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Common opinion is the "Soverel 33 is a great light air boat, but can't save its rating upwind in the breeze." Let's put this rumor to rest!

The S-33 will go upwind in the breeze, believe me. I have been sailing on Tom Lihan's and Bill McCormack's Runaway and we consistently beat the J-35s upwind in all conditions. During the '94 SORC in 8 windward leeward races we won 4 races and took 4 seconds in a fleet that had J-50s, J-35s, J-33s, Tripp-33s, and other assorted racers including Leading Edge, an IOR 50 footer. Racing conditions started in a strong, 35kt Northwester, which gradually moderated over three days of racing. We did not see the #1 until the last day. Sailing recently in the "STOLIE CUP" we lead the pack, including a new well sailed SR 33 around the upwind downwind course in 20 knots plus, so it can be done!

There are three critical components to make the S-33 go in the breeze. First and foremost, you have to sail the boat like a dingy and very aggressively. Secondly, you have to have your boat set up so you can effectively control your sail plan from the hiking position and finally you can improve your speed by stiffening your boat to lock up your rig so the sail plan does not deepen when the puffs and waves hit.

Sailing Upwind In a Breeze, the set up side . . .Again, there are three main components. First you need to learn how to get your headstay very tight. Secondly the backstay and mainsheet controls must lead to the helmsman. And finally, the jib lead controls must lead to the trimmer in his HIKING position. There are other fine tune elements, vang foreguy, halyard... but if you take a similar approach to setting up these controls you will be fine. Harken makes all the blocks, cleats, and other assorted products to accomplish the following layouts. Get a catalog and if you need more help give your Harken dealer or me a call.

1. Headstay Tension - Contrary to popular belief you can get a very tight headstay with the original design. You just have to tighten the backstay and runner more or less simultaneously until you generate the appropriate aftward force on the headstay with the desired mast bend. The mast is designed for the headstay to be supported by both the runner and the backstay and the headstay will not change the mast bend between these two aft stays once they are set.

The more you tension the backstay, the more headstay tension and MORE mast bend. The more you tension the runner, the more headstay and LESS mast bend. And obviously the converse holds true. They have to be worked together, but once you have achieved the desired average headstay tension and mast bend for the particular breeze you are sailing in, the runners do not need to be adjusted. Use the backstay to control the fine tune of the mainsail shape through mast bend and improve the jib shape simultaneously by the corresponding increase or decrease in headstay pressure. We will go into this in more detail in the "Sailing Set Up".

The runners should be two to one, with a low stretch tail, and lead to a winch on the coaming. In this configuration you will adjust them a maximum of ±4" between the lightest to heaviest headstay tension. You need a visual mark on the runner tail with a gauge mark on the coaming underneath it to quickly set it to the proper tension out of each tack and to achieve the same tension on both tacks.

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2. Backstay and Mainsheet Controls - These two controls are the helmsman's most important ones. They must lead directly to the helmsman in the hiking position and both be easy to operate.

Run the backstay to a 2:1 (3") wire block, to a 3:1 (3") blocks use 1/4" Kevlar and through the transom to down below above the quarter berth to a 4:1 (3") blocks (you may want to make this final system a 6:1 to make it easier, just remember it means more line) use 1/4" Kevlar and back up and through the cockpit just behind the traveler to a Port & Stbd camcleat.

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The mainsheet should have a gross 5:1 sheet (7/16") leading to 4:1 fine tune (1/4") which dead ends on both sides of the cockpit.

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3. Jib Leads - They must be adjustable and lead to the trimmer in the hiking position. We run a 4:1 (1/4") control line back through the coaming exiting inside the coaming so it can be adjusted by the trimmer on the high side. This is a good system, but having been the trimmer, "I can say wear your gloves", because it is a lot of work, especially in the #3 mode. More purchase means more line or more hassle, but I could suggest a gross 2:1 (7/16" Kevlar) purchase leading back to the coaming with a camcleat with a fine tune 4:1 (1/4") leading in the same manner as Lihan's.

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Sailing Upwind In a Breeze, the sailing side . . . You need a great helmsmen and crew! Really! It is mostly hard work, fast tacks and HIKE, HIKE and HIKE! Then again there are three primary elements. The helmsmen must play the power in the main, the trimmer must play the power in the jib by controlling lead from his hiking position and the crew has to be FAST on the move. We are constantly trimming and rocking the weight, it does make a difference! You have a very light boat and it will only take so much before you are over powered and going SIDEWAYS, so sail shape, angle of heel, and boat speed are critical to your secret weapon, which is POINTING.

1. Helmsman - POINTING is the answer and to achieve maximum point you need a surplus of power so you can always press the boat to its maximum righting moment. This means you have to sail in the very upper range of your sail plan, i.e. select the right jib for the lulls and then de-power it for the puffs. Consequently you are over powered for the most part and are constantly decreasing and powering up to keep the boat in maximum point while still maintaining your boat speed, say 6.3 to 6.5 knots. The helmsman must keep the boat right on this edge, feathering the boat with full power but still keeping your boat speed. The mainsail is the helmsman's first move. Set the traveler, vang on hard (remember to let the vang off BEFORE you turn downwind because it will be way too tight for running and could easily break something if it is not eased off), and then play the fine tune mainsheet to open and close the mainsail leech. This is your accelerator and POINTER, open the leech for speed, close it down for point. The tight vang will keep the leech from opening too much as the sheet is eased and will also induce more mast bend as the sheet is eased which is m PHASE with de-powering.

