POINTING with a trailing boat is admittedly not going to be as good as with a deep keel boat, particularly when employing a large furling genoa.
The Rhodes with its three separate Genoa lead feeds, its outhaul car that hard fastens to the IMF clew and its new traveler invention, now even points closer than many deep keel designs.
When using the decksweeping 175% genoa, the sail cannot be trimmed beyond the mast spreaders so pointing is modestly limited.
When using the same sail reefed to a smaller genoa size, the genoa sheets feed inside the upper shrouds allowing the sail to be trimmed closer to the boat center line for much better pointing.
When using the same sail reefed to a working or storm jib size, the jib sheets feed inside the upper shrouds and the aft lower shrouds allowing the sail to be trimmed amazingly close to the boat center line for great pointing ability.
In all instances, the main sail, with its long out of the way aft traveler system, allows for the IMF main, or a conventional main, to be trimmed as close to the boat centerline as wanted - and beyond!
With your Rhodes 22, Pointing, and sailing, is as good as it gets by going with a smaller genoa that better suits the predominant wind conditions of your waters and using the designated set of the three different sets of genoa leads that automatically are built into all Rhodes. http://www.usedrhodes.com/newsystuff.html and scroll down to the section on the 130 genoa. On this same “Newsystuff” page, stop by the section on the Rhodes new traveler system that gives Rhodes Pointing another major boost.
“Chris, I like the 130 because it is a better-sized sail for most of my conditions. It is easier to handle and furl. It may have a better shape than the 175 reefed down to 130 so more speed efficiency.
I am not that good a sailor but I like to check out the figures. This afternoon winds were exactly 12 knots from the south before taking sails out and exactly 12 knots from the south when I furled them. Apparent wind fluctuated between 10 and 15 knots with small craft advisory due to the chop, which was about 3 feet in most areas.
Boom in its lower setting (another exclusive Rhodes booster pointing feature), full main, genoa sheets using the number two leads position, board down, topping lift slack with traveler car centered and main sheet pulled tight.
Port tack at 240 degrees moving 4 knots and Starboard tack at 150 degrees equals 90 divided by two or 45 degrees into the wind. On a beat I easy did 40 degrees. With less chop I can get that into the thirties. I was single handing and think with more crew would have pointed even better.
We really do have a well designed sailboat.”