by GreenLake » Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:15 pm
Remember, the reduction in heeling force is more than proportional, since the center of effort for the main will move down 2' or 20%. For the same wind force per sqft you get a reduction of heeling moment by 36%, not 20%. There's an additional small contribution due to the fact that wind speeds increase with height, but that effect should be much smaller in high winds than for winds under 5-6kn, because of the fact that the breeze becomes turbulent over the water and doesn't slow down near the surface as much a laminar flow would.
(There are other factors, having to do with the sail shape of the reefed sail, that might increase the heeling force, so only an experiment will be able to tell you whether a reef that size is right for your conditions.)
The next step would be to sail w/o the jib and partially raised centerboard. I'd be curious to hear from people here at what wind speeds those don't suffice any more.
I know that with a combined crew weight of 500lbs, we could weather 20-22kn gusts without hiking and without a reef.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~