[C320-list] How fast have you sailed

[Rick Sulewski]

In my second season with our then new 320 we logged 8.5 knots (9.7 mph top speed) in 25 knots with gusts up to 30 on a close reach going partial off wind. Didn't know what we did not know at that time. We learned that we cannot out sail the boat, but could find ourselves humbled by the sailing conditions. We were getting beat up trying to make headway against 8 footers in Western Lake Erie in 25 ft. depths, that produced very sharp waves as a cold front was passing through. When we finally got tired of experiencing shock loads on the rigging beating toward our Kelleys Island destination under a single reefed main, we fell off for a time to go where the wind wanted to take us on a reach until the gusts subsided to the mid-twenties, after about a half-hour. The problem was controlling the hull as we gained speed heading down into the trough because as we went up and over the hull wanted to roll on the way down resulting in having to  make a correction and place the bow into the next wave with water coming over the closed hatch and into the cockpit. Exciting, but not much more comfortable. Since one knot is equal to 1.15 mph, I surmised we probably exceeded 10 mph. but was too busy sitting on the high side working the wheel to notice the speed instrument.  The older speed instrument often logged (trapped) lower knot speeds than what was monetarily displayed as a higher speed. Lessons learned, we installed exterior grab handles on both sides of the companionway and stopped using the jam cleat to control the main in high winds.  It was impossible to release the line from the jam cleat in 25- 30 knots and had to momentarily head up  directly into the wind to free the jam cleat to transfer the main sheet to the winch before we could fall off while in the wave trough as we approached the next steep ridge. After that experience we decided not to leave the dock in winds higher than 20-22 knots or when waves exceed 6 feet. Also learned to understand and respect the practical application of the Beaufort Scale translated into the relationship between wind force and wind speed!
Rick Sulewski
 95' C320 Hull 277 My-Ria  

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Doug Treff
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2017 10:10 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] How fast have you sailed

I once hit 10.1 on a broad reach surfing down a wave with only half my genoa and no main in 25+ knots a while back.

--
Doug Treff
doug at treff.us

On Fri, Sep 1, 2017, at 10:07 PM, Dan Kolean wrote:
> Had my fastest sail to date. 2nd season on the boat.  Beam reach, 
> steady apparent above 15mph, sometimes 20mph. 1 reef in main, couple 
> wraps on the 135 original jib.  Topped at 9.8MPH on the GPS.  I had no 
> idea the boat could sail that fast. We headed up on the puffs, then 
> fell off to the beam reach and the boat flattened out and that's when 
> we got the good speed.  Anyone get their 320 over 10mph?
> 
> Dan Kolean. #489
> Mary Kate
> Holland MI
> 
> Sent from my iPad