West Wight Potter Owners Home Port _______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Technical Information Hi-Tech Sails or not? by Bruce Hood |
Most Potter owners of older boats at some point or another, will begin to wonder if purchasing a new set
of sail will make a significant improvement in ( 1.) The boat’s performance (2.) The skipper’s
performance! (3.) A little of both!
I wish I had a clear answer to the question.. and a number of years back when I invested in a new set
of North Sails for my P-15 "Aillte", I could definitely detect a slight increase in speed, and definitely
could get the boat to point a few degrees higher without stalling for at least the first two or three years
use of those sails.. However...that said, over the years, in racing for the windward mark with a number
of my "Old Salt" friends in the Potter yachters, all it took was one bad tack or slow decision, and
sometimes not even that, to see other boats well ahead of me.
On other occasions sailing with friends like Harry Gordon, Jerry Barrileaux, and Pat Brennan, all of
whom sail P-15’s some thirty years old, and with sails that were far from brand new, both while riding
along with them, and chasing them, I a have learned that the little Potter’s speed and sailing efficiency
has a lot more to do with the degree of experience of the skipper, rather than any special "high
tech" equipment. Jerry B. credits "tiller time" as the key ingredient in creating a good Potter Sailor, and
there is little doubt that lots of experience on the water is the real "secret", if there can be said to be
such a thing.
Having good sails, your boat set up and rigged well, is very satisfying and rewarding, and then the
other key ingredient to remember is... make some plans to get out on the water this weekend, and the
weekend after that.. because that is where the fun is! Cheers!
The Scotchman...Bruce Hood
of sail will make a significant improvement in ( 1.) The boat’s performance (2.) The skipper’s
performance! (3.) A little of both!
I wish I had a clear answer to the question.. and a number of years back when I invested in a new set
of North Sails for my P-15 "Aillte", I could definitely detect a slight increase in speed, and definitely
could get the boat to point a few degrees higher without stalling for at least the first two or three years
use of those sails.. However...that said, over the years, in racing for the windward mark with a number
of my "Old Salt" friends in the Potter yachters, all it took was one bad tack or slow decision, and
sometimes not even that, to see other boats well ahead of me.
On other occasions sailing with friends like Harry Gordon, Jerry Barrileaux, and Pat Brennan, all of
whom sail P-15’s some thirty years old, and with sails that were far from brand new, both while riding
along with them, and chasing them, I a have learned that the little Potter’s speed and sailing efficiency
has a lot more to do with the degree of experience of the skipper, rather than any special "high
tech" equipment. Jerry B. credits "tiller time" as the key ingredient in creating a good Potter Sailor, and
there is little doubt that lots of experience on the water is the real "secret", if there can be said to be
such a thing.
Having good sails, your boat set up and rigged well, is very satisfying and rewarding, and then the
other key ingredient to remember is... make some plans to get out on the water this weekend, and the
weekend after that.. because that is where the fun is! Cheers!
The Scotchman...Bruce Hood