Racing the Catalina 320
One suggestion is changing your prop.
Feathering Prop will
reduce drag ... particularly in light winds.
A number of C320s have the Kiwi Feathering Prop.
It's other great advantage is
reducing prop walk when reversing and delivering increased power in reverse as
well.
They cost about US$1250 in the USA/Canada.
...I can send you the web address if you want it... otherwise
search "Kiwi Feathering propeller"
This will help, wishing you greater Speed
Bruce Stanley
C320
#1084 Fantastic Lady / Sydney Australia
No matter what you do with number of crew, weight of crew and equip, etc., unless you put on a folding prop, it will not matter relative to boat speed.
As long as you have a fixed prop, you will have a brake
underwater.
Now, how to mitigate--:
Crew of 3 is best I've found.
No need to empty water tanks but don't top them off before
the race either.
Biggest weight distribution problem or tip on the 320 is keep crew weight forward. DO NOT let folks sit on the cat-bird seat during a race.
Once you're downwind (wing-on-wing), bring your crew
forward, have a couple of folks sit forward of the mast--you want the bow down
on a run.
Dodger--not a big issue, bimini--never
had one so I can't comment but I'm sure it doesn't help
Oh yea, one more thing....get a folding prop!
Last tip--for better
speed on all points of sail, get a prop that folds..
Regards,
OD
I have a Kiwi Feathering Prop and recommend one. Having said that, I have had a problem with the blades being set at
the wrong pitch.
This caused vibration, which I attributed to engine
alignment! To make a long story short, I ended up sending the prop back to NZ
and they establised the
pitch settings were out. They were 19, 20 and 21degress...hence the vibration.
The point here is that a Kiwi Prop owner must make sure all
3 pitch settings are the same. This should not be a problem. I know of 3 other
owners and they sing it's praise, too. You obviously
sail and I would think this would be a prop you should consider.
Antifoul and cleaning regularly is
always a necessity where fouling is active. For my Yanmar
3YM30 the pitch is 22degrees.
Cheers
Bruce Stanley / Sydney Australia
I can tell you that weight is really important. I race white sail with four
crew, spinnaker with six. Keeping
all the paraphernalia off the boat truly
makes a difference. The other huge factor is a clean bottom. First of all let's hope it is pretty smooth
in the first place. No Stipples/or orange-peel
effect! Then if stuff tends to
attach/grow on the bottom in your area, a regular bottom wash also makes huge
difference. Water/holding
tanks not too full doesn't hurt either.
I never use the bow tank. I have
a folding prop and would not for a moment consider racing with a fixed prop. That
of course I set in reverse as soon as the engine is cut prior to the race to
stop it windmilling.
If you are racing white sail, obviously a good whisker pole is a must.
We win quite a few races this way against boats we ought not
to be able to beat. Also the tuning
guide on the 320 website is really helpful - especially the bit about the
longer forestay and low-stretch halyards.
Go for it! These boats are
capable of going really well with a bit of help.
Hope this is useful.
Dave Moores,
Karl, your wife and common sense usually determine what you
should race with. Less is more in light air, more is more in heavy air. A folding prop should be a
consideration for any sail boat but since most cruising
seems to be in light or no air some like the fixed props for motoring. A three blade fixed prop is three times the
drag of a two blade fixed in my opinion.
Unless you are going to shower you don't need water on a
round the bouys race, nor do you need all those tools,
anchors, lines and the other junk we accumulate
over the years. The 320 is a good heavy air boat but needs
some help in light air.
Pat Reynolds