting the forestay or in extreme cases by shortening it. Figuring out what the right forestay length is, and how much rake to give the boat, are tasks that need to be done under the guidance of professional sailmakers and riggers and change from boat to boat and depending on its use, cruising or racing.

Mauro Giuffrè


SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT US: WE GIVE YOU THE HISTORY OF SAILING FOR FREE

If you appreciate our work and our perspective on the sailing world, please subscribe to the Sailing Newspaper! The annual subscription costs only 49 euros and we give you a unique gift: access the digital historical archive of the Journal of Sailing and read hundreds and hundreds of the best articles that appeared in the pages of GdV from 1975 to the present day! DISCOVER MORE.

DISCOVER THE SAILING NEWSPAPER YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Daily interviews, boat trials, webinars. The whole sail, minute by minute. But on video! CLICK HERE To sign up, it’s free!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

To stay up-to-date on all the news from the world of sailing, selected by our editorial staff, sign up for the Sailing Newspaper newsletter! It’s super easy, just enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “Sign Me Up” button. You will then receive on your email, twice a week, the best sailing news! It’s a free service and you can unsubscribe at any time, with no obligation!


Once you click on the button below check your mailbox

Privacy*

 

Condividi:

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Read the latest issue

Are you already a subscriber?

Latest announcements
Our socials
Highlighted

You may also be interested

Ecco i nuovi display Alpha e i sensori del vento RSW di Raymarine pensati per i regatanti

How Raymarine’s new electronics designed for racers works

Raymarine recently unveiled a new comprehensive system that winks at racers and the world of performance sailing. In addition to hardware innovations, such as remote touchscreen displays and new wind sensors, there are also software innovations, such as updates to

Scroll to Top

Registrati



Accedi