• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Racing Tips for Ericson 30+ needed - Please

tomsimlee

New Member
A long time ago I used to race small boats (El Toro, Hobie Cat, Blue Jay, some Snipe crewing) and was pretty good at it. I recently purchased an Ericson 30+ with new standing rigging and new main and genoa. I'm now racing in the San Diego Beer Can Series and I'm getting killed. I'm in a non-spinnaker handicap fleet of 15 boats and the best I've done is 6th but more commonly 9th or 10th. There's nothing much I can do about three of the smaller boats who, though I have to give time to, are much faster than the other boats about my size. But head-to-head with other boats in the 28-36 foot range I'm usually slower upwind and can't point as high. When I haul my jib in tight (just outside the lifelines) I slow down too much and get passed to leeward by my competitors who's jibs are even tighter than mine. I need a few tips. Any help would be appreciated. Right now I'm blaming it all on the fact that my jib isn't as big as everyone else's (I think it's 105-110%). So other than my jib envy, what else is my problem?
 

bigtyme805

Member III
Ericson 30+

I owned a 30+ and you are going to have to increase to at least a 135 and in the San Diego Air I would go with a 150. This will help you tremendously. A 100% Jib is going to kill you with that boat. Best of Luck... Don
 

tomsimlee

New Member
I owned a 30+ and you are going to have to increase to at least a 135 and in the San Diego Air I would go with a 150. This will help you tremendously. A 100% Jib is going to kill you with that boat. Best of Luck... Don
Thanks, Don. Right now the boat is pretty balanced in a moderate wind (8-12 knts). After that I have to start fighting a weather helm by easing out the main via the traveler. Would a bigger jib tend to offset that weather helm? Any drawbacks to a big jib?
 

bigtyme805

Member III
I sailed mine in Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands blows a lot more than Santa Barbara. I had a 135 on her and in order to take the weather helm off I would roll the furler in to about 100% Jib. If I was racing her I wouldn't reef a bit. Give me some more bodies to get her upright. I sailed in San Diego for 2 years and I find the winds a lot lighter than Channel Islands. The 30+ needs to be reefed in heavier winds one of the knocks on the boat. Although I find the 30+ to be a nice boat in 10-15k wind. Your racing her and having fun so lighter and bigger sails you will need to be competitive. Enjoy your Wet Wednesdays:)
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
We own a 1984 E30+ and love to sail her--they are fast boats! I agree with all of the above, especially a larger headsail--at least 125% and if mainly in light winds, up to 150%. They like to have the first reef at about 17 knots and the second one at about 22 knots, unless you have crew on the rail; they sail better a bit flatter rather than rail in the water. You may want to experiment with the difference between inner and outer jib track, as the inner allows you to sail tighter, but the outer is faster in a beam reach.

In 12 - 15 knot winds you should be able to reach 6 - 7 knots easily.

Frank
 

Fparry

Member II
I have a 32-200 with a 150% installed. I never take it off. If you need less furl it in. I think you will find the additional power and speed will offset any questions of balance and weather helm you might encounter.
 

tomsimlee

New Member
I have a 32-200 with a 150% installed. I never take it off. If you need less furl it in. I think you will find the additional power and speed will offset any questions of balance and weather helm you might encounter.
Thanks for the advice. I searched the internet for sail makers and found the Precision Sails web site (PrecisionSailLoft.com). That have pretty good prices. Does anyone know anything about them?
 

e38 owner

Member III
A friend of mine just ordered sales from island planet they look very nice
Sail Technolgies gets a lot of praise on the hobie 33 website they are quite a bit cheaper and seam to have a good following
I recently bought a sail from Sobstad. Prices were good and peter spent a ton of time working with me. I would highly recommend them.

I race in sd from time to time
Which Beer cans are you racing in?? cortez, coronado etc.
I have noticed quite a learning curve in the bay
I would say it would be hard to compete without a 155 in the beer cans because they are in the dying breeze of the evening
I find that most of the time a 135 is enough in the bay when cruising. I raced a Hobie 33 in the south bay and found a 100 worked well. But the wind is so crazy North of the bridge that I think a 155 would be required. During the puffs you will be on your ear but should be about right in the lulls.

If I remember the 30+ is a fractional rig A bigger headsail should have less of an effect as the wind increases than a masthead rig. Proper Mast bend is also critical to getting the boat to point well
 

tomsimlee

New Member
A friend of mine just ordered sales from island planet they look very nice
Sail Technolgies gets a lot of praise on the hobie 33 website they are quite a bit cheaper and seam to have a good following
I recently bought a sail from Sobstad. Prices were good and peter spent a ton of time working with me. I would highly recommend them.

I race in sd from time to time
Which Beer cans are you racing in?? cortez, coronado etc.
I have noticed quite a learning curve in the bay
I would say it would be hard to compete without a 155 in the beer cans because they are in the dying breeze of the evening
I find that most of the time a 135 is enough in the bay when cruising. I raced a Hobie 33 in the south bay and found a 100 worked well. But the wind is so crazy North of the bridge that I think a 155 would be required. During the puffs you will be on your ear but should be about right in the lulls.

If I remember the 30+ is a fractional rig A bigger headsail should have less of an effect as the wind increases than a masthead rig. Proper Mast bend is also critical to getting the boat to point well
Thanks for the tips. I'm racing in the Cortez series. Over the last few years I've crewed a few times on a J 140 and have sailed enough in the bay to know some of its quirks (like getting a lift near the rocks), but as has been pointed out (and confirmed my suspicions) I need a bigger headsail. I naively assumed that the rating system might adequately adjust for the fact that my jib is smaller. Coming from one-design racing it came as kind of shock to me that the rating system kind of sucks.
 
Last edited:

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
If you have a lot of weather helm as the wind increases.... your main may be too baggy. IIRC you said it was newer, so maybe it was not cut correctly or perhaps you need more mast bent to flatten it. (?) or, maybe just a recut.

Next, be sure (!) that your boat is actually rated for the jib overlap that you have now. The handicap should account for the smaller jib. If using a fixed prop, the handicap should reflect that too, as the extra drag not only reduces speed some in light air but also pointing angle.

Good luck,
Loren
 

Brad Johnson

Member III
I have raced my Ericson 26-2 for 24 years in club racing (PHRF), Sails are most important, you need a 150%, You need a very well prepared bottom, a rig that is tuned for the conditions that you sail in, Backstay adjuster, Runners if you are a fractional rig ,working outhaul for main, adjustable genoa cars, a good traveler, and a steady knowledgeable crew. Go to a racing seminar (north U has them during winter and spring ) and be patient, It takes time to find the boat potential.
 

MarcusJtown

Member II
Make sure your jib cars are in the right spot. You said you have what you think is a 105-110. Can you sheet it inside the shrouds? With a jib that size, you can probably move the cars pretty far forward to power it up. Moving the cars back allows the top to twist off, good for higher in the wind range, but if you feel underpowered, and are having a hard time pointing, move them forward.
 
Top