26X Mac set-up using 4 Rudders

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.

 

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.

 

26x Multi-rudder option

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 *** Guess to begin with, I suppose, , but maybe I'll come up with something

Cheers.........Ron

 

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.

 

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