Drift

[gianni]

I built a SH14 rigged with a sprit sail . Sometimes when to tack, my boat drift to the wind direction. I slack the sail ... I tighten slowly , the boat restart in right direction .
What cause it?

[jacquesmm]

You have to fall off a little bit after the tack and regain speed before you point higher. Give the sheet a little slack coming out of the tack and not too much rudder angle, the rudder is a brake.

[gianni]

Thank you Jacques, I believe that the problem is my rudder angle.

[Cracker Larry]

I've never sailed that particular boat, but have sailed a lot of dingys. Small boats are so light that they tend to lose momentum quickly through a tack. Try to keep the boat moving. When close hauled tight you are at a minimum speed, so just before the tack I fall off a little and slack the sail to increase boat speed, then use the rudder to almost throw the boat across the tack. As soon as the bow crosses the wind, center the rudder. The sail is already trimmed a little slack from falling off the wind before the tack, so it will be trimmed just right for falling off on the opposite tack and regaining the speed. You can't tack small boats effectively when pinching hard, let it fall off a little and keep the boat speed up. Obviously the centerboard or daggerboard should be all the way down when tacking.

[gianni]

Thank you for your invaluable advice.
.....I like my sharpie....

[jacquesmm]

Thanks for the picture: good looking boat and your sail is set well but is that sail to specs? It looks like the sprit has less peak and the top is wider. Maybe the angle of the picture.

[gianni]

[jacquesmm]

OK, that looks correct.