We sail on some of the flattest water I imagine any J30 sails on (A large flood control resevoir in southern Illinois, Lake Carlyle. Why we sail such big boats on such small water I just don't know. Perhaps it's an incureable illness!) and have done very well with these settings so far. Set up this way (44 uppers and lowers with an extra long headstay) last weekend we had two races in 10 - 15 and 12 - 20 and we were untouchable in our fleet of boats. I was amazed at how well she pointed and I didn't have any problem depowering or powering up in these conditions. (It might be important that I'm sailing with a 155.)
This Saturday might be a different story. We're expecting <10. I have been tuning the rig way down (38 - 40) for light air, and have been beat by some good light air boats, but this time I'm going to leave it tight. I've also tried looser settings (40 - 42) with less prebend and rake in winds similar to last weekend and tight with rake and bend is clearly better.
I imagine the flat water is very important for the success of this. I have to work speed up out of a tack and work into pointing mode. It takes a minute when the wind is more toward 10 than 20. In waves of substance I expect I'd never get going.
Anyway, the point of this was a response to Mark Leach's question. Even with a lot of rake I find the weather helm manageable even at the upper end of the #1 as long as the #1 is strapped in hard. We do twist off the top in the heavier air, as dwl suggests.
YMMV
Follow-up: The wind didn't blow at all Saturday, so we didn't get to try it. Got a lot of swimming in though.
[This message has been edited by Mark (edited 07-22-2001).]
