[C320-list] Club Racing the C320

[Scott Thompson]

Because the rules are made by serious racers, and no serious racer wants 
a rule change that would generally make it better to have a slower 
sailing boat.  Few racers, even on San Francisco Bay, share Adam's 
rapture about the the benefits of using a fixed prop as a brake!  The 
rules are thus biased in favor of racing gear over cruising gear, and no 
one believes that they equalize all boats.  If that's what you are after 
switch to a strict one design class and get out of PHRF.

For what it's worth, I believe that folding props are faster than 
feathering ones, and if you really want to race successfully you will do 
better with a small two-bladed folder that folds into a really compact 
and streamlined package (e.g. the nicer Martec) than with any other 
prop.  On the other hand, if you are really that serious about racing 
then the 320 isn't a very good choice of boat in the first place.  I 
love to cruise my 320 and I love to race.  But I race boats that are 
designed for speed, not cruising comfort.

Scott

chris denny wrote:
> If it is generally accepted that a folder is that much of a benefit, why 
> is the allowance for a fixed prop not greater? I thought the idea was to 
> make things "equal".  Is 6 seconds the "standard addition" for a fixed 
> prop?
> cd #328
> Peter Clancy wrote:
> 
>> Casual racers may underestimate the value of relatively small speed 
>> improvements.
>>
>> For example, assume a course is 15 nautical miles long. If you have a 
>> modest 1/2 knot per mile speed advantage (with a folding prop) over an 
>> identical boat with a fixed prop and you average 6.5 knots, by the 
>> time you reach the finish  you'll be at least 10 minutes ahead of the 
>> slower boat. If that boat has a 6 second per mile rating advantage due 
>> to a fixed prop, he only gains 90 seconds or 1.5 minutes when 
>> corrected. Generally speaking, the lighter the air, the greater the 
>> benefit of a folding prop. We raced 'AROBAN' successfully for several 
>> years with a Gori two-blade folder and took first in class in last 
>> October's Columbus Day Regatta which is South Florida's largest annual 
>> sailboat race.
>> The C320 is a capable racer especially when tweaked and sailed for 
>> optimum speed.
>>
>> Peter Clancy
>> 'AROBAN' #222 (former owner)
>> Miami, FL
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  ----- Origi nal Message -----  From: Joe 
>> Barrett<mailto:joe at dolphinmortgage.com>  To: 
>> 'C320-List'<mailto:c320-list at catalina320.com>  Sent: Tuesday, August 
>> 21, 2007 9:19 AM
>>  Subject: Re: [C320-list] Club Racing the C320
>>
>>
>>  If going from a fixed to a feathering/folding prop gains you 1/2-3/4 
>> knot of
>>  speed do the math. The 6 seconds you loose makes getting a
>>  feathering/folding prop a no brainer.
>>  Joe Barrett
>>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: 
>> c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com<mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com> 
>>
>>  [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of chris denny
>>  Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 10:05 AM
>>  To: C320-List
>>  Subject: Re: [C320-list] Club Racing the C320
>>
>>     If a folder is that much help, why does having a fixed prop get 
>> you just 6
>>  seconds on your adjusted PHRF?
>>  CD #328
>>
>>  
>>
> 
> 
>