Nacra 5.2 stock. What upgrades would you do to go faster. I'm keeping in mind that a faster boat would be about 5 grand so I'm trying to keep upgrades below that.
Laminate square top and jib? Spinnaker?
nacra 5.2 speed upgrades
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Posted: Oct 28, 2014 - 10:39 PM
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Posted: Oct 29, 2014 - 08:13 AM
#1) Sail more
#2) Sail more
#3) Sail more
Seriously.
Top speed on that boat is around 21mph. Nothing you do, short of 50hp on the back, is going to make it go 23 mph.
If, by "speed", you mean faster around the cans, your biggest gains will be achieved through becoming a better sailor. New sails are great, but they won't compensate for trim & technique.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
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Posted: Oct 29, 2014 - 07:45 PM
If you are a beginner -- it is what Edchris177 said. It is also a good idea to combine theory with practice.
This is good read for winter nights:
Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish by Phil Berman
After that, if you sails are blown, then new set of sails is always a nice upgrade.
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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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Posted: Oct 29, 2014 - 08:02 PM
I've put a lot of money into my 5.2 bit all the upgrades just make it easier to sail or quicker to take out. The 5.2 will go as fast as you want it to. Sail it like you stole it. The only upgrade that may make a difference are new pentex sails. Go pin top. I found my flat top overpowers the rig too much. Much later you can consider a spin, but honestly, that is a lot of money for an old boat. You may want something bigger by that point.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Oct 29, 2014 - 09:05 PM
In 1974, we asked Jeff Prindle for "go fasts" on the Prindle. He sent a list of 5 items. # one was "sail more". Pete -
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Posted: Oct 30, 2014 - 02:42 PM
Pratt & Whitney has these on sale now...
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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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Posted: Oct 30, 2014 - 03:27 PM
[quote=JohnES]Pratt & Whitney has these on sale now...
Looks good, need more info. One per hull? Class legal? Don't leave me hanging here
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Repairable P18
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Posted: Oct 30, 2014 - 09:48 PM
A spin certainly adds to downwind speed(and fun!) in light and med winds. But requires the acquisition of additional skills, and it is a significant amount of money to put into an older boat, which may or may not be worth doing.
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Posted: Nov 04, 2014 - 11:55 AM
Agreed with all of the above, you have a pretty quick upwind boat if your sails and skills are good. Downwind requires more skill. And if you want fast, a spin and even more skill, I've been playing with that idea but I think that the 5.5 is better suited for a spin, but it can be and has been done, and still may be done by me. ;) but even the affordable route sounds pretty complex with retrofitting and whatnot.
I run a square top main and can depower it pretty good with my 6:1 downhaul. I bought a set from SLO and the boat screamed this year! Mostly because I had better power control and could push it more in a breeze, and of course, sailed more, so my skill got better.
Laminate jibs aren't the best for our boat because the jib overlaps the mast, you are doing a little damage every time the jib touches the mast. SLO has some great dacron solutions for that.
Most of my upgrades make the boat easier to solo which make me faster on race night.
Have fun
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Cesar (Cez) S.
Hobie 16 (had a few)
Nacra 5.2 "Hull Yeah"
Vectorworks XJ - A class (not named yet)
West Michigan (Grand Rapids/Holland Area)
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Posted: Nov 05, 2014 - 09:07 AM
Thanks for the replies guys. Maybe instead of upgrades I'll buy a buoy and have mast up storage for the next season. I'll get a hell of a lot more skills sailing it a couple times every week instead of once or twice a month. -
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Posted: Nov 05, 2014 - 09:36 AM
I wouldn't say Pentex is best, what is best is what is needed for your situation.. light/weak vs stronger/heavier ... this applies for jibs as well. you can have a builder make a modern laminates (http://www.doylesails.com/design/fabric.html) that will last for years. it all depends on what you want to spend, how often you are willing to replace sails and how hard you use em.
Dacron is heavier than most modern laminates but will last for decades (however it stretches a lot more than modern sails and seems to have stretch forever ....
If you want to increase your boat speed in other ways:
reduce weight everywhere (skipper/crew - less beer, no ice, no cooler, no 10lb ham, alum anchor vs steel, line vs shackles, etc)
clean and Fair your rudders, and center/dagger boards (if you have em), and your hulls..... (this may include adding material to fair it back to the optimal size and shape ... whatever the heck that is)
polish / wax / newglass type product when done (although everyone has different opinions on this)
If you wish to improve your performance:
get a loos gauge to insure your rigging is consistently set each time you rig
Get a Speed Puck and see your speed on the fly to determine what is optimal sheeting and pointing on your cat
Get a person to motorboat behind you and video yourself to review later
get a lesson from a pro like robbie daniels where he will incorporate all those things i mentioned
https://www.facebook.com/…Gear-Racing/310809692717 -
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Posted: Nov 08, 2014 - 01:43 AM
I just put a spinnaker on my 5.2 this season and it really rocks.
The pole is a windsurfer mast I picked up for peanuts at a surf shop (it had a broken mast base).
I bought the ring, the spinnaker and all the blocks from someone at my club who couldn't sell it because it wasn't stock (but it is a gorgeous CF ring). The spinnaker is tiny but it really helps, especially because I sail solo mostly. I spent less than $400 total and that's without really scrounging (except for the pole). I'd say; go for it! -
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Posted: Nov 10, 2014 - 04:19 PM
Rockwell is cleaning out thier Downey and Simi Valley California storage areas.... Was told these will be on eBay pretty soon If these don't give ya an edge....
Kidding aside, you have a pretty fast boat... I would sail it like ya stole it, put her away wet, and sail some more....
Have fun!
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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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