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Feb 20, '06 8:32 PM
by jiiku for everyone

Hello !

I'm interested to try racing with my Ballad. I bought my boat at last autumn so therefore I don't have expreriences about racing. If you have some tips about trimming sails and rig, I would be very grateful. I'm also a little curious to know, how fast she can be?

best regards,

Jere Kuusinen

Finland

Tags: general sailing

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9 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded

msn-jc0tton wrote on Feb 22, '06

Against other 30 footers mine goes well to windward in a stiff breeze. Reaching we don't really have much of an advantage. What I would be interested in is what others do in ligher winds going into a sea. This is where we seem to suffer. My basic technique is genoa cars back, more belly in main, all surplus crew on cabin, internal weight moved from extremities (anchor, empty water tanks), lay off the wind a little and so on but we still get hammered by any chop or tight swell. .

msn-ballad775 wrote on Feb 23, '06

Hi Jere,

I was thinking of ways to describe sail trimming to you, and thought there may be something on the internet. I had a quick look and came across this website; http://www.wb-sails.fi/news/98_11_PerfectShape/Main.htm

It has a series of pages describing sail shape, trim, etc. It may help with jcOtton's question as well. I can't suggest the best way to make a Ballad go fast in light airs and a chop, as I haven't had mine long enough, only bought her in October last year, but the above link describes quite well how to get the best drive from sails generally.

I hope this helps.

Tim Robinson

msn-ballad775 wrote on Feb 23, '06

Hi Jere,

I just noticed that the link in my previous post is for a company in Finland

Tim

msn-jiiku wrote on Feb 23, '06

Hello!

Thanks about your tips. In fact, i'm a customer of WB-sails. What kind of speeds you have experienced with Ballad?

msn-ballad775 wrote on Feb 23, '06

Hi Jere,

So far I have only sailed my Ballad on the delivery trip of about 400 miles (640 km) when I bought her last October. This was done in mostly light winds apart from the last 20 miles when a following breeze blew up to about 25 knots.

The last mile or so, we were surfing on quite large waves with too much sail up, (full main and genoa) broad reaching at up to, and slightly over, 11 knots. A little out of control, in the dark, heading toward a harbour entrance on a lee shore

NOT to be recommended............. but what a buzz

I just wanted to get in the harbour before the wind got stronger, which it did later that night, over 40 knots!

Not really a true test of boat speed, but very impressive nonetheless

I don't suppose "Gancia Girl" will be doing those sorts of speeds too often in the future.

Tim

msn-jc0tton wrote on Feb 24, '06

Albin Ballads love those sorts of conditions. When other vessels are reefing down, broaching and generally having a miserable time my boat has the characteristics of an express train on rails, but lighter more modern boats do actually go faster. I even things up a lot by using an mps (gennaker) which helps us out on a reach with the wind more or less abeam. My normal spinnaker (symmetrical) spinnaker is is more efficient when the wind is significantly aft of abeam.

msn-jiiku wrote on Feb 24, '06

"train on rails".... hmm...this is very interesting, because the previous owner of my Ballad said about those conditions exatly so with same finnish words "menee kuin juna".

Jere

msn-patentnick1 wrote on Feb 24, '06

Hi to all

Since I don't race my Ballad, I can't contribute much to this discussion. However, I can attest to her

exceptional windward performance--"a witch to windward", as the Brits say. She tracks very well

and with well-trimmed sails can hold a course for long periods without attending to the tiller. This also

shows when on autopilot, as my Simrad unit is never over-worked. Speed-wise, I normally sail at

between 6,2-6,8 knots in Force 5-6 (measured by GPS, as I've given up on log/speed transducers).

Last year, with a poled-out #3 genoa , full main and a force 7 at about 150 degrees I surfed at 10,7 knots.

It was a blast. My standard foresail is a #3 genoa but I also carry a relatively heavily-cut gennaker,

which, finances permitting, I may put on a furler this year.

Nicholas

"Moments of Clarity" hull#334

msn-ballad775 wrote on Feb 24, '06

"train on rails"

Excellent description.

As we surfed towards Pwllheli harbour that night, my friend Trevor commented that we were going "like a train".

And "witch to windward" is a great description too. I've sailed on a friends Ballad coming back across the Irish sea, and "Rebel" performed beautifully to windward in a force 5.

Tim

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