The backstay should be periodically adjusted to compensate for moderate fluctuations in the breeze. More backstay will increase mast bend and provide a flatter and faster main and JIB because headstay pressure will increase, everything is in PHASE. The converse is again true, power up by easing the backstay for a deeper main and jib by sagging the headstay, all in PHASE. The runner tension might have to be adjusted if large headstay changes are required, but for the most part they are set for the windward leg.

2. Trimmer - The jib must be played in concert with the helmsman's needs. Adjust the jib lead aft to open the jib leech for more speed and less heel, close the lead down for more point and power. You have to "feel" what the helmsman needs, he will use the mainsail first, but you are the second form of controlling power. When the boat is in the upper range of any sail combination (remember this is where you must be) the trimmer must constantly play the jib to adjust for the fluctuations of wind velocity, waves and angle of heel. You can not wait for the helmsman to tell you what he needs, you have to act simultaneously with him, constantly powering up and down as you feather the boat upwind, otherwise it will be too late.

3. Crew - Hiking is the ENGINE to going upwind. The more weight and farther out, the faster and higher the helmsman can take the boat. That is straight physics all other things being equal. We sail with eight people in the + 1,650 to 1,700 pounds of crew weight on the rail. If you are allowed more people or weight it is faster in the breeze. Put the heaviest in the middle and the lightest on the ends, but everyone is very tight together. The best is only one crew forward of the middle life line stanchion. The upper lifelines need a lot of tension and the stanchions need knee braces to accomplish that. The lower lifelines need to be "real" loose, so everyone can get way out. Everyone has legs out except the helmsman and the trimmer who has his back sandwiched into the life lines. If there is a "shit sue" let one LIGHT person clean it up, it is better to continue hiking while the problem is secured. Work out an efficient way to get from one side to the other in the tacks. Tacking on the shifts is critical and to give the tactician and helmsman confidence in following their instincts, you must be able to tack efficiently and get into full hike quickly.

A word about light air crew positioning. Tom Lihan is committed on making the crew go below to reduce pitching. It is nasty, but let me tell you it works! In light air the crew weight is just as critical and you must work even harder because the range is from below on the keel to full hike, all the while doing it smoothly and with as little disturbance as possible to the helmsman. Rock and ooch! It is fast . . . the crew has to be "INTO IT". My Dad, Bill Soverel, crewed for me in 1975 when we won the MORC Internationals, he was 61 years old. We raced a flush decked prototype Soverel 26. No one, outside my Dad, was over 25 and yet he lead the crew hiking with the "Sov technique of holding the arms and legs straight out in the puffs"! Hiking is part of the team effort and if the helmsmen has to "ASK" it is TOO late. The crew has to compete all the time! That means rocking and oooching, oooching and rocking!

Stiffening Your Boat . . . will increase your speed by locking up your headstay and side shrouds so your sail plan does not deepen when you hit the waves and puffs. This all adds to the efficient control of your sail plan while going up wind in the breeze. Remember you are feathering your boat upwind at 6.3 to 6.5 knots and the flatter the sail plan the higher you can go, as long as you can maintain your speed. The main areas to be reinforced are the bow, the mast section, amidships and the cockpit, see the Photos for details.

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Bow . . . your boat should have two ribs forward of the main bulkhead. If not put them in with 3" by 3" foam and cover with a double mat & 18 oz. roving. Near the top of the forward rib glass in a 2" fiberglass tube as a spreader bar. Vernatube makes this product for wet exhaust systems, and should be available from your local Marine distributor, if not give me a call.

Mast . . . glass in a 3" glass tube just forward of the mast at the bottom of the cabin side at the deck level. Glass in a small triangular rib, 6" or so, on the aft side of the tube to spread out the load.

Midships . . . extend a bulkhead on the forward and aft side of the galley and navigation station up to the deck and glass into the deck, hull and station.

Cockpit . . . make sure the cockpit has a bulkhead at the aft end of the engine box that ties the cockpit down to the hull, if it is not there glass one in. Put in a bulkhead at the rudder tube between the hull and cockpit.

Good bulkhead material is 3/8" marine plywood or fiberglass composite of (2) 10 oz. cloth on each side of 1/2" foam which can be made up on the floor or any other reasonably flat mold. The 10 oz. cloth and 1/2; oz. matt is good for bonding in all your new structures.

Remember to take weight out where ever you can. Anything that is not glassed in should come off... you could even cut some things out. Remember it was only designed as a "Racer/Cruiser... "

Give me a call to help fill in the gaps.

Good Luck!

The Sov

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Runaway: Tom Lihan's and Bill McCormack's "Runaway" became Dennis Connor's "Menace XX" which is now Steven Costello & Vik Warren's "Rock On!"

Harken: http://harkencompuspec.com/

Vernatube: http://www.centekindustries.com/prod_05.html

Soverel Advanced Designs, Inc.: 3315 Perimeter Road, Palm City, FL 34990, (407) 283-9567 or 371-3096 (M)