J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Buying and equiping J30 for racing

Can anyone give me a ballpark guess on what a new or used set of racing sails(Main,#1,#2, Spinaker) would set me back? I am looking to buy a J30 here in Seattle but it is not equipped for racing. Also what is the standard GPS unit for tracking speed over the bottom? How bout a pair of selftailing main winches? Anyone have any of the above for sale?

You can check with your local sailmaker for new sail prices and for used sail prices look on the for sale page on this website. As for a GPS, there is no standard unit. You could buy anything from a $99 handheld to chartplotters costing thousands. For racing, I would recommend against self tailing winches for your primaries. They just slow your tacks down. They are great for cruising though.

as for sails. look on the for sale page, there are many to choose from.

GPS I have a a Garmin 76 MAp... get the newer version with more memory .. I think it has an S at the end .. cost around 350 - 399 I think.

Selftailors for racing. Real Racers with a full crew dont like selftailors, however if you constantly race shorthanded ( like me, just with my wife, and only occasional a third person on the boat ) than selttailors come in very handy, indeed.
In fact I am also looking for a pair. But They are either super expensive or very hard to find in our size.

Just go out and race the boat as you bought it, old sails and all, and first gain a little experience, before you jump into new sails and so forth ......

Thorsten

Good advise thor

I agree with Thor.

I bought hull 397 two years ago and was in a similar situation. I was lucky to pickup a very experienced Laser 28 crew after their boat was sold and they got me focused on some good things. This was what I worked on from suggestions of an experienced crew.

1. Clean the boat out and put back in only the bare minimum.

2. All running rigging in proper place - what the fore-deck guy needs is at the fore-deck etc.

3. Running rigging in good shape and running free and clear (no meat hooks on the wire halyards - better yet no wire halyards - main sheaves replaced). Particular focus paid to main sheet and traveler. Replace sheets with low stretch line and get a set of light air and heavy air sheets.

4. Irritants like topping lift gone and replaced with a boom-kicker or other solid vang (big improvement in sail-shape in lite air)

5. Stripping and fairing bottom and plenty of tired arms from using the wet sander on the bottom for that wonderfully smooth bottom only an obsessive racer can love - my wife does not see the attraction

6. Consistent crew doing the same thing in each race (probably the most important)

7. Find a good sailmaker that will spend time with you on the water to learn how your current sails can be trimmed most effectivly (he will see this as a way to maybe sell you new ones or at least work on your current ones)

Looking back, this is kind of the order I attacked things on my boat.

I have updated all the electronics etc on the boat, but other than windspeed and current boat heading via the sailcomp and windex, for most races that is all we need.

From doing this over the last 2 years, we have become a very competive boat and look to be even better this year.

I am sure there are many more things you can do prior to buying sails but they are *real* important. And oh yea, I am replacing my winches this year and I am going to stay with self tailing since they are much better when my wife and I are cruising and we often sail with fewer people when the air is lite.


Hope this helps,
David
#397

super complete advice .... Awesome...

only one thing missing ...
try to meet/ race against other J 30's and blatantly ask them what makes them fast.
Havent met any J 30 sailor yet who tries to help you out and give pointers....

Oh by the way go to the rigging page and adjust your mast as it is described there.

Dont furl the main too fast, just haul that backstay in like crazy and let the air go out the top of the sail... The other cool deal with that is, that you can loosen the backstay ( and apply gas ) on the downwind portions. ( I need all the help I can get going downwind..lol )

Thorsten

How could I forget the rig -- We have spent a good amount of time in this area and it has made a big difference in the helm of the boat. We worked with the tuning guide and my sail maker to get the rig setup. It is now so tight I can play a tune on it. Not an area you want to ignore, and it does not cost a penny to fiddle with it(except for a nice Loos guage) (-:

David
#397