I notice that many people tend to use an arm, rather than their body, to grind. I teach my crew to stand on the cockpit seat and place one foot against the rail. Then face aft and grind with both hands while the tailer calls the trim. If you're not doing that, try it, and you'll notice the difference.
I replaced my traveler with a Harken traveler, 4:1 purchase, and it's very easy to pull it to windward, even in heavy air. I currently use a number two (135% genoa), which gives me an extra six seconds a mile. I don't get a bubble in the main, and I can point higher than I could with a number one. It's easier on the crew, we can tack faster and there is no noticeable difference in speed, except in very light air. Even with the number one, I was able to easily move the traveler to windward. Replacing the Schaeffer traveler made a hugh difference. When tacking, we let go the sheet as soon as the genoa starts to luff. When you let it backwind, it acts like a brake and will slow you down. Don't use too much helm. Our larger boats have a lot of momentum, and by tacking slowly, the boat will continue to move to windward during the tack. You can gain a boat length over another boat that uses a lot of helm. The other boat's rudder will be contributing to more drag. Much smaller boats have a lot less momentum, and have to be tacked faster, but they also accelerate faster. Hope this helps. Alan Bergen 35 Mk III Thirsty Rose City YC Portland, OR
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