26X Mac set-up using 4 Rudders

[RonR]

I recently installed after-market rudders to my 26X and am very pleased with the results.* However, Macs are notorious in their tendency for excessive weather helm, and this alteration hasn't changed that. Perhaps the planing aft end of the hull would be a factor. I am now wondering what the effect would be to adding the original rudders to the AM units I now use.

[rwatson]

As an ex mac owner, and former haunter of the mac discussion board - 'excessive' weather helm is news to me.

I always found the balance and steering very good, until a gust took you past 6 degrees of heel, and popped the windward rudder out of the water, thereby rounding up to wind. That was supposed to be a design 'feature' to protect inexperienced.

It sound like you need to experiment with mast rake rather than add more drag with another set of rudders.

[RonR]

RWatson, apologies for not responding sooner. Just finished a 2100 mile trip north up to PEI, Canada where we typically summer. So no internet access. Also spent the last 5 days waiting for modems etc. to get back on line.

Thanks for your feedback (will take me some mental effort to work out the technicalities). A wild Ass Guess to begin with, I suppose, , but maybe I'll come up with something

Cheers.........Ron

[rwatson]

If you are getting a lot of weather helm, (bow wants to point into the wind badly when reaching, if I remember my nautical terms) rake your mast forward.
This will mean you will need to loosen off the shrouds a bit, and shorten the forestay.
I would experiment about 3-6 inches at a time until the boat sails to your liking.
A common mistake with Macs is to sail them like a keelboat. If you are getting more than about 6 degrees of heel, you are overpowered, and your underhull shape is looking bad.
Often you will go as faster with the main let out a bit more, or reefed - on a reach. I found a GPS the best way to experiment with getting the best speed.

To avoid another trap in trying to get best performance on a beat with a GPS, is to mark the windward bouy as a waypoint on your GPS, and sail so that the "estimated time to the mark" is the best, because its a combination of angle as well as speed.

The rake on the mast should be checked for any adverse beating ability effect.

[RonR]

Thanks for the information. I'll be busy next few times out trying to figure out the cause and effect for different scenarios.

cheers......R